Jazz pickup adjustment questions, NOT about height

[ImTheOnlyOne]

"Dial in" neck first, bridge first, or inconsequential?

Tilt either, both, or neither towards nut, towards bridge, or flatly even with strings?

How much bottom end is enough, or too much, on the neck pick up? What's your cue that you have it just right?

Assume a standard passive VVT Jazz bass. Assume each pickup slightly favoring the treble side. Ideal setup will sound great with both volumes at 100%.

 

[J-Bass RMR]

Completely your preference.
My tastes have changed in more recent years, where I favor the Neck PU a bit vs the old days favoring the bridge - so I don't necessarily set the bridge "hotter" anymore.

It can also depend on the "voice" of the particular bass - and comes down to what you're hearing and your taste.
I have several J's - so it's a bit of a balance between the above, and playing to that basses strengths;

(I generally start by setting the E to 6/64ths and the 5/64s - as "flat" as i can get them - and adjust from there)

 

[Lo-E]

My usual routine is to set the neck pickup first. I tend to set it fairly low on the E string side - just enough so that I still have about 1/8” above the pickguard to use as a thumb rest. Then I raise the G side until the output is more or less even string to string. I don’t angle the pickup front to back; I just make the top of the pickup parallel to the strings.

Once the neck pickup is set I set the bridge pickup height to balance its output with the neck pickup, which usually puts it on a similar or slightly shallower angle side to side and much closer to the strings.

I try not to get any closer to the strings than 1/8” so sometimes I have to go back and set the neck pickup even lower to achieve equal output between the two pickups.

If it were not for the fact that I like to rest my thumb on the neck pickup I might be inclined to always just start with the neck pickup as low as possible. You lose some lows that way but you gain clarity. I like my little thumb rest, though, so the above procedure usually works for me.

 

[ImTheOnlyOne]

Completely your preference.
My tastes have changed in more recent years, where I favor the Neck PU a bit vs the old days favoring the bridge - so I don't necessarily set the bridge "hotter" anymore.

It can also depend on the "voice" of the particular bass - and comes down to what you're hearing and your taste.
I have several J's - so it's a bit of a balance between the above, and playing to that basses strengths;

(I generally start by setting the E to 6/64ths and the 5/64s - as "flat" as i can get them - and adjust from there)

Do you prefer to hear your Jazz's preferred voice when both volumes are at 100%?

My understanding is that there's some scoop or cancellation to be expected at max volume in a standard setup. I'm not sure how to listen for when the pickups are optimally balanced.

 

[ImTheOnlyOne]

...I try not to get any closer to the strings than 1/8” so sometimes I have to go back and set the neck pickup even lower to achieve equal output between the two pickups.
...

I've also tended to do neck first, aiming for as close to P tone as it will get.

"Equal output" is one place it gets tricky for me when doing by ear. The neck is fuller and bridge more nasal of course, making equal output tough to gauge, especially when ear fatigue sets in.

With both set for equal output, what is each contributing to the combined sound that you're listening for?

 

[BGroovy]

I start with neck. Get it where it’s strong full output but not distorting playing hard. I match the bridge output to it then, just soloing each and listening for relative volume.

I do like to use both full on, so once their output is matched. I listen closely for the tone I want and how it’s sitting in the mix. I record the bass and listen back over drums or playing over something where I know where I want it to sit in the mix. This is where the unique characteristics of each bass really start to come out. I lower or raise each pickup (and commonly specific sides of the pickup to offset tones).

Then I give my ears a break and dial it in a day or two later. I almost always find after I come back to it that it’s too bassy and I end up lowering the bass side of the neck pickup a bit.

The “come back to it after a day” is true of almost all my setup steps. Fresh ears help put on the finishing touches

 

[ImTheOnlyOne]

...I do like to use both full on, so once their output is matched. I listen closely for the tone I want and how it’s sitting in the mix...

I generally like both full on as well. However, on a passive J, that leaves nowhere to go but cut, right?

I figure an optimally adjusted pair of pickups will have a range of usable tone without thinning out when one or the other is rolled off.

If you have both on full, then roll one back a bit and prefer that new tone over the both at 100%, does that mean you have more adjustments to make?

 

[BGroovy]

I generally like both full on as well. However, on a passive J, that leaves nowhere to go but cut, right?

I figure an optimally adjusted pair of pickups will have a range of usable tone without thinning out when one or the other is rolled off.

If you have both on full, then roll one back a bit and prefer that new tone over the both at 100%, does that mean you have more adjustments to make?

No, it's just different tones. Full on they're scooped. A little in each direction and you loose the scoop. With most pots and pickups only the first 20% (sometimes even 10%) that you roll off in either direction makes a difference, after that it's basically soloing one pickup or the other.

For me the slight favoring of either bridge or neck is what I use for specific songs or in a mix. If I feel like I'm getting lost in the room, maybe favor the bridge. Songs where the bass has more space I favor the neck. I use the tone knob more than I balance between pickups.

Some days I'm hunting a specific tone for a song, but on most of my basses there's a setting I use 90% of the time, and that's what I optimize for.

Can't stress enough that it's 100% personal preference, and pickup adjustments are unique to a specific instrument. Find what sounds good to you, then play the heck out of it.

 

[ImTheOnlyOne]

I just installed a set of Delano JC4 HE/M2 in a very promising bass and figured I should ask for advice getting the most out of them.

I'm especially curious about how to use my ears as objectively as possible to ensure I've got it set for the best flexibility. No small ask

 

[Bass Motifs]

For me the slight favoring of either bridge or neck is what I use for specific songs or in a mix. If I feel like I'm getting lost in the room, maybe favor the bridge. Songs where the bass has more space I favor the neck. I use the tone knob more than I balance between pickups.

This!

Sometimes I favour the neck on major pentatonic tunes, and the bridge on minor (blues based) pentatonics.

Or both full on as default.

How much depends on the bass.

 

[smtp4me]

"Dial in" neck first, bridge first, or inconsequential?

Tilt either, both, or neither towards nut, towards bridge, or flatly even with strings?

How much bottom end is enough, or too much, on the neck pick up? What's your cue that you have it just right?

Assume a standard passive VVT Jazz bass. Assume each pickup slightly favoring the treble side. Ideal setup will sound great with both volumes at 100%.

IMHO:

• Neck vs. bridge, which one to do first - inconsequential.
• No tilt towards nut or bridge, but a small tilt from higher strings to lower strings - e.g. in standard tuning on a four string, the G string side of the pickup would be slightly higher than the E string side. Do this for both pickups.
• Regardless of what pickup height you choose (I normally start with the Fender published specs), if you don't know already - push one of the strings down at the last fret (preferably the G or E) and set the same distance between the top of the pickup and the bottom of that string for both pickups, while the string is pressed down.
• This step above ^ will help ensure you get a balanced output from both pickups.

 

[bassdude51]

I don't care for the VVT. It's ok once it's set to tone preference but if the volume needs to be lowered or raised, it's a hassle for me to readjust the blend of the two pickups again.

Thus, my Js and I only have 2 of them.......have V-B-T (Volume, Blend, Tone) which I really, really like.

J sounds. In a way, there are 5, J sounds.

1 Neck pickup solo. (A P type of sound.)

2 Bridge pickup solo.

3 Neck and bridge 50/50.

4 Neck pickup with a dash of bridge.

5 Bridge pickup with a dash of neck.

(6 perhaps. Bridge pickup full with a slight dash of neck, pluck way down near the bridge..........for a Stingray sound.)

All in all, IME......there's not very much blending possible with VVT or VBT on a J. It's kind of like either one pickup or the other is either on or off with blending. Only a slight amount of blending is possible with J pickups. IMHO. Maybe it's different for others.

Js are such a very versatile bass guitar! Very likely, the only bass needed for about 80% of all bass sounds! IMHO

Jazz pickup adjustment questions, NOT about height​

It's up to you, your ears and your heart for the kind or kinds of sounds that you are looking for. TEHO

 

[96tbird]

I focus on the neck first because I dislike the bridge soloed so even output isn’t important to me. I use the bridge more as a tone shaper than its own thing.

I usually start on the G side and get that where I like it then move to E to get a balanced out put, so it naturally tilts down toward the E.

Since the mag field is elliptical above the mags, I just true it up with the string plane so the string has the best chance to remain in the field while swinging, not moving in and out of it affecting tone, so naturally it’s a little lower on the neck side.

 

[micguy]

I adjust the bridge pickup height first (so I get things as close as I can), and then adjust the neck pickup (which always ends up backed off a bit more) to balance them.

What you do will depend a bit on how you play and how you use your pickups. I NEVER play on the bridge pickup alone, for example - it's either neck or 50/50.

 

[Bass4ThePublic]

in my shop I set customers instruments (not just jazz basses) pickups to 5/64” on the bass and treble sides then adjust to taste using my ear and an ashdown uv meter so I can see that the gain qualities are similar on the bass and treble sides. Every instrument is different, and calls for a different measurement.

 

[RattleSnack]

I always do pickup setup first per factory spec, then listen to how pickups sound together (that's how I'll play them most of the time), and slightly favoring one or the other. Then adjust and retry. But factory spec is almost always where my sound is.
If I won't be using one pickup 100%, no reason to set up bass that way. Of course YMMV.

 

[deepestend]

I always do pickup setup first per factory spec, then listen to how pickups sound together (that's how I'll play them most of the time), and slightly favoring one or the other. Then adjust and retry. But factory spec is almost always where my sound is.
If I won't be using one pickup 100%, no reason to set up bass that way. Of course YMMV.

I always set to factory specs as well and then adjust to taste. Here are the sadowsky specs: How to Set Up Your Bass - Sadowsky Guitars

I will say that there are some good points here. Playing at home is one thing, but really digging in with a band/drums/etc. is another thing. Try to record yourself in that setting and gauge if you are getting any kind of distortion. I'm setting up a personal bass right now with unconventional pickups and they sound fine at home but I'm realizing that they distort some when I dig in, which is a sign that I should lower them.

 

[ImTheOnlyOne]

Appreciating all the tips.

Understanding audio is subjective, are there objective positive or negative things to listen for while adjusting?

 

[deepestend]

Appreciating all the tips.

Understanding audio is subjective, are there objective positive or negative things to listen for while adjusting?

You definitely don't want to hear the clack of magnets hitting/pulling the strings. Also, too close and you'll get some more fullness but risk getting some distortion. Too far and you'll get a weaker signal. Finding that middle ground is the art of it all.

 

[logdrum]

Remember. Passive single coil jazz basses are slightly lower volume if they are both full on. For me it is adjusting the grind of the bridge and the bloom of the neck