Where's the "sweet spot" ?

Hoover · #1 08-19-2008, 11:07 AM

Not sure if I should post this here or in the Luthier's Corner...

With all this talk about putting a pickup in the "sweet spot", I got to wondering if there's some standard definition of where exactly the "sweet spot" is.

I presume if there is it's expressed as a percentage of the scale length away from the bridge...but A) I could be wrong; and B) there might not be any standard definition at all.

Anyone know? Thanks.

Mushroo · #2 08-19-2008, 11:08 AM

As far as I know, it's a marketing term....

Personally, I think the position of a P bass pickup is pretty "sweet" to my ears!

Joe Nerve · #3 08-19-2008, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mushroo

As far as I know, it's a marketing term....

+1

I always thought is was mean to be wherever the builder thinks the pickup sounds best. Which doesn't really mean much at all, does it?

I guess I'll find out soon if I'm wrong.

cybersnyder · #4 08-19-2008, 11:31 AM

If there is such a thing, it changes as soon as you fret a note.

Georynn · #5 08-19-2008, 11:57 AM

If I recall correctly the placement of the pickup determines how strong the fundamental and harmonic vibrations are, the sweet spot is the place in which fundamental and harmonic content are equal.

please see diagram

The red line in the fourth photo approximates the sweet spot.

Lorenzini · #6 08-19-2008, 12:02 PM

If you've bothered to filter through the thick cynicism:

Correct me if I'm wrong, but generally it's considered to be right around where the Musicman humbucker is placed. It isn't too close to the neck which would muddy the sound, nor is it too close to the bridge for a nasally sound.

JanusZarate · #7 08-19-2008, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lorenzini

Correct me if I'm wrong, but generally it's considered to be right around where the Musicman humbucker is placed. It isn't too close to the neck which would muddy the sound, nor is it too close to the bridge for a nasally sound.

Only applies if you're using an MM-sized humbucker and are trying to get more Stingray-like tone, and are only using one pickup.

I've seen them in other arrangements with a second pickup involved. And the "sweet spot" for a P-bass is different - it's more "centered" than the classic placement of a single MM humbucker.

So the "sweet spot" is relative, and not just based on distance from the bridge... the tonal goal, instrument design, and pickup type/design all play a role.

Generally, however, we often think of them as the "classic" spot that the major brands popularized. Basically, those "usual" spots that we expect the Precision pickup, Jazz pickups, or Musicman pickup to be located. Is it really a sweet spot? Not necessarily. It all depends on what you're trying to get tonally. And once you factor in the importance of pickup design, strings, body woods, etc. to the sound... position doesn't seem as dramatically important, now does it?

But don't get me wrong... it does mean a lot. Move around the same pickup from one spot to another, and it won't sound the same at all.

Barkless Dog · #8 08-19-2008, 12:16 PM

Right against the neck is really sweet and he nose it.

Mushroo · #9 08-19-2008, 12:24 PM

WOOF! I love that photo, LOL!

If I recall correctly, the first time I heard the term "sweet spot" was the marketing for a single-pickup Tobias bass from the late 80s/early 90s... anyone remember what I'm talking about?

Georynn · #10 08-19-2008, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lorenzini

If you've bothered to filter through the thick cynicism:

I sense no cynicism <-- humor

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lorenzini

Correct me if I'm wrong, but generally it's considered to be right around where the Musicman humbucker is placed. It isn't too close to the neck which would muddy the sound, nor is it too close to the bridge for a nasally sound.

The EBMM Stingray uses the "sweet spot" I was referring to in my last post. That combination of fundamental and harmonic content is why they put it there...
this guy's got it up on a site.

Lorenzini · #11 08-19-2008, 03:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Georynn

I sense no cynicism <-- humor

The EBMM Stingray uses the "sweet spot" I was referring to in my last post. That combination of fundamental and harmonic content is why they put it there...
this guy's got it up on a site.

Fully agreed

And mysticboo hit it right on the money. It depends on the pickup.

However, most people refer to the MM humbucker placement as the sweet spot.

Cutty · #12 08-19-2008, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barkless Dog

Right against the neck is really sweet and he nose it.

Mind he doesn't cock his leg up on that bass!!

4StringTheorist · #13 08-19-2008, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cybersnyder

If there is such a thing, it changes as soon as you fret a note.

Absolutely positively correct! As proven by Georynn's first post actually. As soon as you fret the string, the location of the sweet spot is now somewhere else.

Steveaux · #14 08-19-2008, 06:53 PM

I thought it was supposed to be at the 3rd octave harmonic, about 4.25" from the saddle on a 34" scale. Which is about where a MM 'bucker sits ... hmmm. Maybe Bill was right ...

greenboy · #15 08-19-2008, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4StringTheorist

As soon as you fret the string, the location of the sweet spot is now somewhere else.

Yep, and the choices of harmonic content at any given sweet spot are entirely abitrary and/or taste-driven anyway. As a couple other posts said too, any classic choice of positioning gets carried into the future if that bass is considered a winner, those positions too will be considered sweet spot placements... Later some less-used sweet spots may again gain favor in someone's designs - just as the Darkstar is related to a pickup that went unnoticed by most for decades, but then gained some prominence.

The Roland V-Bass allows you to put pickups anywhere along the instrument in one of its most interesting COSM models, and some of the positions and blends I've tried sound pretty damn cool indeed.

Hoover · #16 08-20-2008, 08:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by greenboy

The Roland V-Bass allows you to put pickups anywhere along the instrument in one of its most interesting COSM models, and some of the positions and blends I've tried sound pretty damn cool indeed.

It almost amazes me that the sliding pickup from the Gibson Grabber didn't catch on with other manufacturers...

Hoover · #17 09-02-2008, 10:50 AM

Well, this doesn't actually answer my original question, but I found this interesting tidbit on the Bartolini website:

"The centerline of the bridge or treble pickup of the Fender Jazz Bass is placed at 1/16th of the open scale length away from the intonation point of the ideal string. So, 34" divided by 16 gives 2-1/8" or 2.13 inches or 54 mm. Because there are no perfect strings and the string saddles must be "pulled back" (away from the nut) to compensate for their stiffness, the length from the G-string saddle to the center of the bridge pickup will be a little more than this.

The centerline of the neck or treble pickup of the Jazz Bass is not so accurately placed and is approximately 6 inches or 152 mm from the G-string saddle. This yields the deeper tone of the J-Bass neck pickup."