Is it a humbucker?

Why not split the coils of the J-bass pickup?

It was a design choice and it affects the tone. why didn't fender change over to humbuckers for their strat? yes double fats strats are avail, but why didn't they just ditch single coils when humbuckers came out? it's the style and the sound.

You may care to check my profile...I'm far from a newbie. I do understand *a little* about these things. This was more of a discussion on the merits of split vs. traditional humbucker vs. single coil design.

I'm curious to know just HOW different is the split pickup, sonically and technically (and again, I'm not ignorant of these things, I own 30 basses, am 46 years old, and have been playing since I'm 11 - I'm looking for opinions, insight).

From what I understand, there has been some variances even in how the split pickup has been wired (series or parallel).

What effect does the reversed magnet polarity have? Obviously it is the inverted coils that cancel the hum...but what role does reversing the polarity of the magnets play? Things of that nature...technical and sonic questions surrounding the design...options, variables.

Is the split truly humbucking?

What about the available variables in configuration?

How different would a split J sound?

Since the two coils in a traditional humbucker usually cancel the frequencies that amount to the differences "sensed" by the two coils (along with the hum) along the same string, how does a split humbucker differ, in that the two coils don't theoretically sense the same strings?

The P-bass pickup is relatively unique, where most other designs are either straight single and dual coil designs, both coils sensing the same strings - why is the split design not explored more, by other manufacturers?

I could go on...there are a million questions. Simple differences regarding humbuckers and single coils, and talk of Stratocasters was not exactly what I was seeking (no offense), perhaps I should have been more explicit.

Anyone? Insights? Opinions?

Its been done- The Dimarzio Model J (which actually won the Bass Player magazine J-Pickup Shootout a while back) is a split coil Jazz pickup. There are others too...From my experience with the Model J- it sounds pretty similar to a P pickup, but less mid heavy. Compared to a single coil Jazz pickup it can be fairly muddy sounding (alot more low mids there). I personally dig the sound, but I've preferred Ps to Js for a long time...At least in the case of the Model J, it sounds very much like a side-by-side humbucker to my ears.

Karl

AFAIK the DiMarzio Model J is split coil.
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showpost.php?p=541321&postcount=4
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=48986


Edit: Sunbeast - you beat me to it :)
I agree with your described sound properties. I use to have the Model J in my J-bass and soloing the neck pickup gave the tone very very close to the P. Overall, the tone was thick bordering to almost muddy. Now I have there the SD Antiquity II single coils and while it gave a clarity on the bottom and top, I sometimes miss the thick low mids of the Model J..

Its been done- The Dimarzio Model J (which actually won the Bass Player magazine J-Pickup Shootout a while back) is a split coil Jazz pickup. There are others too...From my experience with the Model J- it sounds pretty similar to a P pickup, but less mid heavy. Compared to a single coil Jazz pickup it can be fairly muddy sounding (alot more low mids there). I personally dig the sound, but I've preffered Ps to Js for a long time...

Karl

Thanks! This is useful info.

Now, I wonder why less mids on the split J...hmmm.

Another interesting wrinkle regarding pickups, and "how" they sense the strings:

Lace sensors, and Q-tuners have magnet structures that orient the coil bobbins perpendicular to the string, instead of parallel. I haven't heard any samples of the Lace sensors, but the Q-tuners appear to have the richest harmonics of anything I've ever heard.

Get the book 'do-it-yourself projects for guitarists'. Really good interesting read, and includes a section on the theory of pickups and their physics altering their sound!