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Dual P pickup options

Which pup placement for best modern-rock sound?

  • Photo 1

    Votes: 1 2.1%

  • Photo 2

    Votes: 10 20.8%

  • Photo 3

    Votes: 5 10.4%

  • Photo 4

    Votes: 18 37.5%

  • Photo 5

    Votes: 7 14.6%

  • Photo 6

    Votes: 5 10.4%

  • Photo Carrots

    Votes: 2 4.2%
  • Total voters
    48
  • Poll closed .
neurotictim

neurotictim

Jan 2, 2008
2,637
2,101
Virginia Beach, Virginia
www.facebook.com
#1
So I'm modifying another SX...

Yay.

This time, I want to put two Precision pickups in a SPB-62. I've already got the paint scheme worked out, and I realize I'm going to have to do some routing, but that's the great thing about SX - If I screw it up, I'm only out a bill.

Anyway, these are the options, as I see it. I understand that pickup placement is tricky, I've read the threads on it, and feel okay with experimenting... I'd just like the collective experience here to help me decide exactly where I'm placing these pups. I'm going for a modern-rock sound, growly and heavy on the low end, with somewhat scooped mids and warm highs.

I've (poorly) Photoshopped my options.

Option 1
PupPlacement1.jpg


Option 2
PupPlacement2.jpg


Option 3
PupPlacement3.jpg


Option 4
PupPlacement4.jpg


Option 5
PupPlacement5.jpg


Option 6
PupPlacement6.jpg


I'm leaning towards 1, 2, or 4. I don't know which, though. Also worth a mention that I haven't decided between VVT and VBT., but it will be all passive.

So, thoughts?
 
#4
I like option 1 and 5, but who knows? What tone circuit do you have in mind? If these are passive pickups and you want a passive circuit, you will probably have to go with VVT for the main part of the arrangement. I have a thread going in the Pickup and Electronic section, asking for advice on a non interactive VTVT setup and it looks like you can't have independant volume and tone without some interaction in volume or tone.:scowl:
 
#7
Assuming these are passive pickups, I would take a not from the skinny string players. Wire each with its own volume and tone, and a three way switch ala a Les Paul. I my first bass (a Vantage...some Korean beast that actually sounds and plays allright) has this arrangement, and it works pretty well.
 
#9
I voted for 4, but I would reverse both of them to match the bridge. I think P bass pickups sound better that way.

I did something like this years ago. This started its life as a 1974 P bass. I picked it up used for cheap. It was a lousy bass and had a really bad neck. You couldn't get replacement necks in the late 70's, except from Fender.

8string.jpg


By the time this photo was taken I made a new 32" scale neck for it. This obviously doesn't have the pickups reversed. P bass pickups at the bridge sound interesting. They are fuller and smoother than Jazz pickups.
 
#11
I'm going to go with VTVT, essentially the same knob/jack config as the Am Deluxe, but it will be passive, with SD 1/4 Pounder in the neck and (if it ever gets here) the Lace Alumatone Precision pup in the bridge... Though I may switch them around if the Lace isn't as hot as it's supposed to be.

I may potentially use the stock SX pup, if it sounds as good as the last P I did.

So far I've spent a total of just under $400 for the bass, BAII bridge, OEM Fender tuners, Hipshot D-tuner, and knobs. Already have the pups/pickguard and pots.
 
#13
SGD Lutherie said:
I don't think you can mix Alumitones with regular pickups.
Click to expand...

...? Impedance issues, or what?

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but for this wiring setup I'd essentially be wiring up two sets of pups - a tone and volume for each - and then running the "hot" outs from both to the output jack's positive side, and grounding the grounds at the same points... Right?

*EDIT* You have any plans for direct replacement Precision pickups in the future?
 
#14
neurotictim said:
...? Impedance issues, or what?
Click to expand...

Yes, the output of the Alumitone is from a small transformer.

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but for this wiring setup I'd essentially be wiring up two sets of pups - a tone and volume for each - and then running the "hot" outs from both to the output jack's positive side, and grounding the grounds at the same points... Right?
Click to expand...

Yep. But when you have both volumes on full, the pickup with the lower resistance will load down the other pickup.

*EDIT* You have any plans for direct replacement Precision pickups in the future?
Click to expand...

Yes I do. I'm still working on the design. Jazz pickups too. because my other pickups are humbuckers, I have to redesign them to fit into a P or J form, and figure out how to use my magnet structure.

But I get so many requests for them that it should be sooner than later. I'm a one man operation, so everything takes time.
 
#15
This may be a bit off topic, if so, please excuse me. I remember reading an interview with Lee Sklar years ago (it used to be on the net but I can't find it now) where he said his favorite bass was a Frankenstein precision where he reversed the pup locations. He said while Leo was God, he might have missed something there. Have I committed a breach of etiquette here?
 
#16
Yes, he did say that, and that's how his bass is set up. I agree 100%. When I play a standard P setup, I can hear a big jump in tone from the EA to the DG strings. To me it sounds a lot more even the other way.

I think there may be two reasons they did it that way. First, the split design for a humbucker was invented and patented by Seth Lover, along with the regular PAF pickup. So legally Fender could not make a split coil humbucker. But Fender did get a patent for a split coil pickup, on the pretenses that the two coils were for expanding the tonal range of the instrument! Wiring them up as a humbucker just got snuck in.

So the other reason is that he already had the guitar pickups slanting to make the treble strings brighter, so besides using that to "expand" the tonal range of the P bass, he followed suit by slanting them the same as the guitars.

Also times and tastes change. I also think the guitars sound better with the pickup slanted the other way. It makes the thin strings fuller and the low strings tighter.

Most of the split coil soapbars, such as EMG, Baselines and Bartolini, position the coils the way Sklar has them.

If everyone stopped wanting basses and guitars the way they were 50 years ago, we could have a lot more progress! ;)
 
#18
SGD Lutherie said:
Yep. But when you have both volumes on full, the pickup with the lower resistance will load down the other pickup.

<snip>

Yes I do. I'm still working on the design.
Click to expand...

In that case, perhaps I'll just go with two of the 1/4#ers. I already like their tone... And with the points about Lee Sklar's thoughts, I think I'll stick with a traditional arrangement in the "sweet spot" and a reversed arrangement in the bridge position.

:bassist:

When I get all the parts together, I'm going to document this one better than the last.

As far as the wiring goes, I'm still torn between VTVT and VT/selector. How much of a headache would it be to wire in a rotary switch for neck/both/bridge, and what do you guys think about that over VTVT? Having separate V and T would give me more options, tonally, but are there any "better" (In your opinions) options?
 
#19
Rotary switches are not hard, and a commonly available switch (even at Radio Shack) is a 4 position, 3 pole switch, which would allow you to have a both pickups in series position.

I had a P/J bass wired up like that back in the 80's.

Here was the wiring. This used the switch you can get at Radio Shack.

4-pos_series-parallel.gif


(FB P.U. = fingerboard pickup)
 

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