What are these pick ups?????

[BigAlBass69]

Here is my 2009 BC Rich Warlock Tim Burton Special 5 string. I have been unable to find any information on these pickups. I cannot take them apart as I always damage the finish. Are these single coil/humbuckers? Who is the manufacturer? Please help...

 

[FRoss6788]

My guess would be EMG's. Probably Hz's...(their passive soapbars)

 

[Reedt2000]

So it looks like you have the VS5WB model which is the signature model of this guy:

ICS Vortex - Wikipedia

From what I gather those are BC Rich made pickups. They look to be the same size as EMG pickups and I'm fairly certain they're humbuckers.

 

[BigAlBass69]

They are very noisy so I thought they were single coil...

 

[Reedt2000]

They are very noisy so I thought they were single coil...

Noisy in what way? There is very little info on the web about this bass. The pickups (or possible preamp or both) could be active. Does it take a battery?

 

[Reedt2000]

Here is the most complete spec list I can find

DISC BC Rich Vortex Signature Warlock Bass 5STR Dimmu Borgir at Gear4music

Every listing says this is an active bass (battery powered) so, if you haven't already, give it a fresh 9volt. Also be careful cranking all the knobs. There is probably a bass and treble boost/cut knobs which will have an indent in the middle of the pot's sweep (as will the pickup balance knob). If you have the treble all the way up it can accentuate noise. Best to start at the middle indent and boost or cut as needed for the tone you want.

 

[BigAlBass69]

It is active. No indent on 2 band EQ. The noise appears to be 60 cycle hum from ambient electronics. Can stop it with both hands on the bass. Battery is brand new

 

[Reedt2000]

It sounds like this could be a shielding issue. There are a number of threads about the subject. Kind of a PIA but it can quiet a noisy bass.

Just search "shielding" on TB

 

[Killed_by_Death]

Active pickups are quieter than passive pickups, generally.
A battery doesn't necessarily mean the pickups are active. Check if the battery is connected to the pickups or just the pre-amp.

 

[BigAlBass69]

Battery is for preamp

 

[ColonelZulu]

Maybe a ground wire loose?

 

[BigAlBass69]

I don't see anything when I open the back but I am by no means a repairman or luthier. I am able to stop the hum with hand on fretboard and one over the pickups. The bass is fun to play despite high action (the saddles are to the deck when I had it set up).

 

[Reedt2000]

I don't see anything when I open the back but I am by no means a repairman or luthier. I am able to stop the hum with hand on fretboard and one over the pickups. The bass is fun to play despite high action (the saddles are to the deck when I had it set up).

A neck shim will allow you to bring the action down, again do a search here. There should be plenty of threads.

 

[mikewalker]

Hum level affected by touching the strings? (maybe you have a broken string ground...)

Hum level affected by touching the output jack 'ground'?

Can you "zero" (completely null out) the hum by rotating the bass to a certain position? If yes, then you are dealing with susceptibility to magnetic interference, (your pickups may not be 100% hum-bucking!) and electrostatic shielding is not going to help very much...

 

[Liam Wald]

I don't know about the pick-ups... but damn!, that is a really cool paint job on that bass.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

If the hum goes away or reduces when touching the string the bridge's connection to chassis ground is doing its job.
Also, shielding will help, in this situation.

It's when the bridge is grounded & touching the strings does nothing that shielding can't help.

 

[roller]

EMG 40P and/or 40J? They look just like the ones I have.

Please help...

 

[BigAlBass69]

Upon further research it look like in 2009 EMG WAS responsible for their pickups. They are low and growly but hummmmmmm

 

[Reedt2000]

Upon further research it look like in 2009 EMG WAS responsible for their pickups. They are low and growly but hummmmmmm

Is it the pickups, the preamp, or both? Being an EMG, replacement pickups will be easy to find cause it should be a standard size. I don't know how much you want to put into it but I'd bypass the preamp and check the pickups passive. If the pickups are quiet I'd start by replacing the preamp, if not, the pickups. I would be sure to get it setup and playing great before those kinda upgrades though.

 

[micguy]

You can tell if the pickups are single coil or humbuckers pretty easily. Take the end of a string, a nail - anything small and magnetic. If you slide it over the surface of the pickup, it will be attracted to the pole pieces. If there's two rows of pole pieces, or two bars, the metal will be attracted to those two rows. If it’s a single coil, there will only be one row where the metal will be attracted to.