I do not know all that much about his life in Holland other than his family were bakers. I have one cousin who has kept most of the family archives and perhaps he would know. As best I can recall the family name was Medema but my grandfather took on the name of his adoptive family which in the American spelling is DeYoung.
There is both art and science to winding pickups. Bill was quite aware of both sides but his work and his research cover more of the science. You can find some of his writings on the Wilde Pickups website and others on another devoted solely to his life and history as a both a performer and an inventor. He’s an interesting read.
And thank you for including this as well. Of course I’m only too happy to sell an upgraded instrument as bone stock if that’s what a buyer prefers. I always keep the original parts for that very reason.
I can always use the upgrades on another instrument or sell them separately. We often come out ahead doing it that way but I still regret taking away from something I believe has been greatly improved.
You seem to have one bass with a Babicz FCH Bridge. Do you find that you enjoy anything about it other than it mechanical functions? Do you notice any tonal improvements?
My paternal grandmother’s maiden name was Brinkerhoff, and from what she’s told me (she’s still alive and kicking at 94 years young), her father immigrated to NY from Holland. That’s about as much as I know about it though.
Tonal improvements probably not that I can detect but the smooth surface and the adjustment is very cool too. It’s well made and a great alternative to the “H” brand,
Maybe but with better rounds the effect is more noticeable. If you want more try RayRoss. There’s a little learning curve but the changes are in your face. More sparkling better sustain and the harmonics are way stronger.
I’d wait and start it in 36 hours then. That way you can have one lat one in 2024 and the first one in 2025, all in the same discussion.
You’d love it, some combo of effects I turned on tonight gave me some massive sustain. I was messing around and let that first D in Another Brick in the Wall just ring, and that sucker just went for a good 30 sec before it started to fall off at all.
I did exactly the same when I installed a brass nut on one of my basses (it already has a highmass bridge and threaded inserts to connect neck and body).
I plucked the string, made some coffee, had breakfast, did a long Skype call to solve some PC issues of a friend, watched Lawrence of Arabia twice … and when I came back the string was still ringing ^^
I’ve always used GHS Pressurewounds and my Jazz Basses which are essentially a very mellow roundwound tonally. The difference in tonality and/or clarity isn’t as noticeable on my PBass which wears LaBella Flats but the benefits I posted were very noticeable on my Jazz Bass from day one.
Maybe it’s the pickups that are better able to “hear” those differences as well. All of Bill Lawrence’s pickups are known for their transparency and lack of coloration so that what you’re hearing is your instrument and you as the player. It’s all about perceptions. We don’t all hear or distinguish what we hear the same way.
Traditional saddle designs rely on the two grub screws which also adjust saddle height to transmit string vibration to the body through the base plate. The entire bottom surface on an ECam saddle in in contact with it’s base plate greatly increasing the area that transfers the string vibration to the body itself.
Leo Fender’s Saddle Lock Bridge attempts to do the same albeit in a different way via a flange on the bottom of the bass plate that inserts into the body itself perpendicular to the direction of the wood grain. Then a grub screw locks the saddles together to form a single unit.
You’ll have to excuse the presentation by G&L’s resident doofus and Corp. President Dave McClaren. Making videos seems to be his main job around there. At least this one is more informative than most.
Absolutely. Just the size of the magnet pole piece make huge difference in tone and attack. the Quarter pounder feels more immediate than the regular magnets and the Delano large magnet really gives you that in your face attack.
If I own less basses I might experiment more with the string choices but now I rather stick with the predictable and familiar option,
For sure. I mean we bought them to play not as test beds to do research with.
For some the added sustain and dynamics are a polar opposite to what they prefer tonally. For how many years did we and others play Fender Basses with those original bent steel saddles. They contributed to that sound we all came to enjoy. Many still do and prefer not to modify their basses at all even with a high mass one.
For me sustain and tonal dynamics is something I prefer to be there since I can always limit both if I want but can’t produce what’s not there to begin with. It’s all just different strokes for different folks. We should all play what we enjoy most. I tend to mention what I’ve used just to put options out there others may be unaware of.
