51 P vs 57 P (reissues) - Blind Test

[FantasticFour]

I'm surprised at how close they are. But I got this gut feeling that B could have been my very own CV 50s.
So I'll go with B = single coil.

 

[EmaTheMirror]

Here's mine.

It looks great!

Mine is the same colour... just a tad more... school bus-ish

(the pickup's a killer one, though...)

 

[micguy]

Thanks, that's very useful to know. I guess I could live without bending the D on this particular bass. Does the split-coil produce a decent clear sound? I wouldn't want a quarter pound in there.

The split coil (in single coil form factor that I had sounded like a single coil, but minus the hum. Due to the pole piece arrangement, it's got more attack/less sustain than the '58 and later split coil. That is in part why Fender did the split coil - to reduce hum, but the pole pieces were moved to 2 per string, not right under it, to reduce the transients that were hard on the speakers in their amps.

 

[lestratele]

I'll go with A is the 57.

 

[dkelley]

won't let me get the files..."too many viewers have downloaded this file"

 

[Gianni "Orlandez" Orlati]

I'll let ya know ...

 

[EmaTheMirror]

won't let me get the files..."too many viewers have downloaded this file"

I know

I had to upload said files on Soundcloud and I can't edit the original post anymore.

Here's the later post with the samples fixed:

51 P vs 57 P (reissues) - Blind Test

 

[dkelley]

ah ok, thanks! heard the files finally. Totally obvious to me that A is split, B is single. Love them both...

I hope to heck I'm totally wrong though because I kind of enjoy being proven wrong after getting cocky in my answers LoL

 

[JZQuantum]

Sample A is the 51. It sounds warmer.

I could use either of these tones. It would depend on the mix. I think I could EQ either tone to get what I needed in a mix.

 

[EmaTheMirror]

Great, it looks like we have diverging opinions yet one predominant answer...

... final answer coming soon

 

[LetItGrowTone]

Hope I'm right because I have a Squier CV '51 on the way:
I liked B a little more and I think its the 51.
Its attack is stronger in the first section and the first low notes in the third section (sounding like an upright).
Its bass goes way deeper in the last section.
In the last section, A has a metallic clanking that I don't like (but I don't like rounds generally).

If I'm wrong won't matter because of Dusty Hill.

Thanks for the nice test with good sound samples.

 

[EmaTheMirror]

The next blind test is gonna feature the opening of Continuum by Pastorius with the harmonics

(inside joke from a 51p owner...)

... right, so I will disclose the answer this way then

Here are the first notes (and harmonics) of the theme, played with each instrument:





I think most of you now know the definitive answer then... definitely everyone who played a single-coil P

 

[bobyoung53]

... right, so I will disclose the answer this way then

Here are the first notes (and harmonics) of the theme, played with each instrument:





I think most of you now know the definitive answer then... definitely everyone who played a single-coil P

I don't own a single coil P bass, have had many split coil P basses though and to me the second one is still the single coil although technically they're both single coils, a split coil is just two single coil pickups connected in series although that is also what a humbucker is but the split pickups are separate.

 

[TheCouchBassist]

... right, so I will disclose the answer this way then

Here are the first notes (and harmonics) of the theme, played with each instrument:





I think most of you now know the definitive answer then... definitely everyone who played a single-coil P

Would you please clueing in the rest of us? I’ve been watching all day for the answer

 

[Gianni "Orlandez" Orlati]

Sample A can’t be played

 

[Gianni "Orlandez" Orlati]

Ok on Soundcloud.
A = split-coil pickup.
B = single-coil pickup.
Choice, however, may be influenced by the feeling the player has with each of the two instruments, assuming strings are the same, as the difference is very scant.

I voted for B because lately I’m playing my vintage-repro J-bass more than my P-basses!

 

[EmaTheMirror]

Would you please clueing in the rest of us? I’ve been watching all day for the answer

Sure. As most people guessed, the 51 single coil is SAMPLE B, which is a CIJ 51P with a scatter-wound "51P" flat poles Bare Knucles pickup. The single-coil P is, by standard design, on top of the node of those harmonics played (eg 4th/9th fret), so they don't translate well. You can hear they are almost mute.

The 57 split coil is SAMPLE A, which is a Classic 50s with a scatter-wound "Traditional P" by Alexander Pribora. No problems on the harmonics department.

I see that some people answered the other way around, bot most guesses were right, and I think because the "split-coil" sound is quite heard and well-understood across records and players. That familiarity might also explain the slight edge of the poll results. I do agree that differences, while played back or listened to, are not as dramatic as one might think anyway.

More thoughts and conclusions on that later...

 

[dkelley]

... right, so I will disclose the answer this way then

Here are the first notes (and harmonics) of the theme, played with each instrument:





I think most of you now know the definitive answer then... definitely everyone who played a single-coil P

Yep, B is still totally the single, A the split.

Nice tones either way!

 

[dkelley]

... right, so I will disclose the answer this way then

Here are the first notes (and harmonics) of the theme, played with each instrument:





I think most of you now know the definitive answer then... definitely everyone who played a single-coil P

and of course, the harmonics in B didn't work. ;-)

 

[dkelley]

Sure. As most people guessed, the 51 single coil is SAMPLE B, which is a CIJ 51P with a scatter-wound "51P" flat poles Bare Knucles pickup. The single-coil P is, by standard design, on top of the node of those harmonics played (eg 4th/9th fret), so they don't translate well. You can hear they are almost mute.

The 57 split coil is SAMPLE A, which is a Classic 50s with a scatter-wound "Traditional P" by Alexander Pribora. No problems on the harmonics department.

I see that some people answered the other way around, bot most guesses were right, and I think because the "split-coil" sound is quite heard and well-understood across records and players. That familiarity might also explain the slight edge of the poll results. I do agree that differences, while played back or listened to, are not as dramatic as one might think anyway.

More thoughts and conclusions on that later...

YAY! LoL