Pickup Combo?

[RHCP250]

I am going to be building a warmoth bass, and can't decide in what pickup config. to use.

I was thinking maybe a P/P or P/J, maybe a L/MM or even a P/MM. I'll be using EMG pickups. What do you guys think? What would you use?

[line6man]

It sounds to me like you are just going to pick whatever looks best or something.

The pickup configuration should be entirely dependent on the type of sound that you are looking for.

Do you want a P bass? A MM? A Jazz?...

I personally prefer the PJ configuration.
But the bass i am working on is going to be a double jazz bass humbucker that splits into a traditional single coil jazz pickup. (only the one humbucker in the bridge position)

[Rusty the Scoob]

Personally I never liked PP and I think PJ is way overdone and never was really that great of a sound anyway. P/MM intrigues me but I have not tried it. Also good old soapbars are nice, IMHO they look better than any fender pickup shape on pickguardless basses.

[pearcey]

Mine's a PJ; I really like it, it seems to give a reasonably good range of different sounds (P or J obviously) and sounds good with all knobs on 10 too. My other basses have MM and just M, but to be honest I think I like the PJ best.

It's just personal opinion isn't it? It's not a bad idea to try a few out, really.

[Stealth]

What's an L-MM combination? Lipstick-MM? Or did you mean a J/MM? Personally, I have both a P/J and a J/MM bass and each has a great, though different sound.

Even with all that, as line6man pointed out, don't do it for the looks, go for the sound you want. Normally I'd be the first person to suggest wild combinations (J/P/J, MM/J, MM/P, J/P - some of which I aim to make someday), but for a decent gig bass, go with something more mundane.

Alternatively, since you're bent on EMGs, consider using a 35/40/45 pair, depending on the number of strings.

[Stan Hinesley]

+1 for the PJ config. Perfect balance of crunch and punch.

[Ezbass]

What about some P/P love (yeah I said Pee Pee)? Worked well enough for Lee Sklar, Bernard Edwards and John Entwistle.

[RHCP250]

Looks dont play a huge role, their just pickups. I just wanted to know some other peoples experiences, the only music store in my area doesn't have a P/P, P/MM, or J/MM, and the only P/J got sold a while ago. I know what the P pickup sounds like in its nck position, but never heard one at the bridge. I've played stingray's, and I like the humbucker, but no clue how it would sound with a P or J pickup. I was thinking about nordy pickups too, but again, I have a very limited place to try these out.

[line6man]

Originally Posted by RHCP250

Looks dont play a huge role, their just pickups. I just wanted to know some other peoples experiences, the only music store in my area doesn't have a P/P, P/MM, or J/MM, and the only P/J got sold a while ago. I know what the P pickup sounds like in its nck position, but never heard one at the bridge. I've played stingray's, and I like the humbucker, but no clue how it would sound with a P or J pickup. I was thinking about nordy pickups too, but again, I have a very limited place to try these out.

I take it that your interested in blending pickups together.
IMO, i would shoot for a combo with an even number of coils, so as to humcancel...
J/MM will not humcancel
P/J will not humcancel
P/MM will humcancel
P/P will humcancel

[newbold]

Delano makes a 'hybrid' - a MM with a blended with a single coil bridge J. It can be switched and blended...and if you were to go with their P and reverse it you'd essentially have the same setup as the Clover Aperion P. you'd have P, J, and MM combos.

Personally, I'm planning on going with 3 single coil DiMarzios (but I'm fickle) - a J set with an extra neck (or bridge...still debating) with 2 single coils close to the bridge to have sweet spot coverage and tight bite by the bridge. Think of a Thumb with a deep roll in at hand, which would be a lot like a '51 p bass, a J set, a Thumb, (worked like a MM or P - sweet spot)

If you pick hum cancelling pickups you won't have to worry about noise.

You can do it. Why not? Coil tap a humbucker or get split singles.

[Ach]

If you are going to use EMGs - go with DC pickup in a Stingray sweetspot, can't go wrong with it. Additionally drop a J or a P on the neck side.

[Stealth]

Originally Posted by newbold

Delano makes a 'hybrid' - a MM with a blended with a single coil bridge J. It can be switched and blended...and if you were to go with their P and reverse it you'd essentially have the same setup as the Clover Aperion P. you'd have P, J, and MM combos.

Sounds like the ultimate combo indeed.

[BarkerBass]

I have an EMG MMTW in a homemade bass of mine and although u can't get an accurate MM tone fro it you can get kinda close and u get the thinner more high end jazz pup tone with the flick of a switch, i'd just warn not to position it too close to the bridge, i did and it's got a very honky charachter in MM and slightly too thin in J mode, try the musicman sweet spot for a great tone. You could use two of these in jazz pup or warick double buck postions so you can split them into J mode and get a nice emg jazz tone or a thumping HUGE emg MM tone. that would be a great bass IMHO

other than than i'd say go for P/J emgs, they suit victor wooten just fine so i think they'll be fine for most people!

[RHCP250]

I think I might go down the P/J route. I want to try some nordy fat split coils first though.

[Gintaras]

I am just finishing a J/MM. Nordstrand NJ4 in neck and MM4.3 in the bridge. J-Retro preamp which is presently at the shop having a series/parallel switch added for the MM pickup. It is also being pleck'd during that visit.

[RHCP250]

I've decided to go with P/J pickups, I played one yesterday and enjoyed it. Now I dont know wheather to go with two volume pots, or a volume and a blend.

[Stealth]

With a passive setup, from what I've heard, two volume pots work better than a vol/blend. Alternatively, you could got with a vol/tone and a pickup selector switch.

That reminds me - are you considering using an inline humbucker (like a Nordstrand NJ4SV, Villex V2JLH or Bartolini 9J1) in place of a regular single-coil, or are you definitely going for a true vintage tone?

[RHCP250]

Plan on using an EMG P/J set, and I think I'm going to use one of their active pre-amps too.