Alembic Guitars Club
Alembic products => Alembic Basses & Guitars => Topic started by: Khrist92 on August 01, 2019, 05:49:22 PM
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Hello everybody. While playing my Distillate with AXY56 pickups, there is a noticeable difference between the two, tonally.
The neck pickup is generally thinner, no matter what height its set to, or what the internal trimpot's gain is set to. The bridge pickup is fuller, with more bass frequencies. Currently, I have the pickups set at equal heights and almost equal gain, just a hair more on the bridge.
I was hoping to check with others who have the same pickups in their bass, and see if this is normal, or if something is wrong. Bass sounds fantastic, but I just wanted to make sure.
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Definitely not normal. First thing that comes to mind is that the wires to the pickup selector were reversed at some point and when you think you are selecting the neck pickup you are hearing the bridge instead. If you haven't checked for this already you can start by plugging in the bass and simply selecting the neck (or bridge) pickup then tapping it lightly with a screwdriver, you should hear a sound as you tap. Check the other pickup soloed and both pickups selected. If the pickup selector isn't working as expected you will have to switch the leads from the pickups. I no longer own a Distillate to look but the leads may be plug and play so if you have to switch them it should be easy. If the wiring of the pickup selector isn't what is causing the problem I am sure someone else will offer their advice, too. Good luck!
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Agreed that doesn’t sound correct. I have a Distillate with the ‘standard soapbar’ (I think those are AXY56’s) pickups and the neck is definitely fuller/ thicker than the bridge. Many moons ago I adjusted the trim pots but found they sounded best at factory settings (there were small pen marks).
You mentioned you tried different heights, if I recall correctly active pickups prefer more distance away from the strings. Since both are currently set at the same height you should hear more fullness from the neck.
Stephen’s advice is solid, try that. What position are you switches at?
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It is kind of common practice to have the bridge pickup closer to the strings. Closer to the strings results in a little less lows, I think.
If you take out the pickups and the bridge one weighs significantly more, it's probably a Fatboy, which has more oomph even in the bridge position. It should still blend fairly well with an AXY in the neck position, at least in the "modern" location a bit further away from the end of the fretboard.
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I'm leaning towards Stephen's suggestion... this sounds kinda' like a switching issue.
Beginning with the switch fully counter-clockwise, and rotating the switch clockwise, verify the positions as:
1. Standby
2. Bridge
3. Both
4. Neck
If need be, I can pop the pickup selector switch out of my '85 Distillate fretless this evening for a peek and post a picture.
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I have to apologize, guys. My pickup selector switch isn't oriented the same way as other photos I've seen (the hole is a little stripped) but I'm also used to Rickenbacker basses and their more powerful bridge pickup and weaker neck pickup.
The wires have definitely not been switched, I have been mistaking the bridge position for the neck position and vice versa.
That being said, is there a particular reason the bridge is "weaker" (which I suppose is normal based on your replies). Do you try and balance them with the internal trimpots?
Big relief that theres nothing wrong with it, though.
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None necessary! Sounds like a little flat screwdriver will fix you up. ;)
Here's the Distillate FAQ page: http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=232.0
Interestingly, the pickup selector switch info here suggests positions 2 and 4 are opposite of what I believe to be true. I'm guessing that's just an oversight. :)
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We would be horribly remiss not to give you the link to the page that tells you everything you need to know for setups - http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=311.0 (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=311.0)
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Adam, as Gregory mentioned no apologies needed here...
Curious... I need to try Stephen’s screwdriver trick on my Distillate (disclaimer: the pickup selector switch has been replaced with an OEM switch but was connected by an electrician friend - I can’t sweat a 2” copper pipe without making a mess, don’t let me near fragile, tiny electric stuff!).
I am quite certain my switch is:
1. Standby
2. Bridge
3. Neck
4. Both
???
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Interesting. I'm 100% certain both my '85 Distillate and '77 Series I pickup selector switches are configured like I posted... it never crossed my mind that both might be backwards. Yet the FAQ for both Distillate & Spoiler show switching position 2 as 'neck' and 4 as 'bridge'. My other '81 Distillate had its pickup selector switch replaced with a pan module before it came to live here so no help there. I suppose it really doesn't matter as long as you know which position does what. ;D
Sorry for the side-track hi-jack [majorbedhead] ...we'll figure this one out in a minute!
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I just checked my '86 Distillate, and it's definitely:
1. standby
2. bridge pickup only
3. both pickups
4. neck pickup only
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I suppose it's possible, or even likely, that the pickup leads to our boards are reversed Tom. That'd do it.
Adam, here's a look at 85D 3696; your Distillate should be very much like it inside. These blue/white trimpots will help you balance out things, and if you prefer the switch to operate the pickups like mine and Tom's do, I don't see any reason why you couldn't simply switch the leads and readjust the gains accordingly.
Happy if not eager to be corrected here...
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Well if I know anything it is that I truly know nothing....
I did the Stephen screwdriver test and my Distillate IS “normal”, same as Tom and Gregory noted above.
All these years I thought I was hearing what I had posted... guess that is why they don’t let me run the mixing board! Doh!
My cavity looks similar to Gregory’s, removable pickup leads on the board... made the pic as small as I could on our iPad but it is still too large... :-/
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Thank you everyone for the thoughts. When I'm in my practice space tomorrow I'll try the screwdriver trick and snap a photo of the "guts."
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So, my rotary switch goes:
1. standby
2. bridge
3. both
4. neck
The guts look exactly like your photo, edwardofhuncote.
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I have been mistaking the bridge position for the neck position and vice versa.
That being said, is there a particular reason the bridge is "weaker" (which I suppose is normal based on your replies). Do you try and balance them with the internal trimpots?
Big relief that theres nothing wrong with it, though.
Based on your latest post it sounds like everything is functioning normally with your bass, always a good thing!
As far as why the bridge pickup sounds "weaker" to you that is also normal. Even if the gain/output on each pickup is the same the bridge will always sound thinner due to the physics of the way the strings orbit which affects the sound the pickup hears. Think about how you play... when you want a punchier sound that emphasizes the treble frequencies you pluck or pick near or over the bridge pickup. If you want a bassier tone you pluck or pick over the neck pickup or the neck of the bass itself.
On a bass with a single volume control like your Distillate the internal trim pots can be adjusted to get more or less output from the pickups if they are either overloading your preamp or if you feel you want to hit your preamp with a hotter signal. You can set them to the same output or use them to get a better tonal balance when both pickups are selected. On an Alembic with two volume controls you would most likely use the internal trim pots to set overall gain for each pickup then adjust each volume control individually while playing the bass. Naturally the height of each pickup can be adjusted to taste, too.
Some makers (or players) like to put a beefier pickup near the bridge, like in your Ric, to compensate for exactly what you are hearing. I am not sure if it would fit in your bass without routing but Alembic makes a "Fat Boy" pickup that would give you a fatter tone in the bridge position. A number of members here love those pickups, maybe someone who has one can give you some more info about them.
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Also remember that the "bridge" pickup in a Rickenbacker 4001/4003 is actually placed more like a Precision Bass pickup, whereas Alembic bridge pickups are much closer to the bridge, so they will behave very differently.