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P pickup near MM sweetspot?

krovx

krovx

Thump or Bust
Supporting Member
Mar 11, 2003
2,649
613
Michigan, USA
#1
Saw this cool body. Wondering what it would sound like as it appears the pickup is closer to the bridge. I'm not a P fan but always looking for an excuse to try to become one. I played an MTD CRB once and dug that.

Thoughts?

Screenshot_2018-12-01-09-28-08~2.png
 
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#5
garp said:
I, too, would like to hear what it sounds like, but my gut tells me that it's not an optimal placement. Considering that Leo did a ton of experimentation in creating the Precision and the StingRay, I trust his judgment on "sweet spots" more than a modern-day tinkerer.
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I hear you. Worried it could exaggerate the less desirable tonal characteristics of a P and Ray.
 
#11
garp said:
Supposedly there were 26 prototypes. You can hear that particular one here:

I imagine that pickup placement would also sound very different on a hollowbody or semi-hollow as pictured in the OP's photo.
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awesome - even down to the 70's umbiquious appliance "Harvest Gold" -
 
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#13
In the early 80s, I had a BC Rich Eagle that had twin Precision pickups.

Pretty much the standard Precision location, and another one very close to the bridge.


It added something to the bass' sound when blended with the neck pickup, but I did not like the sound of it soloed.

It did not sound like a Jazz pickup by the bridge.

Mike
 
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#14
LadyLoveStingRay5 said:
Everytime I see this video it makes me wonder if they will ever release a limited run of remakes.
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I think that would be a very complex project, with lawyers being the primary beneficiaries.

The prototypes are part of the CLF archive, not the EBMM archive.

I imagine that Old Smoothie was only possible because it was Sterling Ball's own instrument, made uniquely for him, by Leo.

But who knows, maybe all the prototypes with Music Man on the headstock, are legally Music Man's IP, and Ernie Ball do actually own them, even though they live at CLF (at the time of the fall out, MM probably had no interest in evolutionary cul de sacs, and by the time Ernie Ball bought the company it was an irrelevance???).

It would be interesting, but of quite niche appeal, and given how modern musicians struggle to cope with the boost only 2 band, I think a cut only 2 band would cause people to have an aneurysm.
 
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#15
Wood and Wire said:
I think that would be a very complex project, with lawyers being the primary beneficiaries.

The prototypes are part of the CLF archive, not the EBMM archive.

I imagine that Old Smoothie was only possible because it was Sterling Ball's own instrument, made uniquely for him, by Leo.

But who knows, maybe all the prototypes with Music Man on the headstock, are legally Music Man's IP, and Ernie Ball do actually own them, even though they live at CLF (at the time of the fall out, MM probably had no interest in evolutionary cul de sacs, and by the time Ernie Ball bought the company it was an irrelevance???).

It would be interesting, but of quite niche appeal, and given how modern musicians struggle to cope with the boost only 2 band, I think a cut only 2 band would cause people to have an aneurysm.
Click to expand...
Good points.
 
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#16
As regards the OP, if the budget and the time to finish it work, I'd go for it. I love the wood, and as the pickup is not backed right up to the bridge, on single p/u basses 'where' you pluck or pick the string (closer to the bridge, or closer to the fingerboard end) can make a big difference in tone. This works, of course, with two pickup axes as well, it's just not as audible as it is with single pickup layouts.

Personally I think the idea of 'sweet spots' for pickups is over-rated. Lots of 'old-school' designs (think Ric, Alembic, Gibsons, etc.) have the pickups at the bridge and at the fingerboard end, and while it does give a sonic profile due to that placement, lots of guys get great results. Those two spots would hardly be thought of as traditional 'sweet spots'.
 
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#20
@SpazzTheBassist True. I would be more tempted if it was reverse P. Put a push/pull to switch from series to parallel.

I dig this MM style he has that's 3.3 lbs

Screenshot_2018-12-06-11-15-23~2.png


And I would love a jazz body with this style:

Screenshot_2018-12-06-11-19-04~2.png
 

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