| Author | Message | ||
| jazzyvee
Senior Member Username: jazzyvee Post Number: 4068 Registered: 6-2002 |
In the price list there it shows prices of activators as a kit with the electronics. I would like to know the price of the pickups MXY-56 only. I'd like to call Mica but I won't be able to call her this evening as I'm out at my radio programme and rehearsal. Jazzyvee | ||
| jazzyvee
Senior Member Username: jazzyvee Post Number: 4069 Registered: 6-2002 |
Ok. earlier this evening I won an ebay auction for a pair of MXY-56 Pickups. Does you know what the meaning of the MXY-56 RA on the back of the pickups means? Also if there is something about them that I should be concerned about let me know before I send off payment. Jazzyvee   http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Used-Alembic-USA-AXY-56-RA-Active-6-String-Bass-Pickups-Pair-Set-Neck-and-Bridge-/261502945179?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT&_trksid=p2047675.l2557&nma=true&si=cpIZ3clUPSgjs%252Bkiuf270QhICTU%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc (Message edited by jazzyvee on June 17, 2014) | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 8193 Registered: 6-2000 |
These are marked incorrectly - These are actually MXY-56 pickups. Current retail is $225 per pickup. I noted another ebay listing for actual AXY pickups for a 4-string bass, and we charge $195 per pickup for those at this time (the seller is asking $499 for the set and there's no connectors). BTW, we install connectors for no charge if you cover the shipping to and from here.  | ||
| adriaan
Moderator Username: adriaan Post Number: 3119 Registered: 6-2002 |
You might also check the spacing between the screw holes. There are two variations with the MXY shell, as you can see in Johan's first post on this recent thread. | ||
| adriaan
Moderator Username: adriaan Post Number: 3120 Registered: 6-2002 |
Also, the "RA" stands for Regular Aperture, as opposed to "WA" or Wide Aperture, which is the Fatboy (which only fits in the wider AXY shell, which this MXY set was mislabeled as). And so we have a new game, "name that Alembic pickup!" | ||
| jazzyvee
Senior Member Username: jazzyvee Post Number: 4072 Registered: 6-2002 |
I contacted the seller and let him know that they have been wrongly described and asked hm to cancel my bid which to his credit he did without question. I've also had a good chat with Mica yesterday about MXY & AXY pickups and today took some time to read the threads on Fat Boy and as a result I've decided to order pair of MXY sized ones for my black Europa 5. What did interest me was the view held that they are a bit too heavy in the neck position. Unfortunately I didn't find much about what genre of music was being played so it was hard to put into the context of what I play. For most of what I do musically even outside of reggae, the neck pickup is the predominant pickup for my sound and I use the bridge for bite and articulation so if indeed it is a heavier sound it may just suit me. That said when I mentioned that to Mica didn't describe it as heavier sounding, more in terms of it's clarity but also whether you hear it or not can depend on your specific technique. We shall see.... well hear. If you are a fat boy user can you tell me what music genre you play? For me it's mainly Reggae, Jazz-Funk, RnB, occasional folk and light commercial rock. jazzyvee | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 11367 Registered: 5-2002 |
It is my understanding that FatBoy pickups only come in the AXY shell. A standard AXY and an MXY sound the same because essentially they are the same except for the shell. The larger shell of an AXY looks more appropriate on some body shapes, and the thinner MXY looks more appropriate on others. Thus, the magnet in both is the same. A FatBoy pickup is an AXY shell with a much wider magnet. I believe it is approximately twice as wide as the standard AXY/MXY magnet. Wider here means the distance from the edge of the shell facing the neck and the edge facing the bridge. Thus, being wider along the length of the string, the magnet in a FatBoy "sees" more of the vibrations of the string. When a string vibrates it essentially forms waves; thus, as a generalization, the longer a section of string a pickup "sees", the more variation in the wave it sees; and the shorter a section that it "sees", the less variation in the wave. Thus, as a generalization, the thinner the magnet, along the length of the string, the "cleaner" the sound; and the wider the magnet, the "dirtier" the sound. So, a FatBoy sounds "dirtier" than a standard AXY (or an MXY). And "dirtier" means less "clean", since the FatBoy is seeing more variation in the wave at a given moment in time. Thus in a given moment of time the picture of the wave form is not as "clean". This is what I understand to be the difference in these pickups. I've never owned a bass with FatBoys; all of my basses have either had Series pickups, MXY's, or standard AXY's. So I am not speaking from first hand experience. My guess, and it's only a guess, is that given the types of music you play, you would probably not want a FatBoy in the neck position. I hope that helps. | ||
| jazzyvee
Senior Member Username: jazzyvee Post Number: 4073 Registered: 6-2002 |
Yep Dave you are correct, I got an email today from Mica confirming that fat boys are only for AXY's. I was planning to get the pickups above to put in a "beater bass" I bought last autumn to keep round at my girlfriends place so I can practice whilst over there. Anyway since my bid has now been cancelled I extended my thoughts to trying some the Fat boys in my Black Europa and the europa pickups in my beater. But since I now understand that they are only in the bigger AXY style case and I really don't want to do any routing in my alembic to fit them, thats off the radar and I'm back to the drawing board. Leave the beater as it is. Jazzyvee | ||
| fc_spoiler
Senior Member Username: fc_spoiler Post Number: 1537 Registered: 5-2006 |
Never change a winning team :-) Just a thought: Is it possible to get a Fatboy for Series I/II? (ie single coil Fatboy) | ||
| jazzyvee
Senior Member Username: jazzyvee Post Number: 4074 Registered: 6-2002 |
I would doubt it, I think the Series bass cases are full of magnet and wire so i would be surprised if there was any space in there. I could see a possibility for a series guitar as their pickups have a smaller aperture so something like series bass pickup size on a guitar would probably be the best equivalent. Jazzyvee | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 8194 Registered: 6-2000 |
Abbreviated History of Pickup Shapes and Functions Series I/II magnets are about one inch wide. AXY/MXY are about half that. Series I/II are single coil, the AXY/MXY are stacked humcancelling. When we made the AXY pickups, we used the same shell as the Series I/II since that's what we had and most of the bodies were pretty large back then. The MXY is the size it is because it's just about the smallest we can get the AXY magnet and coil in a shell. The AXY and the MXY electronically are identical - the only difference is the shape of the shell. The FatBoy is basically an AXY wound on a Series I/II magnet. So a single coil FatBoy is actually a Series I/II pickup (and needs the humcanceller to function properly of course). | ||
| fc_spoiler
Senior Member Username: fc_spoiler Post Number: 1538 Registered: 5-2006 |
Cool, thanx! | ||
| zomnius
Junior Username: zomnius Post Number: 22 Registered: 9-2013 |
I lost the bidding on these.. ;) they look awesome and regarding the alembic sound it would be ideal for my six string. But now i have to study on alembic pick ups for this is a very usefull post. the 4 info mica & the rest. | ||
| jazzyvee
Senior Member Username: jazzyvee Post Number: 4105 Registered: 6-2002 |
I had a good chat with Mica last night, (UK time), and have decided against MXY's. And my focus is now on seeing what I can do with my Stanley Clarke Deluxe bass. So.. i've ordered one AXY Fat Boy for the bridge position and an AXY for the neck pickup but this one will have the magnet offset in the casing so that it is not central but closer to the base of the neck. This position should give me a warmer more up front bottom end from the neck pickup. There is nothing wrong with my existing pickups but I like the added warm bottom end I get from my series I bass which has the neck pickup tight onto the edge of the truss rod cover. There will be enough cable on the pickups so I can experiment with swapping them round to see what works best. Jazzyvee | ||
| bsee
Senior Member Username: bsee Post Number: 2712 Registered: 3-2004 |
Hmmm. Where is the magnet in an AXY normally positioned? Center? Toward bridge? Toward neck? I have owned several, but currently have an SC with AXYs and one with fatboys, as well as an Excel with a fatboy. My fatboys seem thicker in the lower frequencies, making the high end harder to feature in the tone. The most natural and open sounding of the three is the one with AXYs. My Excel reminds me more of P-Bass tone and I wonder if a narrow magnet pickup would open up the highs a bit? | ||
| jazzyvee
Senior Member Username: jazzyvee Post Number: 4108 Registered: 6-2002 |
In the axy it's normally in the centre. | ||
| jazzyvee
Senior Member Username: jazzyvee Post Number: 4109 Registered: 6-2002 |
Well soon I will get a chance to hear what the difference is. I'm prepared to stick with my standard AXY's if they have the sound I prefer compared to the fat Boys. I will have some experimenting to see which works best for me. Jazzyvee |
