There Can Be Only One...Pickup!

[TapyTap]

Here is the scenario:

You are having a brand new bass built. You can only place one pickup on this bass.

Here are the questions:

1) What pickup will you select? (e.g. Nordstrand mm4.2)

2) Where will you place the pickup on the bass? (e.g. in the "sweet spot")

3) What do you wish to achieve by making the following two choices? (I want my bass to sound similar to a pre-Ernie Ball Music Man bass, and I want lots of "room" to slap.)

If you disagree with someone's opinion, please be kind about it. Let's keep this simple and fun...

[T. Brookins]

The Musicman pickup position is centered RIGHT UNDER the "B" harmonic on the G string, approximately 3 inches from the bridge on a standard scale length bass.

That is IT!

FACT: This is not an opinion.

Additional to the Nordstrand, I might also use a Delano variation(#1), the "tabless" Bartolini MV series, the traditional Bart MM series, the Seymour Duncan, Carvin, Mighty Mite, or Wilkinson depending on my price point.


Respect.

[T. Brookins]

On my main bass, the MM Humbucker is a little closer to the neck by about 1/2 inch, give or take, and is nestled between two Jazz pickups, which I hardly ever use.

I absolutely love the ripe, crisp, devastatingly growly sound a humbucker has in the middle position, yes I do!

BAAAWWWLLLS!

[eastcoasteddie]

yes.

[TapyTap]

Originally Posted by T. Brookins

The Musicman pickup position is centered RIGHT UNDER the "B" harmonic on the G string, approximately 3 inches from the bridge on a standard scale length bass.

That is IT!

FACT: This is not an opinion.

Additional to the Nordstrand, I might also use a Delano variation(#1), the "tabless" Bartolini MV series, the traditional Bart MM series, the Seymour Duncan, Carvin, Mighty Mite, or Wilkinson depending on my price point.


Respect.

[Darkstrike]

1) Joe Barden P Bass Pickup

2) Standard P position, reversed.

3) Classic P bass grind, but somewhat more hi-fi, and with enough clarity for chordal work and tapping.

Would most likely be wired passive, fwiw.

[73jbass]

Norstrand DC in the sweetspot.

[BigOldHarry]

hmmm

Depends on what I was doing at the time... But I'd put it just like it set on a MM Sterling... As to what p'up I'd use, I'd be inclined to find the appropriate Nordtrand for a Sterling and use it...

[FunkMetalBass]

I would have a custom Searcy String Works pickup with 6 alternately-wound coils built into it (two neck, two in p-bass location, two bridge) that spans from the neck to the bridge with three 5-way selector switches (in knob-form). Each switch would correspond to the position of the section of the pickup and would allow me to run the pickups in this fashion: coil 1, series, off, parallel, coil 2.

The idea would be to emulate any of the main pickup configs I already use because I would never have a custom bass built with only one pickup.

[Derek Kiernan]

I would use a relatively low inductance single coil P type design wound with very fine wire underneath the 7th overtone, using a tone control to add in the type of warm coloration higher inductance pickups give but retaining as much high end extension as I can for balancing.

[TapyTap]

Originally Posted by FunkMetalBass

I would have a custom Searcy String Works pickup with 6 alternately-wound coils built into it (two neck, two in p-bass location, two bridge) that spans from the neck to the bridge with three 5-way selector switches (in knob-form). Each switch would correspond to the position of the section of the pickup and would allow me to run the pickups in this fashion: coil 1, series, off, parallel, coil 2.

The idea would be to emulate any of the main pickup configs I already use because I would never have a custom bass built with only one pickup.

How would you wire the three "sections" relative to each other...in series or parallel?

[FunkMetalBass]

Originally Posted by TapyTap

How would you wire the three "sections" relative to each other...in series or parallel?

Parallel, but I could add on another 3-way switch that would switch function as a series/parallel/killswitch.

[Nedmundo]

Easy: G&L MFD split-coil, placed exactly where it is on the SB-2, and I assume the SB-1.

[lug]

I built one with a Bart MMC in approximately the "P" position. Very versatile, can get dub to somewhat aggressive. The Bart's wide frequency range helps here.

[thrill74]

I have a Searcy Magnus...but 1 pickup would have to be a Searcy Jazz single.

In the sweet spot ala MM.

To achieve great control on the lows and good crisp highs for when I slap

[DanSwain]

I'd probably go with a LightWave system, because then there's a bit more flexibility of tone, depending on how and where the strings are played.

Failing that I'd have a soapbar placed like those on Gary Willis' or Alain Caron's fretless Basses

[jarrhead]

Well

A Bongo bass would be perfect! (the one with one H of course)

To emulate Jay James' sound on the Big Day Out concert. look it up on youtube. absolutely sweet.

[Hoover]

Were this a purely hypothetical question I might have different answers, but since I'm actually in the process of doing exactly this for a very specific project bass, my current answers are:

1) SDG ND3 neodymium soapbar
2) just a hair closer to the bridge than the "sweet spot" (wherever the hell that is)
3) I'm building a frankenbass fretless that is to be the complete opposite of my Rob Allen: very electric, very twangy, bright, incisive, not at all warm & woody & upright-ish.

...but still fat.

[Pilgrim]

What, no Darkstar fans yet??

[FaithNoMan]

Dimarzio Model P wired straight to the jack, with a no-load volume pot in between.

Standard P bass position.

Raw, unfettered tone from the Dimarzio, placed in the "sweet spot"