Why not 2 P-Pickups instead of P and J?

[louloomis]

Hi. I know Entwistle used a bass with 2 p-pickups and I've heard Leland Sklar had one and I know some older BC Rich basses had 2 p-pickup sets, but why are they not more common?

I'm thinking of building a bass with this configuration and I want to know if there's something I'm missing before I invest the time, money and fanatical obsessive thought.

Thanks.
LL

[riotboi911]

i find that my p is too punchy.

with a p j confrig, the j would offer added smoothness.

with p+p it would be really punchy and really bassy.

why not go to the store and try a bass out with 2 p pickups and decid from there

[louloomis]

Thanks. Although I'm in NYC, I have not seen many (any) basses for sale in stores with 2 p-pickups.

As far as it being too bassy, I'd be surprised at that because the 2nd p-pickup would still be in the bridge position a la a jazz bass. Even though the jazz has a single in the bridge and the 2 p-pickup bass would have a humbucker in the bridge and a humbucker generally has less highs, I find it hard to believe that the difference (especially on a bass) would be so dramatic in terms of bassiness. I'm sure there would be less highs, but not so much more so as to make it prohibitive.

LL

[riotboi911]

well i was kinda talking out of my ass. you sound like you have more knowledge. lol

how about yellow pages. call up places and ask. its always better to actually try it

[louloomis]

bump

[Osobass]

My first starter bass was an Electra with 2-P pickups. I remember being able to get a variety of tones by blending from the neck to the bridge pick-up, similar to the range you can get with a Jazz bass.

IMO the reason why you don't see 2-P pickups is that the location of the pickup is critically important to the tone it produces. The P pickup is at it's best centered between the neck and bridge. That's why P-J basses can't really sound like a true P bass.

Spector used to have a P-J bass that has the P pick-up reversed. My understanding is that they are trying to get the P pickup section under the D and G strings to be closer to the typical position of a J bass neck pickup in order to improve the slap sound. You can't underestimate the effect that Maple has on the sound, but my old Spector used to make J bass type sounds much better than P bass type sounds.

[phatcactus]

Honestly, I think it's just cuz it looks funny.

[Mojo-Man]

I the early 80's fender made a Elite Percision bass.
With two P-style pickups.
This was a great sounding bass that never caught on.

[Suburban]

Yeah, why not?

But I'd reverse both, to balance the trebliness of the strings vs. the distance from the bridge. But that's me.

[jaguarcat311]

I gotta say that i like j pickups a lot more than p's, but my current bass is a p/j, its got a set of bartolini bright tones i believe, the p pickups actually sounds good (first one ive ever heard that i liked) and the dual coil j is like a skinny p pickup in a j casing, which i like a lot, its not too deep, nice and really growly, pretty fat sounding, everything i want from a pickup. If it were up to me, i would have dual coil j at the neck too, i usually find that p pickups in the neck position are too open and fat sounding, and j's look about 1000 times better

[Biker4Him]

I'm having Chris Benavente build me a bass with two P style pickups. They will be reversed, in a mohogany body, with a padouk neck with ebony board. In his 51 body style.. this really ought to be the ultimate P bass!!! Hopefully in another month or so... I can tell everyone how it sounds.

[wilser]

Leeland Sklar had a Yamaha BB series bass with 2 P pickups. Maybe someone can find out of any recordings made with this instrument and point us so we can hear how it sounds like. I know he's played in like a gazillion albums.

[Razor]

Buzzards have two P's.......





P/J was my favorite setup..and is still my second fave..but the P+P to my ears is just an unstoppable force. The bridge P-Up is a lot bassier than a traditional J but it's actually not over the top like I thought it would be.