Poll: How do you blend your pickups?

[bucephylus]

Vary according to needs of the tune. Some examples:

Pan to neck pup, back off highs = P Bass
Pan to center balance for slap, plectrum, old school pizz
Pan to bridge, back off highs for harmonics and rapid staccato lines

So, I’m pretty constantly switching settings during a set, depending on what the tune needs. I don’t have “a sound.” I use them all.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

Just curious... If you play a bass with 2 pickups, how do you typically blend them, and why (that is, what is your tonal goal)?

Both volume and tone controls wide open for my PB Delux with J pk at bridge. My Warwick is active, it’s set to flat, and the split between both pickups is 50-50. I EQ at the amp or preamp, mostly a just a bump of low mids, and send a flat pre effects signal to the board. I also don’t change my setting, but I will employ dynamics volume wise with the fingers, as well as moving where I pluck the string to get more punch or low end.

My goal sonically on stage it to hear not just what I’m playing, but everybody else. So I sit very clear in the mix with good definition, and at the same time not making a mess for everybody else involved with the production, especially the sound engineer. It works.

 

[smtp4me]

Fretted bass: both pickups the same.
Fretless bass: neck pickup turned down 50%

I normally play with both pickups and the tone knob at 10, unless there is a specific reason not to, or again, if I'm playing the fretless.

 

[pcake]

in most cases, i dime both of them.

 

[lz4005]

All my favorite fretted basses have just one pickup in the middle. So when I play one with more than that I just turn it off and pretend it isn't there.

On fretless I use a variety of blends depending on how forward I want to be in the mix.

 

[skygzr]

 

[dreamadream99]

I’m going to enjoy answering this one.

First, I want to talk about setup. The bridge pickup has to be higher than the neck pickup to remain at equal volume, otherwise when you blend 50/50, you’re not really getting 50/50. I do this with a VU meter (the kind on old cassette field recorders, and analog mixers). Set the bridge pickup as high as you can without distortion, string clack, or megnetic interference. Then raise or lower the neck pickup till the output of each is the same volume.

Now on to the question. I blend 50/50 for most playing—including jazz, country, and rock.
I go full on bridge for Latin, fretless sound, or Steinberger sound.
I go full on neck for classic Precision sound.

 

[JRA]

May I vote "reverse wound reverse polarity carrots"?

i forgot about that choice...but it's a great one!

 

[jamro217]

There is no hard and fast rule for this. It all depends on the bass, the song and the room. For two pickup basses I have a 4003, a fretless 4001, a P with a mudbucker in the neck position, a fretless P/J, two fretless Js, a Ripper, and an LB70. Quite a lot of tonal variety and subtleties that demand more than just the one size fits all approach. I start dialing in with the volumes off and the tones at about half. I start with the bridge volume, then add neck volume. When the volume seems even and not over the top (usually 7 or 8), I adjust the tone(s). This is really important to do this with the Rics, otherwise you get a sharp attack rather than a smooth blooming swell. This only goes for those small venues without a FOH or recording, in which case it's crank everything and let George do it.

 

[Bob_Ross]

I'd guess 75-80% of the time I've got an even blend of both pickups. But the other 20-25% of the time it's all kinds of crazy combinations. All depends on what the music warrants.

 

[TBPlayerOC]

I dime both. In conjunction with my amp settings, this gives me the tone I am looking for.

 

[JimmyM]

I run P alone probably 85% of the time, PJ up full or PJ with J slightly backed off 15% of the time depending on whether I bring my clean boost or not. I could probably do everything with just the P and have before, but there are times I like to have that mid-scoopy Jazz bass sound. I was very confused as to what to pick in your poll as a result.

 

[Gianni "Orlandez" Orlati]

+1
It took me close to 30yrs of playing to realize one of the best sound on a Jazz is around 70% neck and 70% bridge which does not sound as scooped and bright as 100/100 but not as throtty as favoring one pickup over the other. It is the punchest sound with a Jazz Bass IMO

what about the tone control?

 

[Element Zero]

For both of my PJ setups, it really depends on the song. If I need a more airy top end I’ll go just neck. Thicker low mid punch I go 50/50 with a bit of aid boost. Aggressive barky tone? Full bridge and boost Bass and Mids heavily. Although sometimes just the P (neck) pickup with the tone rolled off just sounds perfect.

 

[Bartrinsic]

My two pickups aren't humbucking so I go most equal but slightly neck or slightly bridge, well short of of the annoying hum threshold.

 

[lz4005]

what about the tone control?

Best removed from the circuit and thrown in the garbage.

 

[2112]

Generally halfway bridgeward of center, fine adjustment by ear.

 

[Stevorebob]

Bridge only. I play mostly StingRays — and that’s how they should be.

 

[Pirate Captain]

 

[groooooove]

this is like asking "how do you season food"