if you had to pick... bridge or neck pickup?

[line6man]

Bridge for me.

Just change the finger position for a different tone.

Exactly!

 

[bergy9650]

I added the P pickup for some extra versatility, but I mainly just play on the soloed bridge pickup.

It sounds like any other fretless Jazz bass with the bridge pickup soloed, nothing special about it.

What does yours sound like?

not quite done yet hahah when it is (god only knows when that'll be) ill let ya know... im planning on starting a build thread too soo check it out

 

[Hopper]

Bridge. You can't get a bridge sound from the neck pickup but you can certainly get a neck sound from the bridge with EQ scooping.

 

[line6man]

Bridge. You can't get a bridge sound from the neck pickup but you can certainly get a neck sound from the bridge with EQ scooping.

Well, I definitely agree that you can't get a bridge sound from a neck pickup (And that's why I find Jazz bass neck pickups utterly useless for the kind of bass tone I like.) but I'm really not so sure you can get a neck tone from a bridge pickup.

It's not so much about scooping the mids.
Probably the first thing you would want to do is try to EQ in more low end, as the bridge pickup doesn't really have that much of it.
This is easier said than done of course... It can be difficult to EQ in a good low end to a pickup that's favoring harmonics more than fundamentals.

 

[reedo35]

+1 Neck

 

[Pulse Generator]

All neck!

Tone on 0, pluck near the fretboard for my 60's cover band.

Tone on 10, pick between pickups for my metal band

 

[M.R. Ogle]

Without the LOWS of a neck pickup, you're not really playing BASS...

 

[line6man]

Without the LOWS of a neck pickup, you're not really playing BASS...

Personally, I'm a lead/solo player, so I'm not too concerned with whether my tone is bassy or not, but I would agree.
For regular bass playing applications, a tone is pretty much worthless without a full low end, and the soloed bridge pickup vibe really isn't the best thing to deliver that.

For me, it's all about the midrange though, so I guess you could call my bass a midrange.

The "electric midrange guitar".

 

[lowendfriend]

ok i know most of you are are gonna say its opinion but whats you opinion? if you had to pick a bridge or neck pick (jazz) pickup id personally go with a bridge how bout you?

Have a Warwick Corvette $$...like the neck pick up best.

 

[line6man]

Have a Warwick Corvette $$...like the neck pick up best.

I know the OP did specify Jazz style pickups, but I'm really surprised no one has pulled the "depends on the bass" card yet?

 

[mgauge]

bridge!

 

[Jefenator]

For what I do, when I have the options, I spend 85% of the time with just the neck pickup, 14% with both and 1% reminding myself why.

 

[bergy9650]

For what I do, when I have the options, I spend 85% of the time with just the neck pickup, 14% with both and 1% reminding myself why.

hahahhha i get it it took me like 5 minutes hahaha but i got it

 

[Elrend]

Definitely neck, nothing is as horrible as the ear-piercing bridge-pup.

 

[Mr_Sore_Fingerz]

the "neck" is in the sweet spot for me...I only use the bridge by itself when I want some honk for some cheesy funk lines