Effect of reversing pickups?

[mysticola]

Hello everyone,

I've been playing bass for a year now and i recently bought a Höfner Ignition (Icon). Now i was searching on the internet for mods and I saw someone reversing his bridge pickup.
I wondered if this changes the sound of the bass or if it's just decorative.

thanks a lot,

Mysticola

 

[line6man]

What do you mean by "reversing?"

Phase? Placement/angle?

 

[Ric5]

If you reverse the pickups the bass will say "Paul is dead"

 

[mysticola]

well, in the picture the pickup was taken out and then twisted 180 degrees. i'm from Belgium so i can't really describe it that well in English

 

[stratovani]

I don't think it'll affect anything. Give it a try. What's the worse thing that will happen? It'll sound like crap, so you take the pickup out and put it back in the way it was.

Let us know how it works out.

 

[FunkMetalBass]

In terms of the coils, most pickups have a 180-degree rotational symmetry, so it wouldn't change anything.

The Höfner pickup may not be designed in this matter, or may have been wound hotter on one side than the other - I truthfully know nothing about the mechanics of the pickup.

 

[mysticola]

I don't think it'll affect anything. Give it a try. What's the worse thing that will happen? It'll sound like crap, so you take the pickup out and put it back in the way it was.

Let us know how it works out.

I think i'll do that ! and i will most certainly let you know

 

[walterw]

pickups "hear" up-and down movement of the strings only, as in towards and away from the pickup.

turning it around (especially if it's a single coil, or a narrow pickup in general) will make no real difference.

with wider pickups, if there's a hotter coil one one side, turning it around puts that coil under a slightly different area of string, and might make a slight difference.