5 String P Dilemma - Which PU for A string?

[darwin-bass]

The Problem - On a 5 string bass the A string is centered. With normal P pickup placing, the string would go right between the 2 pickup halves and not be picked up. One or the other pickup half needs to move to pick up the A string.

Approach 1 - The A string goes with the low pickup. Here the B, E and A strings are all sensed by the same pickup half. I think this is most like a 4-string P bass.

Approach 2 - The A string goes with the high pickup. Here we move the pickups so that the A, D and G strings are sensed by the same pickup half. This is what Carvin does.

Approach 3 - We have the A string be picked up on both halves. So B & E are only picked up by one half of the pickup, D & G are picked up by the other half and the A is sensed by both.


Do these approaches sound different? Significantly different? Is one preferred? I assume 3 is the worst solution yielding an overly loud and different sounding A string?

 

[iiipopes]

Unless you have something like a Delano pickup where the coils are the same size, and one pole piece is omitted from one coil so there is not a double response imbalance, then I would go with the A string being on the same coil as the D and G strings, because there will be more wire on that coil. That will take a little edge off the treble response, which the G string, and to a lesser extent the D string, don't need because of the tendency of the G string to twang.

I would also flip the orientation of the segments for the same reason: the B-E segment being closer to the bridge for more definition, and the A-D-G segment being closer to the neck for less twang and more consistency of tone from string to string.

EMG flips the orientation of their P-5 soapbar for this reason, although they leave the A string with the B and E, with its coils being closer to the bridge, and it is a much better balanced pickup as a result.

But as you can tell from this extended discussion, and the fact that the question has to be asked in the first place, that a P configuration is at best a compromise and cannot induce the best tone possible out of a five string bass.

 

[darwin-bass]

Yes that is the conclusion I am coming to as well. P and 5 don't mix as well as J and 5 do.

 

[darthplagis]

Sandberg flip the bass side of the P on the VM5

Still sounds like a P, even response no unnatural highs or lows in signal...... TBH mine sounds (to me) better than any fender P i have played or heard in a live setting.

 

[ex-tension]

Sandberg flip the bass side of the P on the VM5

Still sounds like a P, even response no unnatural highs or lows in signal...

More opinions about the reversed P pickup (@2:52 & @4:18):

 

[darthplagis]

I honestly cant disagree with Ed on his reversed P opinion.
I wish i could manage to get video and audio so i could do a vid of my sandberg for stuff just like this

 

[bass_case]

My limited experience with the P pickup on a Squier VM Jag 5 is that the D-G sounds like a different pickup than the B-A. D-G sounds more like a J pickup than a P. I was hoping it was just a bad pickup but it sounds like a bad design. I bought an Am Std pickup to replace it, so we'll see.

 

[two fingers]

I haven't gone into the gear room to see where the poles are on my Fender Precision V. That being said, the first thing that struck me when I first played it is that all the strings sounded the same. Even the B string sounded like just another string. They all sound the same to me for the first time in my 25+ years of playing. So wherever the pole pieces are on a USA Precision V pickup is fine by me. For the life of me I can't visualize how they are arranged right now.