Pickup mounting direction?

Cutty · #1 05-04-2010, 12:40 AM

I have a set of Bart 57j1 for 5 string usa jazz bass,does it matter which way round you have the Bartolini writing when you install these?on the bart site it shows the 2 dual coils both the same size,but as this is a 5 string pickup,i guess it would be a 3 and 2 string coverage with the coils?does anyone know for sure?thanks.

**line6man** · #2 05-04-2010, 07:36 AM

It doesn't matter.

Rick Auricchio · #3 05-04-2010, 02:27 PM

I'm not so sure it doesn't matter.

You have the magnetic polarity, which depends on the direction you mount the pickups. Then there's the electrical polarity, which depends on the wiring.

A "reversed" pickup often is 180 degrees out of phase with the other pickup. If you put them both backwards, you should be fine.

**bass4worship** · #4 05-04-2010, 02:35 PM

Most of the time I install them with the name facing the bridge.

walterw · #5 05-04-2010, 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick Auricchio

I'm not so sure it doesn't matter.

You have the magnetic polarity, which depends on the direction you mount the pickups. Then there's the electrical polarity, which depends on the wiring.

A "reversed" pickup often is 180 degrees out of phase with the other pickup. If you put them both backwards, you should be fine.

nope, reversing a pickup's orientation will not change its output polarity. you'd have to flip it over so the bottom was facing outwards to accomplish that.

it's "normal" for any writing on a pickup to face "up", so that when the bass is sitting in a stand you can read it.

dmusic148 · #6 05-04-2010, 11:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by walterw

nope, reversing a pickup's orientation will not change its output polarity. you'd have to flip it over so the bottom was facing outwards to accomplish that.

Correct.

Cutty · #7 05-05-2010, 03:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by walterw

nope, reversing a pickup's orientation will not change its output polarity. you'd have to flip it over so the bottom was facing outwards to accomplish that.

it's "normal" for any writing on a pickup to face "up", so that when the bass is sitting in a stand you can read it.

Yes that's what i have done now,but at first i installed them with the writing facing upwards towards the tuners,it sounded fine to me,but you know how it is,once you notice that they are reading upside down it will chew at you till you turn them round,which i did,but on the Bart website it shows the 5 strings coils to be the same length,but i wasn't sure if that was indeed the pic of the 4 string pickups,and i say this because, i would have thought that the coils would be of a 3 string and 2 string coverage area on a 5 string pickup?,not both equal,any views on this?thanks.By the way,on the bottom of the bridge pickup it says 57j1 which is fine,but then in brackets it says(RC)what does this mean?rear coil perhaps?.

SUBass · #8 05-05-2010, 06:39 AM

Let me know what you think of those 57J1's...I'm building up a Warmoth Z5 using them now. I'm finding them to be pretty low output and "zingier" than I expected. I've used Barts in the past and thought of them as a bit more mellow but these sound REALLLY Hi-Fi to me. I've got both the bridge and neck wired straight to the output jack at the moment and it the bass has a bit of an active vibe to it.

Anyway...Carry on!