mm in the p spot. how does it sound?

[jordan_frerichs]

i have heard of people re-routing the pup cavity of their p basses to accept a music man instead of a p pup. never really figured out how it sounded. could someone put up some soundclips, or a good discription, compaired to the mm in its sweet spot, or the p in its sweet spot? since i am going to route for pups this weekend, figured it would be worth a look into.
if i did it like this, i would probably toss in a bridge j, or a p in the position u would find it on a dual p bass.

[waseok]

Dunno how, but not like a Pbass should sound, for sure!

[jordan_frerichs]

yea, but that is not the goal. just a little wierd with pup combos i guess. trying to find my sound.
(not that this is related but) i figured a black walnut back routed bass would look slightly boring on the front, so i decided to make it front routed (still no pickguard). i took some left over bloodwood and made an electric controls cover that the knobs come up through. its a lot like on the stingray basses, only not as wide, and i love the look of it

[Al Heeley]

MM humbucker in the p-bass sweet spot = too boomy, needs to be back further towards the bridge to give it more attack, more definition.

[deaf pea]

Originally Posted by Al Heeley

MM humbucker in the p-bass sweet spot = too boomy, needs to be back further towards the bridge to give it more attack, more definition.

I´ve got to disagree with this . . . I wouldn't say "too boomy", but I WOULD say that it sounds more "old school", especially if you wire the MM pup in series (which is more similar to the Pbass pup wiring).

But if you put the MM (wired in series) at the end of the fingerboard, like the old Gibson EB-? (or Billy S.), it definitely IS "too boomy" for my taste.

FWIW, ALL of my fretted basses (except the old '59 Pbass) have a series-connected MM pup in the P-pup position and a parallel-connected MM pup in the MM 'ray position (with both pups "full on") . . . it works for me (playing blues, punk, heavy, hard rock, old school funk, rhythm 'n blues, reggae and rockabilly!)

[jordan_frerichs]

DP those basses sound sick. sounds like you have simalar music tastes. could you post some pics of those. if you like punk, and regae, i guess you would also be a fan of ska, am i right?

[deaf pea]

Originally Posted by jordan_frerichs

DP those basses sound sick. sounds like you have simalar music tastes. could you post some pics of those. if you like punk, and regae, i guess you would also be a fan of ska, am i right?

I´ll be glad to post pix when I get back to Mexico Monday night or Tuesday . . . but I wouldn't call myself "a fan" of any sub-genre of music . . . I DO enjoy playing ska, as well as MANY, MANY other styles . . .

[jordan_frerichs]

nice!

[PilbaraBass]

I'd listen to deaf pea, jordan...the dude's been a pro player for a very long time and knows what he's talking about.

[deaf pea]

Originally Posted by PilbaraBass

I'd listen to deaf pea, jordan...the dude's been a pro player for a very long time and knows what he's talking about.

Thanks for the kind words and vote of confidence . . .

And I HAVE "been a pro player for a very long time" . . . I joined the Musician's Union 48 years ago!

But I still feel like a kid when we're on stage playing to a packed house . . . it's only AFTER the gig's over that I start feeling old again . . .

[deaf pea]

Originally Posted by jordan_frerichs

DP those basses sound sick...

Here's the best shot that I could find right now . . .

[jordan_frerichs]

dude, thats sweet. u look a little bit like entwistle. can i get a sound clip of just the mm in the p position? what are mm and p pups usually wired like?

[jordan_frerichs]

i marked where the mm would be in its regular sweet spot on my project. it just don't add up. measured from the fb/nut, it is right up to the badassII. i measuredthe location of the bridge by where the bridge screws are on my squier, since the BAII is sopposed to be a direct replacement. is this an inacurrate way of locating the pickups and bridge?
i think i will fit on the neck then get the bridge on, then find the pup spot, and see if things start to add up

[PilbaraBass]

Originally Posted by jordan_frerichs

dude, thats sweet. u look a little bit like entwistle. can i get a sound clip of just the mm in the p position? what are mm and p pups usually wired like?

lol...

you know you're getting old when...

a kid tells you "u look a little bit like entwistle"...



MM pickups are usually wired in Parallel (all the old 'rays had them this way)...that gives you the brighter tone
P pickups' split coils are wired in series 99.9% of the time...

...having a switch so that you can select parallel or series is very useful on an MM pickup and many modern basses do give you this option (including the newer 'rays)

[PilbaraBass]

Originally Posted by jordan_frerichs

i marked where the mm would be in its regular sweet spot on my project. it just don't add up. measured from the fb/nut, it is right up to the badassII. i measuredthe location of the bridge by where the bridge screws are on my squier, since the BAII is sopposed to be a direct replacement. is this an inacurrate way of locating the pickups and bridge?
i think i will fit on the neck then get the bridge on, then find the pup spot, and see if things start to add up

bridge saddles in full forward position should be located 17" from the 12th fret (34" from nut) on a 34" scale (although I tend to move them back 1/8" inch for some forward movement and errors)...bridge screw positions are irrelevant.

If I recall correctly, the rear of the mm pickup is about 1.5" in front of the bridge and the front would be about 0.25" from the back coil of a P-pickup.

[jordan_frerichs]

Originally Posted by PilbaraBass

MM pickups are usually wired in Parallel (all the old 'rays had them this way)...that gives you the brighter tone
P pickups' split coils are wired in series 99.9% of the time...

...having a switch so that you can select parallel or series is very useful on an MM pickup and many modern basses do give you this option (including the newer 'rays)

how easy would it be to wire the mm like that, and would it sacrifice any sound?
if i do a mm in the p spot, i will put in a bridge j, and if i put it in the usual spot, i will put a p at the neck. for the p at the neck, i was thinking about dimarzio split p (the ones where each half is a tiny humbucker), but a friend said that would cut back on sound, since i would have a total of 3 humbuckers. is he right?

[jordan_frerichs]

Originally Posted by PilbaraBass

bridge saddles in full forward position should be located 17" from the 12th fret (34" from nut) on a 34" scale (although I tend to move them back 1/8" inch for some forward movement and errors)...bridge screw positions are irrelevant.

If I recall correctly, the rear of the mm pickup is about 1.5" in front of the bridge and the front would be about 0.25" from the back coil of a P-pickup.

that is very helpful. so i should move the g saddle all the way up to the end of the bridge, and measure it like that, is that correct? i was always told that a p and mm overlap slightly. are you sure that their positions are a quarter inch away from each other? if so, then you have made my day

[deaf pea]

Originally Posted by jordan_frerichs

... i was always told that a p and mm overlap slightly. are you sure that their positions are a quarter inch away from each other?...

There IS a space of about 1/4 inch between the 2 MM pups on my basses . . . the one that's closest to the neck has one of the coils in the P (G & D) position . . . the other coil is close to the P (A & E) position.

[Jensby design]

. . . OH ! The P spot.I was thinking of something completely different

[deaf pea]

Originally Posted by jordan_frerichs

...can i get a sound clip of just the mm in the p position?...

Sorry . . . the pups are wired directly to a (single) volume pot
and from there to the output jack . . .