Fender dimension H vs HH

[andruca]

What sound do YOU like? If the single H spot tone rocks your boat then get it. I've seen all numbers of pickups used for all kinds of music, "versatility" is somewhat relative, so don't buy based on eventual future need for other sounds. One of the things that come with getting familiar with a bass is finding the different tones it can offer. And there's many, even on single pickup basses. Choose the one you like the most.

 

[dxb]

Two pickups? Pffffff. Everybody knows more is always better. I really feel sorry for all those peasants who will never experience the raw power of the OCTOJAZZ!!! Its magnetic field is so strong it'll tip over a bus!

 

[Hounddog409]

Name just one for starters.

1. Two different sounds out of two different pickups.
2. The ability to isolate each pickup.
3. The ability to blend in each pickup.

None can be done with a single pickup.

 

[Hounddog409]

Then by that logic, 3 would be even better. 4 better yet.

Lemme agrees with you.

 

[Hounddog409]

Two pickups? Pffffff. Everybody knows more is always better. I really feel sorry for all those peasants who will never experience the raw power of the OCTOJAZZ!!! Its magnetic field is so strong it'll tip over a bus!

Two nobs? Phth.

Need at least 10 and a 64 position switch.

 

[dxb]

Two nobs? Phth.

Need at least 10 and a 64 position switch.

Oooh you're right. I just went back and added a volume knob for each pickup.

 

[TWood97]

Does a second pickup affect the tone by the magnets pulling on the strings? I've heard of people saying there's a difference in 1 pickup vs 2 pickup guitars like esquires and teles or les pauls and juniors, I was wondering if this applies to bass too?

 

[dindinbre]

If you can afford a bass with 2 pickups, why not. Also, why you decided to go for Dimension bass?

 

[villarddefender]

If you can afford a bass with 2 pickups, why not. Also, why you decided to go for Dimension bass?

Because of it's different sound which is not exactly like a Pbass or jbass

 

[Mechayoshi]

Two is better than one, but not a nessessity. I definitely prefer it but I could easily live with a p bass. But more pickups can lead to clutter. Besides, no one can say they like a lot of simplicity if their single pickup basses also happen to have lots of active knobs and eqs.

 

[dxb]

Two is better than one, but not a nessessity. I definitely prefer it but I could easily live with a p bass. But more pickups can lead to clutter. Besides, no one can say they like a lot of simplicity if their single pickup basses also happen to have lots of active knobs and eqs.

That's an interesting point. I have an early Fender Dimension with two passive humbuckers and just Vol Vol Tone like a Jazz, but I also have an active single-pickup Dimension with Vol and a 3-band EQ so it technically has more controls than the other one. And some people have taken those and added additional switching like having each coil on its own and series/parallel wiring. So its still only one pickup but with tons of options.

 

[gjohnson441496]

I like two pickups when they're single coil like on a Jazz bass, but with humbuckers I find a neck pickup on its own is often muddy and a bridge pickup on its own is often nasally.

This was my experience also. I didn't find the bridge pup on my Dimension HH usable at all due to it being extremely nasally regardless of how I eq'd it.

 

[Hounddog409]

Because of it's different sound which is not exactly like a Pbass or jbass

An American standard Passive HH IV is on my list as soon as one turns up at a good deal.

Very nice bass.

 

[Ellery]

I like two pickups when they're single coil like on a Jazz bass, but with humbuckers I find a neck pickup on its own is often muddy and a bridge pickup on its own is often nasally.

I second this, years of playing HH basses experimenting with different pickup selections I have found that to be true

 

[MDBass]

So why would you pick one over the other. I've just learned in another thread that you're free to play wherever you want with your right hand (near the neck, super close to the bridge, you name it) to get the desired tone you want. Having that in mind, wouldn't the simple H version be enough?

Pickup placement changes the tone, similarly to how your hand placement changes the tone but arguably even more dramatically.

 

[Jack Butler]

1. Two different sounds out of two different pickups.
2. The ability to isolate each pickup.
3. The ability to blend in each pickup.

None can be done with a single pickup.

True enough, but 2 and 3 only exist with 2 pickups. So yeah it's only possible if you have 2, but it doesn't mean there is any kind of sonic improvement.

 

[sikamikanico]

I think of it this way: the pickup position is the foundation of tone, and one builds upon that foundation with technique. There are upper limits to technique and going beyond that (if you want to) you need more pickups, or a lot of EQ.

It's best to choose the pickup configuration based on the tones you desire to hear and your skills/abilities to get those tones out of a bass. So when you have trouble getting a sound of a bass, I find it useful to ask two questions: One, is the tone you're trying to get even useful? Two, are you sure it's the bass and not you that's the problem?

I personally find all the versatility I need (and want to hear) in basses with one pickup in the middle position (say between the Stingray and Precision sweet spots).

 

[rogerbmiller]

I personally prefer the single PU version. To me the allure of this bass is it is a variation on the Stingray with different specs and a blend of SR tone and J tone.

The HH Rays get into Swiss Army knife territory which doesn’t appeal to me personally as it tends to be a jack of many trades and master of none. And they certainly don’t sound like SR basses the way single H SR basses sound like SRsat least not to my ears.

I also feel like having an extra PU changes the mojo. More magnetic pull on the strings or something. Just doesn’t feel the same

But to each their own

 

[Fender_Bender]

The interaction between two pickups often favours one frequency range while cutting others at the same time. You may like it,you may not. Single pickups are often located in a “sweet spot “ that many people prefer the tone from.

 

[Hounddog409]

True enough, but 2 and 3 only exist with 2 pickups. So yeah it's only possible if you have 2, but it doesn't mean there is any kind of sonic improvement.

whats the point? the issue is two is better than one. So anything that is a result of having 2 pickups is part of the better.