One pickup or two?

[dabbler]

Different strokes for different folks.

My preference is 2 pups, because I like options and don't mind twiddling knobs to get something a little different. But I will say that I prefer mixing single coil pup tones not HBs in HB mode. So mu fav 2 HB bases are the ones where I can combine them using only one coil from each. I think PRS was really onto something with their inner/outer coil switching configuration.

I will likely always have some of both, if only because I can't see myself not at LEAST having both a P and J bass.

 

[Alexander]

I like my jazz bass to have two but am fine that my precision only has one

 

[Need Gigs]

You have to approach this on a case by case basis, in my opinion
My 5'er has two
My 4 started with two and is getting modded with a third
The next bass I buy will have one

 

[mongo2]

While I'm not a fan of what a bridge position pickup brings to the tone party, I prefer two pickups. One up close to the neck and another in the mid position like a Epiphone Rumblekat or Hofner with the "close together" pickups. Having said that I only actually use just a single pickup in the mid or neck position.

 

[west al]

It depends on what you like, and or prefer. I do fine with my Epi EB-0 with one Humbucking.

 

[el murdoque]

Funny enough, all the basses that I play ATM have the same setup.
I play dual PU basses, but solo the neck PU.

That seems to agree with my taste the most.

 

[zontar]

I have two basses each with two pickups--and yes, more variation, but i pretty much find my sound & leave it.
And I normally use both pickups together.

 

[fermata]

This is one of the more interesting (and long-running ) threads on this topic, so I'll give it a bump...

Having had both one and two-pickup basses, I'm pretty solidly in the one pickup camp, assuming it's located somewhere along the Stringray-to-Precision axis for a balance of depth and clarity.

Although the phasing and comb-filtering effect contributes to the signature tone of plenty of two-pickup basses, I tend to find it distracting when I'm playing. Coming from an acoustic background, I like the simplicity one pickup offers.

 

[Michael Jewels]

Holy Swiss cheese!

I started this thread almost 24 years ago!

Wow!

Mike

 

[B-Mac]

Oh really? Must be something wrong with my hearing then.

What?

see what I did there?