Learning to love rear jazz pickup

[deepestend]

Wanted to see if anyone else has insight into this.

I'm relatively new to jazz basses after playing mostly P's or soapbar type basses for 20+ years. Of course, I've had a jazz or jazzesque bass here or there, but have never really dug in on one before.

I've worked my want through the whole single coil vs hc jazz pickups, so that's not the issue. I have both and have gone back and forth and have made peace with the Fralin HC jazz pickups.

But I do find that I just don't use the rear pickup and I can't tell if that's a mental thing or what? I don't "not" like the sound, but I really don't love it. If I edge up the active bass on the pre a little bit and use the rear, it does sound defined and fine, but then what's the point if I can basically get that sound with the neck pickup as well? I'm not a slapper, more of a groove/country/funk/rock player.

Has anyone else grappled with this?

 

[ahbass2500]

Has anyone else grappled with this?

Yes. My solution is boosting the bass/low mid when I use the bridge pickup. Maybe you just need to make peace with that being part of it?

 

[tb-player]

I’ve actually done the opposite of OP. Came from jazz and eventually fell in love with P tone. Although for me, playing slap still needs 2 pickups with the tone dimed (unless you’re playing Lowdown).

I never liked the bridge pickup solo’d, until I listened to a lot of Jaco. That helped.

Maybe spend a month listening to Marcus Miller. That bridge pickup might find a place in your tonal palette.

 

[Lo-E]

There are three default tones for me on a Jazz Bass:

Both pickups full - with its signature scoop, great for slap (not that I’m much of a slapper)

Neck full, bridge rolled off just a little - similar to neck soloed but with more definition

Bridge full, neck rolled off just a little - similar to bridge soloed but with more body (booty?)

I like the second two options much more than either pickup soloed. I’m not unique in this preference; it’s a pretty common way to use a J-bass.

 

[Steve_nw]

You are not alone. The bridge pickup soloed has never suited anything I'm trying to do.

I was always attracted to the Jazz layout thinking more options = better, but for my the only option I ever used was both pickups full, tone all the way down, with flatwounds. The sound by itself wasn't a great music-store-audition kind of sound, but it always worked in the mix.

I was always fighting the scoop that is the Jazz Bass Thing. Not the bass' fault of course.

My use of past tense is intentional.

 

[Dlew919]

There’s no rule saying you have to use one or the other pickup. The blending is your friend.

 

[Passinwind]

There are three default tones for me on a Jazz Bass:

Both pickups full - with its signature scoop, great for slap (not that I’m much of a slapper)

Neck full, bridge rolled off just a little - similar to neck soloed but with more definition

Bridge full, neck rolled off just a little - similar to bridge soloed but with more body (booty?)

I like the second two options much more than either pickup soloed. I’m not unique in this preference; it’s a pretty common way to use a J-bass.

Second option most the time here, but with the neck also rolled down just the tiniest bit. But my other two pickup bass is set up for buffered blending and unity gain with knobs at noon, and all bets are off with that one- many different settings can be very useful and cool.

 

[RGerhart]

If I'm playing a J-style bass with two pups, I always look at the blend never to solo either one. I like 50/50, or go either way a little bit just to change the one gradually. I've tried soloing each pup, but it just doesn't do it for me.

If you don't like the bridge pup, then no big deal. Just blend to taste.

 

[Anjohl]

I find I can't do a darn thing 100% on a bridge jazz pup. There are plenty of bassists who can, but I am not one of them!

 

[JazznFunk]

The rear pickup is where you can get much more direct punch and presence, versus the mid-scoop sound of both pickups full on. As others have already mentioned, blending is far more useful than just using either pickup on or off. I rarely use the neck pickup solo, and will back off of it a little to give more 'focus' to the sound, along with a tweak of the tone knob. What I also do, either at the amp or with a preamp, is bump the bass control up to add a little more bottom end when leaning on the bridge pickup. On my Sadowsky with a blend knob, I use 1/4 turn from the center detent in favor of the bridge pickup as my 'default' and it's perfect for me.

 

[Bass Motifs]

There are three default tones for me on a Jazz Bass:

Both pickups full - with its signature scoop, great for slap (not that I’m much of a slapper)

Neck full, bridge rolled off just a little - similar to neck soloed but with more definition

Bridge full, neck rolled off just a little - similar to bridge soloed but with more body (booty?)

I like the second two options much more than either pickup soloed. I’m not unique in this preference; it’s a pretty common way to use a J-bass.

Agree, for my VVT jazz basses these work, and soloed bridge is meh.

However, on my VTVT stacked knob the solo bridge sounds amazing with the bridge tone completely off. It's like a different bass. Hard to describe. Rolling the tone back sounds awful until it's completely off then something changes. Like the Rutgar Gunnarsson sound on that interview Dancing Queen clip on YT (which is his VVT with neck at 70% and tone rolled back from what I can see).

I've not been able to get that tone on my other jazz basses. Maybe it depends on the instrument and/or circuitry?

 

[Bass Motifs]

PS while i think it sounds amazing, the cat always leaves the room on that setting at home. Too much awesome i suppose.

 

[Swerve]

Bridge pickup solo is great for messing around at home doing harmonics or chords. Never had use for it in a band situation.

 

[wncBass]

It sounds great when Jaco uses the bridge pup.

 

[thisheregiraffe]

If you don't want to use the bridge pickup, then... what is compelling you to play a J bass? Nothing wrong with soloing the middle pickup, or just playing a P bass if that's what you like best. I like J and PJ basses better than any single pickup bass, and I quite enjoy the sound of a solo'd bring pickup. You might have to adjust tone/EQ differently to arrive at a sound that you like. Or maybe it's just not for you, which of course is fine.

 

[DanAdams]

I have not grappled. I have accepted. I agree. I have never bonded with any bridge pickup.
On basses that have them, I just pretend that they are not there.
Pickup blends seem to neuter the sound a bit too.
I would like Jaco more on a pickup a bit closer to the neck :O

 

[JamesGrant]

I’m with you - both jazz pickups at 100%. Always.
I can change tones with my plucking hand far more easily and successfully than by using one or other pickup.

Neck pickup on its own - Ok I guess.
Bridge pickup on its own - garbage.
Both together - magic.

 

[rmayer]

I’m maybe the opposite, usually had two pickup basses, a couple of Jazz Basses and some variety of soapbars. Then I got into P basses later. Still favor the two pickup, had P/Js but my last acquisition was a Sadowsky 4-21, Alder w/ Mango top and hum canceling J pickups. My default setting has always been slightly blended towards the neck pickup, but I sent the bass back to the shop to install Roger’s mid boost circuit. I find with that(and the overall sound of this bass) I’m sometimes blending slightly towards the bridge pickup. But the first setting is still my favorite.
Edit: I not only have flats on my P, but I put them on my Sadowsky J now (Sadowsky Blue Label Flats) , love the sound and the feel.

 

[Wasnex]

Wanted to see if anyone else has insight into this.

I'm relatively new to jazz basses after playing mostly P's or soapbar type basses for 20+ years. Of course, I've had a jazz or jazzesque bass here or there, but have never really dug in on one before.

I've worked my want through the whole single coil vs hc jazz pickups, so that's not the issue. I have both and have gone back and forth and have made peace with the Fralin HC jazz pickups.

But I do find that I just don't use the rear pickup and I can't tell if that's a mental thing or what? I don't "not" like the sound, but I really don't love it. If I edge up the active bass on the pre a little bit and use the rear, it does sound defined and fine, but then what's the point if I can basically get that sound with the neck pickup as well? I'm not a slapper, more of a groove/country/funk/rock player.

Has anyone else grappled with this?

Why do you think it is necessary for you to like a particular sound? IMHO it's not. We all have a different idea regarding how bass should sound. I suggest using whatever you think best suits the music...unless someone is willing to pay you enough to make it worth your while to do what they say.

Furthermore you may find that you like the bridge pickup on some basses, but not others. I used to always prefer to slightly favor the bridge pickup. But on my #1 I found that I prefer to slightly favor the neck pickup. The Yamaha TRB6P has been my #1 since about 1995, which is a long time. My taste seems to have changed over the many years of playing this. My preference for bridge sounds seems to have abated significantly.

 

[DrBnz]

I always stay close to the middle. Cracking it just a tad bit one way or the other is nice. Now if you like the rear pup, you just might be a PJ type of person. Have you tried them before?