Nordstrand DC VS Aguilar DCB

Nordstrand DC or Aguilar DCB

  • Nordstrand DC

    Votes: 13 22.0%

  • Aguilar DCB

    Votes: 46 78.0%
  • Total voters
    59
#21
I had Nordstrand D.C. Series wind on a Warmoth Gecko. I loved them. They sounded great in the studio, with cover bands
and intimate acoustic songwriter
accompaniment. (I was working a lot and every one loved the sound)I also have Nordstrand humcancelling J's in a Sadowsky metro that sound great. Same scenarios.
 
#23
I know this is an older thread, but I've been considering the same options for my Sadowsky and one thing I've noticed is the screw pattern is different.

The pickups I have now are Bartolini P2 shape - and both Aguilar and Nordstrand offer replacements for that shape. However, the Aguilar DCB still uses the 2 screw pattern that the original pickups have. While the Nordstrands have a 3 hole pattern. It's a minor modification I know, but I'm tempted to get the DCBs mainly because I won't have to drill holes into my Sadowsky.

Especially since the demos I've found for both sound fantastic.
 
#24
phillipkregg said:
I know this is an older thread, but I've been considering the same options for my Sadowsky and one thing I've noticed is the screw pattern is different.

The pickups I have now are Bartolini P2 shape - and both Aguilar and Nordstrand offer replacements for that shape. However, the Aguilar DCB still uses the 2 screw pattern that the original pickups have. While the Nordstrands have a 3 hole pattern. It's a minor modification I know, but I'm tempted to get the DCBs mainly because I won't have to drill holes into my Sadowsky.

Especially since the demos I've found for both sound fantastic.
Click to expand...

Nordstrand can do either screw pattern you need as I've had both designs made for custom basses here lately. You would have to order directly from them though and not a retailer.
 
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#25
These are my favorite 2 sets of pickups but for me the Nordstrand DC pickups are far better in every way. They are more diverse and give you coil tapping options that allow you to take your tone to whole new level. I've had them installed in my last 3 Custom builds.
 
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#27
campbems said:
These are my favorite 2 sets of pickups but for me the Nordstrand DC pickups are far better in every way. They are more diverse and give you coil tapping options that allow you to take your tone to whole new level. I've had them installed in my last 3 Custom builds.
Click to expand...

Every video demo I've seen of them sounds amazing. But also, everything I've heard of the Aguilar DCBs sound amazing too (Jimmy Haslip and Janek Gwizdal use them so who am I to argue).

I like to keep it pretty simple though, not really into splitting coils and all that. So I'm not sure if series or parallel would be best for my purposes.
 
#28
phillipkregg said:
Every video demo I've seen of them sounds amazing. But also, everything I've heard of the Aguilar DCBs sound amazing too (Jimmy Haslip and Janek Gwizdal use them so who am I to argue).

I like to keep it pretty simple though, not really into splitting coils and all that. So I'm not sure if series or parallel would be best for my purposes.
Click to expand...
The last 7 basses I've owned 4 have had the Nordie DC and 2 have had the Aguilar DCB's. Both cut through really nice and have great clarity. To me the Nordie's are warmer and have the best overall palet of tone, whether you favor the Bridge pickup or the Neck, or dead center. Like I said both are my top 2 favorite pickups but the Nordie's is on a whle other level IMO. I've played some very large venues here lately and the Nordies sounded amazing in these settings. Sound engineers loved them.
 
#29
campbems said:
The last 7 basses I've owned 4 have had the Nordie DC and 2 have had the Aguilar DCB's. Both cut through really nice and have great clarity. To me the Nordie's are warmer and have the best overall palet of tone, whether you favor the Bridge pickup or the Neck, or dead center. Like I said both are my top 2 favorite pickups but the Nordie's is on a whle other level IMO. I've played some very large venues here lately and the Nordies sounded amazing in these settings. Sound engineers loved them.
Click to expand...

Do you have yours optimized for parallel or series? And if you have them setup to be switchable, which mode do you find yourself using the most?

I've got a Sadowsky modern 5 and I'm narrowing it down to either of these pickups. I'm mostly a jazz player, so I've heard people recommend the parallel mode. But the series sounds good as well. If I go that direction I may get the volume knob turned into a switch to make both pickups go from parallel to series. I just don't want to do any modifications like drilling to install switches.
 
#30
phillipkregg said:
Do you have yours optimized for parallel or series? And if you have them setup to be switchable, which mode do you find yourself using the most?

I've got a Sadowsky modern 5 and I'm narrowing it down to either of these pickups. I'm mostly a jazz player, so I've heard people recommend the parallel mode. But the series sounds good as well. If I go that direction I may get the volume knob turned into a switch to make both pickups go from parallel to series. I just don't want to do any modifications like drilling to install switches.
Click to expand...

I actually use all 3 at times but I probably find myself using the series the most as it seems beefier to me. I was surprised how nice the single coil mode was. I actually find myself using 1 pickup in series and the other in parallel at times to and it sounds really good. Endless options for these.
 
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#32
I chose Nordy DCs with an Audere 3 band in my older Cort A5. I added parallel, single, series switches They are killer. The demo videos are actually pretty representative of how they sound. The single coil sounds might be more jazz bassy than my jazz basses.
 
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#33
So I ordered the Aguilar DCBs and had them installed in my Sadowsky.

They are an improvement and restored some of the mids that were lacking in the more "scooped" sounding stock Seymour Duncans.

While the tone is very good - somewhere between Bartolinis and EMGs - I find the pickups produce a very "pretty" tone that sometimes gets lost in the mix if I don't turn up the low mids on my amp.

I feel that my situation is a special case because it is a Sadowsky Modern bass and the pickups are both postioned close to the bridge. The body is also made of ash and the fingerboard is rosewood, which seems to be an unusual combination. I usually see Ash/Maple and Alder/Rosewood. The alder wood seems to produce more natural mids.

The other day I placed an order for Nordstrand Fat Stacks and I'll be getting them installed with a push/pull switch on the volume that will allow them to run as either stacked hum-cancelling or single coil (essentially Big Singles).

From listening to lots of clips and reading the tone profile on the Fat Stacks, I think they'll give me a natural bump in the low mids and a bit more growl.

I'm hesitant to make the change though, because the Aguilars really do sound great but I love the bass and am enjoying tinkering with the tone so...
 
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#34
This is how much I am enjoying the Aguilars 549040537.jpg
 
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#39
phillipkregg said:
So I ordered the Aguilar DCBs and had them installed in my Sadowsky.

They are an improvement and restored some of the mids that were lacking in the more "scooped" sounding stock Seymour Duncans.

While the tone is very good - somewhere between Bartolinis and EMGs - I find the pickups produce a very "pretty" tone that sometimes gets lost in the mix if I don't turn up the low mids on my amp.

I feel that my situation is a special case because it is a Sadowsky Modern bass and the pickups are both postioned close to the bridge. The body is also made of ash and the fingerboard is rosewood, which seems to be an unusual combination. I usually see Ash/Maple and Alder/Rosewood. The alder wood seems to produce more natural mids.

The other day I placed an order for Nordstrand Fat Stacks and I'll be getting them installed with a push/pull switch on the volume that will allow them to run as either stacked hum-cancelling or single coil (essentially Big Singles).

From listening to lots of clips and reading the tone profile on the Fat Stacks, I think they'll give me a natural bump in the low mids and a bit more growl.

I'm hesitant to make the change though, because the Aguilars really do sound great but I love the bass and am enjoying tinkering with the tone so...
Click to expand...
How did you like the fat stacks?
 
#40
phillipkregg said:
The other day I placed an order for Nordstrand Fat Stacks and I'll be getting them installed with a push/pull switch on the volume that will allow them to run as either stacked hum-cancelling or single coil (essentially Big Singles).

From listening to lots of clips and reading the tone profile on the Fat Stacks, I think they'll give me a natural bump in the low mids and a bit more growl.
Click to expand...
Yes, FatStacks, how did you like them?
 
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