• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Awesome question

#4
Well, if you're talking about single coils, they will be out of phase, which makes for a thin, wimpy tone (imo), as well as single coil hum. Im not sure if hum-canceling pups would work, because I *think* the phasing would still be an issue.
 
#5
It's my bacchus 5 I'm contemplating putting an emg jax set. The difference in size is literally .xx mm so it's almost nothing but I'd hate to be wrong. Wish there was somewhere I could take it to compare pups that would be rad
 
#6
wild4oldcars said:
Well, if you're talking about single coils, they will be out of phase, which makes for a thin, wimpy tone (imo), as well as single coil hum. Im not sure if hum-canceling pups would work, because I *think* the phasing would still be an issue.
Click to expand...

They will only be out of phase if you wire them out of phase. They will most likely not be a reverse wind/reverse polarity pair, though, which means no hum cancelling. Someone here on TB (Hopkins, maybe?) posted a way to make a device that reverses the magnetic polarity of pickup poles. I've never done that, but it should be helpful for reducing hum.

Another option is to purchase two bridge-sized humbuckers (like Dimarzio Area J's or Model J's) and install them. That works fine, but only if you want humbuckers.
 
#8
wild4oldcars said:
Well, if you're talking about single coils, they will be out of phase, which makes for a thin, wimpy tone (imo), as well as single coil hum. Im not sure if hum-canceling pups would work, because I *think* the phasing would still be an issue.
Click to expand...

If phase is an issue, just swap the + and - of one of the pickups around.


(on my somewhat experimental bass I added a switch to do just that, so I could switch between in and out of phase, granted, a waste of a switch :p )
 
#9
Ok so as long as it's not that big of an issue now my beef is making sure it actually fits here's what I'm working with:
3 11/16 long
3/4 wide
Screw length 1 5/8
Screw width 7/8

The specs emg sent me are:
ImageUploadedByTalkBass1395433622.495543.jpg
 
#12
There's nothing wrong with swapping pickups around locations so you should feel free to experiment if your cavities will allow you to do this. Reshaping pickup cavities is a permanent decision so choose wisely if you go this route. (pun intended)

Pickups are voiced to match the location in which they're installed so two bridge pickups will sound different than a neck and a bridge pickup.

That said, voicing is done to get the maximum 'benefit' from the tonal opportunities available in each location so you're losing some flexibility by mismatching. More specifically - bridge pickups voiced to emphasize the fundamental and neck pickups designed to emphasize mids. By swapping the installation, you'll voice the bridge location to emphasize mids and the neck location to emphasize the fundamental making the two locations sound more alike.

The SGD guy claims that Ibanez does this position swap sometimes to provide a more even sound between the two pickups (I have no hands-on experience with this). I'd prefer to have the two pickups positioned to provide the broadest set of tone options then use the blend knob or tone switches to get something in-between when I want it.
 
#14
Rob22315 said:
There's nothing wrong with swapping pickups around locations so you should feel free to experiment if your cavities will allow you to do this. Reshaping pickup cavities is a permanent decision so choose wisely if you go this route. (pun intended)

Pickups are voiced to match the location in which they're installed so two bridge pickups will sound different than a neck and a bridge pickup.

That said, voicing is done to get the maximum 'benefit' from the tonal opportunities available in each location so you're losing some flexibility by mismatching. More specifically - bridge pickups voiced to emphasize the fundamental and neck pickups designed to emphasize mids. By swapping the installation, you'll voice the bridge location to emphasize mids and the neck location to emphasize the fundamental making the two locations sound more alike.

The SGD guy claims that Ibanez does this position swap sometimes to provide a more even sound between the two pickups (I have no hands-on experience with this). I'd prefer to have the two pickups positioned to provide the broadest set of tone options then use the blend knob or tone switches to get something in-between when I want it.
Click to expand...

This is bad information. Usually the bridge pickup is wound SLIGHTLY hotter than the neck pickup because the string movement lessens the closer you get to its anchor points. The magnet material and wire type and gauge will always be the same. The tonal difference in a matched set is 99 percent determined by the pickup position.
 
#15
Hopkins said:
This is bad information. Usually the bridge pickup is wound SLIGHTLY hotter than the neck pickup because the string movement lessens the closer you get to its anchor points. The magnet material and wire type and gauge will always be the same. The tonal difference in a matched set is 99 percent determined by the pickup position.
Click to expand...

You'll have to split the difference with me on this one. Some manufacturers (SGD and Bartolini to name two) voice the pickups differently. It's not just how hot they are.

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f38/neck-vs-bridge-pickup-voicing-777930/
 
#16
David is not 1% of the overall pickup market. Barts are just overwound at the bridge position, they are built with the same materials. There are exceptions, but the vast majority of pickup makers do it like I described.
 
#18
The JAX is an active hum canceling pickup, so if you get two JAX bridge pickups you should have no problems. From the EMG specs they seem to both be the same pickup just in different covers.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back