2 pickup fretless settings

[the low one]

I know there are many many threads about how players like to set their pickups on a 2 pickup fretless but I've never seen a poll, so thought I'd try one.

It's a simple 3 option poll, do you prefer to favor the bridge pickup, neck pickup of both together on your 2 pickup fretless bass. If you solo 1 or other pickup then you favor it.

For me I find that favoring the neck pickup on my fretless Jazz sounds best in the mix.

 

[soong]

I find bridge only gives more mwah, so thats my reason.

 

[Plookie]

Bridge!
With my Pavel Jazz pro, I find myself in more of the bridge area. NICE tone.

 

[FootieSoxx]

I usually favor the bridge pickup if I'm soloing, but I run both for general purposes. I get a lot more bass response from both, which sounds a lot thicker in a mix than just the neck pickup.

 

[ga_edwards]

Both but with a slight bias toward the bridge. Most JJ layout basses have a sweet spot mix of the 2 pickups where the bass just sings.

 

[OldogNewTrick]

it would depend a bit on the type of pickup, but in order to generalize, it would definitely be the bridge pickup position for clarity and tone.
In order to vary tone, I move the my picking hand from close to the bridge to the fretboard and anywhere in between.
So one pickup is enough for me.

 

[fish slapper]

I have always had success on my Warmoth "tele-j" fretless with all the controls dimed on the bass. Can't argue with that classic J sound on a fretless.

 

[GM60466]

All bridge

 

[Fretlessboy]

Getting the tone you want depends on a lot. Your rig and your hands and the tone of "your Jazzbess". My fretless Jazza has fender custom shop 60's and is very dark sounding which I like. I go with neck pickup slightly backed of just off wide open. It adds a bit of definition. On my Smith I just run both.

 

[Fretlessboy]

oh here it is

 

[spade2you]

For the most part, I tend to favor one or the other, sometimes throwing in the piezo pickup as well. On my Rob Allen 6er, there tends to be a nice 70:30 bridge:neck blend that I'm enjoying.

 

[unclejane]

I know there are many many threads about how players like to set their pickups on a 2 pickup fretless but I've never seen a poll, so thought I'd try one.

It's a simple 3 option poll, do you prefer to favor the bridge pickup, neck pickup of both together on your 2 pickup fretless bass. If you solo 1 or other pickup then you favor it.

For me I find that favoring the neck pickup on my fretless Jazz sounds best in the mix.

Bridge PU practically all the time. This allows me to have a clear tone but with the volume far enough down in the mix to not smother anything else.

This is one place, tho, where my carvin completely outperforms my other basses - with both PU's on the sound is still very clear and serviceable, but gives that nice 2-pickup pinch and smoothness that you want sometimes. Seems to be because the stacked humbucker in the neck position has much lower output than the bridge humbucker, so it just adds flavor without introducing mud.

But I still rarely have a use for that sound.

LS

 

[Kael]

Depends on the song. Rock/blues = me favoring the neck a tad. Funk = me favoring the bridge a bit. I solo the pickups using the bridge for busier "intricate" stuff. I solo the neck pickup to get a nice hollow tone for certain peices where the bass needs to be more supportive or where the mix is thin enough that I can get away with it.

In other words, I rarely use the same setting for more than two or so songs in a row. Well, unless I am playing with an act that doesn't vary their sound much.

I guess the only thing I rarely do is to run both pickups on full blast. I almost always favor one or the other even if it is only by about 10%.

 

[JTE]

Depends. The Fraken Fender (Duncan P/J Quarter pounders, Duncan Steve Bailey pre-amp, mahogany body) sounds best most of the time with the P pickups soloed.

For the Lakland Deluxe 4-94 (Barts w/Bart pre-amp) spends most of its time with the blend centered.

John

 

[the low one]

Interesting. I’m not surprised more people favor the bridge pickup but I am a little that both pickups run together is well ahead of favoring the neck pickup.

 

[ga_edwards]

I guess many people favour the bridge p/up on fretless as it's close to the definitive 'Jaco' tone.

 

[line6man]

For the past year and a half, bridge only:

But as of a few days ago, I put in a P pickup in the neck position, so I am using that now too:

I think pickup type has just as much to do with it as neck or bridge.
If the bass has a J style neck pickup, I'm never going to use it...
P pickup on the otherhand and I would be all over it when I am in the mood for that kind of tone.

 

[the low one]

Listening to this make me want to try both pickups on full again. It's a great tone with everything wide open.

 

[eastcoasteddie]

I favor the bridge pickup. mucho growl.

 

[jtre]

slightly more neck p/u - totally agree with ga edwards "sweet spot" comment.