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Odd pickup issue.

ThatLeftyguy

ThatLeftyguy

Guest
Dec 9, 2016
25
7
#1
Maybe I can get some help here with this one. I have a jazz bass. Whenever I bend My D string down the string will lose a ton of tone and become quiet and have a chorus like effect, and when I bring it back down it's normal output again. It's not a setup/action issue, there is no buzz being it sounds fine acoustic and it still has its resonance, but It's mainly the D string and slightly the G string, and this only happens on the neck pickup. I've tried adjusting the pickups, spacing and nothing has worked. Any help would be appreciated.
 
#4
how close are the pickups?

if they're too close you get a big difference in volume between having the string right over the polepieces vs between them.

dropping them down a little (and then turning up the amp to compensate) makes for a more even volume between strings.
 
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#5
walterw said:
how close are the pickups?

if they're too close you get a big difference in volume between having the string right over the polepieces vs between them.

dropping them down a little (and then turning up the amp to compensate) makes for a more even volume between strings.
Click to expand...
I'm not having any problem with the bridge, but the neck, and it's dropped down to a good height where I like the tone of the pup soloed and mixed with the bridge. The pole pieces don't exactly line up with the strings either, but I've tried all sorts of things like adjusting the bridge spacing, adjusting the bridge itself, adjusting the pickups, and nothing really helps. I think instead of bending down on the D string I have to bend up. I don't lose sound when I bend up, but when bent down the string moves out of line with its pole pieces and that may be the problem why I lose volume. Maybe I've never noticed this before??? I've had this bass for a year and never noticed this.
 
#6
It's not your issue, because you tried this...my Jazz does this when the pickups are too high...and it does so right where they sound best to me. I'm using Super55's and still, I love the sound of them ( I did lower them a bit). Another bassist, (a good player), noticed that I bend down ever so slightly on D, and G when I fret normally, but he told me we all bend up or down slightly, something I had never noticed, before he told me.
 

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