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Do you believe in "sweet spots" for pickups?
- Thread starter GwennyT
- Start date
This dude had a couple things to say on this subject. He even reversed the coil positioning. Probably some nobody who never recorded anything, ever.
Yes it makes a difference where a pickup is placed as well as the style of pickup and set up. I worked in a shop and we spent some time experimenting with pickup placement on guitar and bass trying different combinations and placement. Perhaps a best example is on a Jazz Bass and the vastly different sounds of the middle and bridge. Another example a Music Man Sting Ray bass sounds quite different from a Precision and a large part of that is the position of the pickup a lesser factor is the size and shape of the coils and the way those coils are wired.
My first "good" bass was a 1965 Jazz Bass that I bought in 1966. Toured with it in the early 70's and it was stolen along with all my touring gear in 1976. The pickup spacing on that was the common "60's pickup spacing", which is 3.6" center to center. It was a great bass and I wish I still had it. That 3.6" pickup spacing came back after the 70's and I believe it is still the standard on new Fender Jazz Basses.
In 1985 I finally replaced that '65 Jazz with a mint condition 1982 Jazz. It had the identical neck and when I pulled it off the wall of the music store where I was working part time and played it, it just felt like coming home. It is quite a bit different than my '65. It has a white bound all maple neck whereas my '65 was maple with a rosewood fretboard. More importantly it has the 70's era pickup spacing, which is 4" center to center. The location of the neck pickup is the same as it was on my '65, but the bridge pickup is almost 1/2" (0.4" to be exact) closer to the bridge than my '65 was.
The 70's era pickup spacing results in a noticeably brighter sound than my '65 had. It also makes the bass growl more easily (dig into the strings over the bridge pickup). My 82' Jazz has both a slightly brighter sound over all and a ton of more sustain than my '65 had. Although I'd love to have my '65 back, my '82 Jazz would probably still be my #1 player.
I believe the difference in sound of my '82 Jazz is mainly due that bridge pickup located closer to the bridge. Odds are the all-maple neck has something to do with the better sustain I get too. But I do firmly believe that pickup placement is very important. I use LaBella White Tape-Wound strings on it, which is the brightest of their tape wound strings and I couldn't be happier with the sound or the feel of them on my '82 Jazz.
Who said I was sloppy, and I certainly would not denigrate musicians I've been working with, or their ears. I've pretty much played in larger ensembles, but played in everything from power trios, to polka bands, no death metal or reggae however. I've also done a fair amount of recording when things like pickup placement could be critical but never was.
Look, I'm no virtuoso and I'm also not a snob about people pursuing their art. If one thinks finding that "Sweet spot" is worth the pursuit God bless them." If you think that is the only way you can get a chance to play with with accomplished musicians, IMO, that isn't going land you a gig by itself. My experience is that it is way more important to have an appropriate sound, you know the job, and have the skills and talent to fit in. A pleasant personality is a plus.
No offense intended. I didn't say you were sloppy. It is your opinion that it is lost on others. I said some of us could not work if.... I wouldn't play on purpose with a bass that's intonation was out. It would reflect on my work ethic etc. I would be bending strings and making all kinds of accommodations because I could hear it.
How are you recording and performing where pickup placement isn't critical? You have movable pickups on your bass?
I think I get the misunderstanding.
I move my plucking hand anywhere I want up and down the strings to get whatever tone and effect needed at the moment.
The discussion here is not a technique issue called "finding your sweet spot."
Sweet spots even according to the OP's disbelief and Science are physical locations on the bass.
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I mean, it's subjective whether you like the sound of a given location. But that each location has a different sound is just a fact. For all the talk of tonewoods etc, I think even the most tone deaf among us can clearly hear the difference between the neck and bridge pickups on a jazz bass, for example. Now if either of those locations is sweet is personal preference. I don't like either, I prefer a single H passive stingray. Which would sound very different if you moved the pickup 4 inches toward the neck.
70 J basses disagree. It's well known that layout was chosen solely for visual reasons.
A sweet spot in the sporting goods world where the marketing term came into favor is describing the spot on a racquet which will return the most force and lose the least amount of energy to deflection. Saying you don't believe in sweetspots is not saying you feel pickup placement is irrelevant, that's just another strawman argument so common in these threads. Not accepting the existence of sweetspots in this case simply means you do not think there is an objectively superior location with all other positions being inferior.
Saying it's science or it's physics or you're a troll is a weak argument of emotion no matter how often it's said here. If it's science use science and explain it in a way that can be duplicated. This isn't like declaring a bankruptcy on TV.
Pre CBS J basses where Leo "got it right the first time" conflicts with the love for the '70s position that was chosen so the cover would completely hide the pickup. Both positions can't be the best. Nobody here is saying pickup position has no influence on tone. There is no need to argue against that position.
Also vibrato and tremolo are different things that are not freely interchangable, but that belongs in a Strat forum
Are all the other P Basses wrong? Or are there just a lot of best positions?
Has anyone here said it doesn't?
I think too many are just looking to be enraged without considering what the term sweetspot even means, in its original or current usage.
You seemed to be suggesting they did with your previous post "It is a fact that the PU placement changes the tone."
An odd thing to say if you don't think anyone said differently. So when I asked if someone did I was looking for the reason for your countering post.
I won't make any claim in regard to any sweet spot but the MM pickup location has always sounded too harsh for my taste and I've long wondered how it would sound further from the bridge. So I built a bass with a Nordstrand MM 5.2 in the Precision location and I love how it sounds. Two other basses I own have Nordstrand Big Splits with the neck pickup on one in the Precision location and the other about 20mm (.787in) closer to the neck. That one has a noticeably deeper tone. Sweet spot or not, it makes a very big difference where you put the pickups.
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I asked is this a troll thread. I called no one a troll.70 J basses disagree. It's well known that layout was chosen solely for visual reasons.
A sweet spot in the sporting goods world where the marketing term came into favor is describing the spot on a racquet which will return the most force and lose the least amount of energy to deflection. Saying you don't believe in sweetspots is not saying you feel pickup placement is irrelevant, that's just another strawman argument so common in these threads. Not accepting the existence of sweetspots in this case simply means you do not think there is an objectively superior location with all other positions being inferior.
Saying it's science or it's physics or you're a troll is a weak argument of emotion no matter how often it's said here. If it's science use science and explain it in a way that can be duplicated. This isn't like declaring a bankruptcy on TV.
Pre CBS J basses where Leo "got it right the first time" conflicts with the love for the '70s position that was chosen so the cover would completely hide the pickup. Both positions can't be the best. Nobody here is saying pickup position has no influence on tone. There is no need to argue against that position.
Also vibrato and tremolo are different things that are not freely interchangable, but that belongs in a Strat forum
I immediately suggested a different title that would encourage warm, friendly, non-contentious discussion.
The fact that some makers choose their pickup placement for esthetic reasons doesn't make that universal or ideal.
Nodes exist.
The strength of and locations of the magnets in a pickup can support or diminish the influence of placement.
Do I believe in "sweet spots for pickups?" Yes.
Do I play all of the string's length? Yes.
Do I think that design compromises sometimes make great music instruments? Yes.
A bass that I pick up and take home has many many characteristics that call to me.
I don't measure pickup placement.
Sweet spots really don't care if you believe in them or not.
