3 pickup sets for a five string

[EtoBb]

Do any manufacturers make these?

Is this crazy? Heresy?

I know a few of you guys have basses with three pickups. How did you go about selecting them?

How did you decide on placement?

Is the output even?

 

[Bob_Ross]

I realize this is a stretch, but fwiw I consider the electronics arrangement on the Lakland 55-94 and 55-02 to be a "3-pickup" instrument. You don't get any control over the blend ratio between the two rear pickups, but you can get a variety of combinations that simply aren't possible with a 2-pickup bass.

 

[ctmullins]

I typically use three identical pickups, or three similar pickups in the same form factor from the same manufacturer.

For placement, I put the bridge pickup “not too close” to the bridge, and then space the others evenly.

 

[EtoBb]

I realize this is a stretch, but fwiw I consider the electronics arrangement on the Lakland 55-94 and 55-02 to be a "3-pickup" instrument. You don't get any control over the blend ratio between the two rear pickups, but you can get a variety of combinations that simply aren't possible with a 2-pickup bass.

That's an interesting thought. Do you think these basses have more options than say, an active jazz bass?

 

[EtoBb]

I typically use three identical pickups, or three similar pickups in the same form factor from the same manufacturer.

For placement, I put the bridge pickup “not too close” to the bridge, and then space the others evenly.

Hell yes. Do you have more pictures of other instruments?

Do you find volume levels from pickup to pickup require constant adjustment, or do you have an even balance? Alternately, am I completely missing the point, and you want different volume levels from pickup to pickup?

In regards to right hand technique, is it difficult to get used to having more space occupied by pickups?

 

[Bob_Ross]

That's an interesting thought. Do you think these basses have more options than say, an active jazz bass?

yes, they have two options not available on an active Jazz Bass:

- alternate bridge pickup location (single coil)
- dual-coil wide aperture bridge pickup (humbucker)

 

[idoker]

Brady Muckelroy does quite a few 3-pickup basses. Check out his FB page for demos of some of these basses.

 

[XLunacy]

Do any manufacturers make these?

Is this crazy? Heresy?

I know a few of you guys have basses with three pickups. How did you go about selecting them?

How did you decide on placement?

Is the output even?

Not crazy, awesome

If you like slapping, you really do not want a pickup that is too close to the neck.
If you like low end, you really do not want a pickup that is too close to the bridge.

Apart from that, you can do whatever you want really. I find that the further you are from the bridge, the less the exact position matters (a 1/2 inch difference matters a lot near the bridge, a lot less towards the neck).

One interesting option would be to stick two pickups together where a MM pickup would be, so that the bridge half is more or less where a J bridge PU would be, and add a third neck pickup for those times when you need the classic P thump, so you basically get all the classic J (neck / bridge parallel) / P (neck solo) / MM (dual bridge pickup) tones effortlessly.

 

[EtoBb]

Brady Muckelroy does quite a few 3-pickup basses. Check out his FB page for demos of some of these basses.

View attachment 5207544

I really love thiis

 

[ctmullins]

Hell yes. Do you have more pictures of other instruments?

Do you find volume levels from pickup to pickup require constant adjustment, or do you have an even balance? Alternately, am I completely missing the point, and you want different volume levels from pickup to pickup?

In regards to right hand technique, is it difficult to get used to having more space occupied by pickups?

Sorry for the late response....

I just took this photo of all of my three-pickup instruments.

The Freeway Switch layout is the same on all of them:

The first one was the Rick build. I wanted to capture both the 4003 and the 4005 pickup locations/combinations. It originally used three of Rickenbacker's HB1 pickups. Those pickups sound great to my ear, but they're fragile, and after the third one died, I replaced all of them with Gemini pickups: a Firedrake at the bridge and a pair of Rogue Waves in the middle and neck.

The next one was the G3. It originally used a trio of Calig single-rail Strat pickups, which sounded good. I then replaced them with a trio of Wilde L45S pickups, which ended up sounding essentially the same....

The next one was the Tele. It started out with a trio of StewMac P90s (the middle one RWRP), but they sounded too twangy in this guitar, so I replaced them with a DiMarzio Super Distortion in the bridge, a DiMarzio Deluxe in the middle, and a DiMarzio Fantom P90 at the neck. (The Fender Panorama vibrato is also fantastic). It is now one of my favorite guitars!

Finally the EB333. This is an Epiphone EB0 body with a homemade 33" scale neck. Three EMG soapbars onboard. I experimented with quite a few EMG pickups in this one: 35DC, 35CS, 35P, 35J, 60-7, 707. Right now it's the DC at the bridge, the CS in the middle, and the P at the neck, but this could (and probably will) change.

Pickup level balancing is about setting the pickup heights, as well as using hotter pickups at the bridge (although this isn't always strictly necessary). The bridge pickup on the Rick is right up against the bridge, which I ordinarily would never do, but that's where the 4005 bridge pickup is, and running bridge and neck together does give that cool 60s sound. I never use the bridge pickup solo on that one. In fact, I practically never use the bridge pickup solo on any of my basses....

And yes, sometimes my pick does crash into a pickup....

 

[EtoBb]

Sorry for the late response....

I just took this photo of all of my three-pickup instruments.

The Freeway Switch layout is the same on all of them:

The first one was the Rick build. I wanted to capture both the 4003 and the 4005 pickup locations/combinations. It originally used three of Rickenbacker's HB1 pickups. Those pickups sound great to my ear, but they're fragile, and after the third one died, I replaced all of them with Gemini pickups: a Firedrake at the bridge and a pair of Rogue Waves in the middle and neck.

The next one was the G3. It originally used a trio of Calig single-rail Strat pickups, which sounded good. I then replaced them with a trio of Wilde L45S pickups, which ended up sounding essentially the same....

The next one was the Tele. It started out with a trio of StewMac P90s (the middle one RWRP), but they sounded too twangy in this guitar, so I replaced them with a DiMarzio Super Distortion in the bridge, a DiMarzio Deluxe in the middle, and a DiMarzio Fantom P90 at the neck. (The Fender Panorama vibrato is also fantastic). It is now one of my favorite guitars!

Finally the EB333. This is an Epiphone EB0 body with a homemade 33" scale neck. Three EMG soapbars onboard. I experimented with quite a few EMG pickups in this one: 35DC, 35CS, 35P, 35J, 60-7, 707. Right now it's the DC at the bridge, the CS in the middle, and the P at the neck, but this could (and probably will) change.

Pickup level balancing is about setting the pickup heights, as well as using hotter pickups at the bridge (although this isn't always strictly necessary). The bridge pickup on the Rick is right up against the bridge, which I ordinarily would never do, but that's where the 4005 bridge pickup is, and running bridge and neck together does give that cool 60s sound. I never use the bridge pickup solo on that one. In fact, I practically never use the bridge pickup solo on any of my basses....

And yes, sometimes my pick does crash into a pickup....

I love your basses.

I very briefly owned a G3 and I've always loved the idea of 3 pickups. Hard to find much in 5 strings.

Looks like I'll have to take a lesson from you and be more willing to experiment.

Do you have a favorite out of the trio? Why?

Do you have any sound demos?

 

[ctmullins]

I love your basses.

I very briefly owned a G3 and I've always loved the idea of 3 pickups. Hard to find much in 5 strings.

Looks like I'll have to take a lesson from you and be more willing to experiment.

Do you have a favorite out of the trio? Why?

Do you have any sound demos?

Thanks! I love them all, but the one I reach for most is the EB333. Maybe it’s the aggressive sounding EMGs; maybe it’s the compact body; maybe it’s the comfy neck. That one just turned out really well. The Rick is a close second.