Middle position.

[Anglerfish]

Hi everyone. I am not familiar with how bass electronics work and have a nooby question. Wanted to google it first but don't know what exactly to search. So decided to ask people.

My bass has two passive pickups and a 3-way pickup switch. Neck pickup has deep tone, bridge is bright, but in the middle position it doesn't sound like a mix of two pickups together but more like some kind of another tone with the lack of "body" in it. I know that this is common for guitars but suspect that basses are supposed to be different. Just because most of them don't have pickup switch and people just use volume knobs to get the tone they need. Maybe it depends on the wiring scheme.

Am I right? Can anybody please briefly explain me how it is? Can I get a mix of two full puckup tones in the middle position if take my bass to the luthier and change the wiring?
Thanks.

 

[SteveCS]

Assuming both pickups are matched in output, the middle position will naturally have a 'scooped' sound. If they are not balanced then one or the other will dominate but there will still be some cancellation.
If the mid position is really thin and nasal then your pickups are probably out of phase. Try reversing the wiring of one or the other at the switch.
If the mid position is still not to your liking, you could consider rewiring to V/V/T or B/V/T...

 

[Torrente Cro]

If the mid position is really thin and nasal then your pickups are probably out of phase. Try reversing the wiring of one or the other at the switch.

I had "out of phase" problem when I bought a PJ, after rewiring (just switching poles) it worked fine.

 

[SteveCS]

I had "out of phase" problem when I bought a PJ, after rewiring (just switching poles) it worked fine.

Indeed, it is as easy as that. I actually have a phase switch on my P/J fretless. With a selector switch it would not be much use as there is not much left after all the cancellation but, with VVT controls, some of the out-of-phase tones where one is backed off just a smidge are really interesting and useful. I find I can remove the thud from my P pickup by dialling in the out-of-phase J which seems to simultaneously trim the bottom and top (almost like a smooth mid boost) without losing the essential 'woody' character of my P pickup.