I like to keep things simple, so one volume knob and one tone knob is perfect. Two pickups are too distracting for me. I tend to be indecisive, so with two pups I spend too much time fiddling, never convinced I have the right sound.
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One pickup or two?
- Thread starter Michael Jewels
- Start date
One. Whenever I had a two pickup bass, I always found one setting of the controls I liked and used it all the time. Over the past few years I've played the vast majority of all gigs on an Ergo EUB which just has a piezo and and output jack - no controls at all, not even a volume knob. Never missed them.
Never thought about it, but after reading the various responses....
Yeah, even on my two (or three) pickup basses, playing live I usually just settle into one setting that sounds good and vary my attack and picking position to get the different tones I need. Sometimes it's a blend of the two pickups, sometimes not.
And, I MUCH prefer a single master volume control for ease of rolling down or off.
However, I usually do NOT like the studio sound of a bass with two pickups on, it sounds un-focused to me, kinda like two people talking in unison.
So, although it doesn't matter to me, one pickup is all I honestly need, or use.
Yeah, even on my two (or three) pickup basses, playing live I usually just settle into one setting that sounds good and vary my attack and picking position to get the different tones I need. Sometimes it's a blend of the two pickups, sometimes not.
And, I MUCH prefer a single master volume control for ease of rolling down or off.
However, I usually do NOT like the studio sound of a bass with two pickups on, it sounds un-focused to me, kinda like two people talking in unison.
So, although it doesn't matter to me, one pickup is all I honestly need, or use.
I have a Jazz Bass Because I can get more tones with two pickups ! I like to give the bass a different tone for different songs (Or styles of songs) BUT then again Im ordering a PBass affter the holidays !!
Just Look at the Sting Ray.
Look at everything Cut with the Sting Ray.
One is really all you need if it is an Active Bass.
If not, put in 5.
The Ray answers some of the Basic questions such as this one here.
Look at everything Cut with the Sting Ray.
One is really all you need if it is an Active Bass.
If not, put in 5.
The Ray answers some of the Basic questions such as this one here.
To put it yet another way...
It is like the question...One Wife or Two?
Two is not always better. Competition, confusion, and complications, on and on and on, but in the end one has to be #1 Dominant, even if by a little bit.
Pickups being as reliable as they are, one really does not need a spare.
So, go play a Ray or an Ibbie ATK and check out all the tone.
Then go play a F Jazz.
I give odds that the Ray can do all the Jazz can.
It is like the question...One Wife or Two?
Two is not always better. Competition, confusion, and complications, on and on and on, but in the end one has to be #1 Dominant, even if by a little bit.
Pickups being as reliable as they are, one really does not need a spare.
So, go play a Ray or an Ibbie ATK and check out all the tone.
Then go play a F Jazz.
I give odds that the Ray can do all the Jazz can.
How about 3?
Both my basses have 2 and then piezos in the bridge saddles.
1. J style single coil at the neck, MM style bucker at the bridge, piezos in the saddles.
2. J style single coils at the neck and bridge, and piezos in the saddles.
My next will be a single split pu, and nothing in the saddles.
Both my basses have 2 and then piezos in the bridge saddles.
1. J style single coil at the neck, MM style bucker at the bridge, piezos in the saddles.
2. J style single coils at the neck and bridge, and piezos in the saddles.
My next will be a single split pu, and nothing in the saddles.
2 pickups, I am starting to believe that a J p/u at the bridge and P at the neck is optimal. imo
I happen to like the P and J pickup configuration, with two volumes and a tone knob. A good capacitor sweetens the mix of the two. I especially like to find 80's Japanese basses with this setup, so I can later pull the frets and maybe add a Leo Quan bridge.
My Distilliate has two pickups, but I think I like the bridge pickup solo most of the time. If I want to suddenly tear through the mix, I just flip the "Q" switch.
My Distilliate has two pickups, but I think I like the bridge pickup solo most of the time. If I want to suddenly tear through the mix, I just flip the "Q" switch.
Doner Designs
Steve Doner
- Jun 2, 2012
- 5,784
- 6,819
- Disclosures
- Doner Designs is an alias for Steve Doner
Tonewise, I chose a single Hanson Chi-Sonic for my bass (see avatar). Perfect sound IMO. Since it's a single coil though, there is some hum that could be remedied with a second pickup... but then this particular tone I love so much would be gone, so I say it's worth it. One pickup for me.
In response to one of the OP's claims though, just as higher magnetic pull on the strings can kill string vibration, it also enhance or extend it in some cases. It depends on the pickup poles' respective proximity to the strings
In response to one of the OP's claims though, just as higher magnetic pull on the strings can kill string vibration, it also enhance or extend it in some cases. It depends on the pickup poles' respective proximity to the strings
Dude, that bass is awesome! Is that a tremolo bridge? Also, since you seem to know your stuff, I have a Squier P and a MM style 'bucker just dying to be combined. Would you recommend putting it in the bridge position or moving the P pups down to the bridge and having the MM in the middle? Bearing in mind it's on a fretless, and I like quite a trebley sound.
Much obliged, Joe
I currently have five basses, four of the five are single pickup models. I've sold two basses and gave one away (to my niece) this year. All of those had two pickups.
So, I guess that means that I prefer single pickup basses.
So, I guess that means that I prefer single pickup basses.
Doner Designs
Steve Doner
- Jun 2, 2012
- 5,784
- 6,819
- Disclosures
- Doner Designs is an alias for Steve Doner
Thanks Joe! Based on the tone you are looking for, I would leave the P where it is in the middle and put the MM at the bridge. Several folks on TB have that setup. I built one that way recently and it works well. I'd suggest standard J bass wiring.
You can expect it to sound a lot like a P/J bass but the MM pickup will probably have more output than a J. Should make for a great fretless tone and you can do a series/parallel switch if your MM has 4 conductor wiring.
I have never tried a P pickup other than in the sweet spot. Some say that the stagger does not work so well in the bridge position.
The bridge on the Air Force Bass is a standard Babicz FCH same as in the picture below.
Have fun with it!
The good thing about having two pickups is that you can solo the one you want to use and experiment with the other.
I know that's oversimplifying the issue, but I'm having a hard time wondering how an extra volume knob really overcomplicates things? YMMV, I'm more averse to an onboard preamp than an extra pickup....yet I still like and use OBP's. Pickup style and placement has a lot to do with it, much more than the number of pickups.
I know that's oversimplifying the issue, but I'm having a hard time wondering how an extra volume knob really overcomplicates things? YMMV, I'm more averse to an onboard preamp than an extra pickup....yet I still like and use OBP's. Pickup style and placement has a lot to do with it, much more than the number of pickups.
Doner Designs
Steve Doner
- Jun 2, 2012
- 5,784
- 6,819
- Disclosures
- Doner Designs is an alias for Steve Doner
Wow! That's beautiful man!!This is bass porn!
Thanks bro! Best Bass Gear thought so too - won bass of week a month or two ago.
One pickup or two? How about 'Whatever gets a deeply satisfying and sufficently functional tone out of the bass'
That might be 7 pickups in surround sound with a wall of synthesizers or an acoustic bass with a mic.
Too many variables, no simple answer.
Why I've commented here though is to say: One pickup at a time seems to work best for me - I've found I lose a lot of mids if I introduce another pickup. I usually don't want that.
That said I prefer basses to have a couple of pickups - that way I needn't have a preamp on board and can still get a lot more than just volume and tone on a single 'pup. Gotta love neck pickups.
That might be 7 pickups in surround sound with a wall of synthesizers or an acoustic bass with a mic.
Too many variables, no simple answer.
Why I've commented here though is to say: One pickup at a time seems to work best for me - I've found I lose a lot of mids if I introduce another pickup. I usually don't want that.
That said I prefer basses to have a couple of pickups - that way I needn't have a preamp on board and can still get a lot more than just volume and tone on a single 'pup. Gotta love neck pickups.
