Pickup placement question...

[jongor]

I'm starting an L1K-type build using a G&L MFD, 4 string.

Generally I'm a Jazz bass fan tone-wise. There's just nothing like the punch and clarity of a good Jazz with the pickups blended 50/50.

What if I put the single MFD at the mid point between where Jazz pickups normally are?

Is putting a single pickup in that position the same, or similar to blending the two pickups??

 

[ctmullins]

In my experience, no, not at all.

Blending a bridge and neck pickup 50/50 tends to cancel out the mid-frequencies, lending the characteristic "scooped" sound.

A single pickup positioned in the middle tends to accentuate those mid-frequencies.

So the two approaches yield essentially opposite tone profiles, generally speaking.

 

[pilotjones]

No, it is unfortunately not the same. With two pickups, each one picks up different harmonics with different strengths and phases, and when the signals are combined, some harmonics are reinforced while others cancel each other out. It's like an audio version of the moiré effect in visual arts. You can't get it with a single source. Also, the physical distance between the two pickups is crucial in determining the frequencies of the peaks and valleys of the response.

 

[jongor]

Makes sense!...so I should probably stick with the tried and true P or MM positions then.

 

[pilotjones]

Or somewhere in that range. Keep in mind that the P-DG string position is different from the P-EA string position, which is very close to the J-neck position. MM positions are closer to the J-bridge, depending which MM coil you're talking about.