Anyone tried Steve Bailey fretless pups?

[jerey]

I've read about the Steve Bailey pickup and tone circuitry system for fretless bass in Seymour's specs pages and they sound pretty cool. Wondering if anyone has tried them and how they sound.
I plan to use them in a P-style project bass. Can I get them in P-style or would it have to be modified?
Would appreciate any help I can get on this.

[Evan Skopp]

Re: Anyone tried Steve Bailey fretless pups?

Hey jerey:

Thanks for the post. I've heard 'em. Played 'em. Love 'em.

You can't get the pickups in a P configuration, however, you can keep your stock pickup and just get the Fundamental Fretless Tone Circuit for Passive Pickups (assuming your pickup is passive). IMO, the Tone Circuit is 90% of the Fundamental Fretless tone. If you want to go all active, use the Basslines APB-1 Pro Active for P-Bass with the Fundamental Fretless Tone Circuit for Active Pickups.

Good luck with the bass!

[horsforth1]

Re: Anyone tried Steve Bailey fretless pups?

Hi hope you don't mind me widening the question but may be of relevance if you are fitting the tone circuit

I'm building a fretless at the moment with some of the SD Steve Bailey pickups. In the instructions that comes with the pickup it suggets that it can potentially run better at 18v rather than 9 volts. Has anyone experience of running at 9 or 18 as to how it sounds? Plus obviously don't want to blow anything with too high a voltage, and I'll also have to make a bigger battery compartment - I assume for 18 volts you just put two 9v batteries in series.

I built an Explorer bass (fretted) last year with SD active Jazz pickups and it is brilliant. Made a thru neck with zebrano body. The fretless is also thru neck so hoping for good things of that with the Steve Bailey tone circuit.

[Imp]

Re: Anyone tried Steve Bailey fretless pups?

i've only installed EMGs before man, but theres a few similarities you might have already seen..

1) you can run an EMG at 27 volts, but the tone dosen't get any better. nobody bothers for this reason, as well as space issues and the damage possible in the case of a surge..

2) 99.9% of EMG fans (on this forum, anyway) notice a real difference between 18 and 9v. i'd say more than half prefer 18.

3) 18v mods in EMGs result in more clean headroom, a more 'open', expressive tone, and generally a nicer 'vibe' to the sound. i personally have EMG 35J and 35P, and have the 18v mod.. i used to love EMG guitar pups, then switched to duncan.

as i said, this is only EMG pups... but i reckon the same basic principles will apply

welcome to the board, man!
tom

[Imp]

Re: Anyone tried Steve Bailey fretless pups?

naw, dang! i want a fretless now... *glares at 5 string, glares at pliers*