5 string P pickup question.

[mikefromchurch]

Sorry if this has been asked before. I saw a really nice 5 string p/j today. I noticed the p pickup was picking up the B and E on the split closer to the neck, and the ADG was on the split closer to the bridge. I always thought the original split pickup was designed with the E and A forward, and the D and G back, to give a slight tonal difference of low and hi. By configuring the 5 string as I saw, would the A string not have a slightly ( and probably only noticed by a bass player) higher flavored tone? Because it was now moved to the part of the split normally hearing the D and G.

 

[chris_b]

Looking at the bass amps in the 50's I guess the original Precisions needed all the help they could get in putting out as much bottom end as they could find.

These days the amps and cabs can do the heavy lifting and the reverse P pickup is all about being different.

 

[BurningSkies]

Both setups are valid. There are plenty of 'standard' pickups out there as well as 'reverse P' pickups. It's a matter of choice as to what sound better to you.

 

[Vinny_G]

I noticed the p pickup was picking up the B and E on the split closer to the neck, and the ADG was on the split closer to the bridge..

Do you mean like this?

Because there is also the reverse P pickup which is different.

 

[mikefromchurch]

That's it Vinny. It seems odd they wouldn't have added the extra poles to the string they added, if that makes sense.

 

[Vinny_G]

Yes, I seen a few of them (the one above is a Harley Benton PJ-5 by the way) but I don't know why they made this choice. I imagine this shouldn't make a big difference in sound but I've never played one, so I really don't know. And the sound clips on Youtube aren't very helpful.