Position of Pickups

[KeithAlanK]

I'm a firm believer in cutting through onstage and in the studio with an appropriate amount of mids. None of my basses have a true neck pickup, so I get the sound I need from a PJ and two different takes on double humbuckers.
But I also have two basses with a humbucker by the bridge and a Jazz pickup in the middle position, and the humbuckers end up off because there's such a thing as too much mids. Both of these basses would be better for me if they had something closer to the neck and/or further from the bridge.

I really think Rics have it right for many genres of music as far as pickup position, but they just aren't comfortable for me.

 

[DinoRock]

Are the ones on Hofner's considered "neck" pickups?

Absolutely! There are a handful out there, including these and the aforementioned Gibsons, Gretches, and at least one Lakland.

 

[DinoRock]

I think many will concede that the loudness wars of the 1990s removed the bass guitar from most modern mixes. Now, many musicians, engineers, and producers have grown to like that sound. Many studios replace a band's bass player with a midi bass or a quick take by a studio musician, which is then highly edited. Often these occur without the knowledge of the band.

I've done "work for hire" (get paid under non-disclosure, which I like) for a long time. These days, I am in the fortunate position where I don't have to take a job unless it fits with my musical taste in terms of the proposed fullness of the final mix.

So, given that I get a good sounding take direct in from my bass, the place I ask an engineer to start for the agreed upon fullness that we are looking for is to remove my bass under 34hz; boost by 2-4db in 50-120hz; scoop in 300-500hz; do a tight boost at 1khz; remove over 5Khz. Some basic compression of 2-3:1 with threshold of 2-4db gain reduction, attack of 15-20ms and release of 80-120ms for my playing seems to suffice. Then adjust for the mix.

I find that this gets me to the fat/round sound of a bass that I hear when I tune my ears by going to a show at a place built for great sound (radio city, the met, quality theatres, etc).

I have trouble getting a nice round sound from a bass without a neck pickup providing more than 50% of the sound coupled with playing closer to the neck than to the bridge pickup (and the right strings and fretboard and neck ...)

Anyway, I'm new to this forum and rather enjoy the respect that I have seen most demonstrate.

I hope I haven't wandered too far from my initial post, but this is the motivation for my query.

 

[MrWalker]

I just came across these basses by Listerud in Norway, he seems to quite like the (real) neck position on his basses.

Just funny I saw them that for the first time in long while and he addresses the topic of this thread

 

[Jazz Ad]

Neck pickups get in the way, especially for slap.
Also they tend to sound like crap with little definition.
It is typically the choice of companies making mostly guitars with little experience about bass needs.
There are exceptions but not many.

 

[DinoRock]

I just came across these basses by Listerud in Norway, he seems to quite like the (real) neck position on his basses.

Just funny I saw them that for the first time in long while and he addresses the topic of this thread

I just went to their website. Some really beautiful looking basses. Thanks! Have you ever played one?

 

[mikezimmerman]

Most "neck" pickups are really "mid" pickups because that's where Leo Fender put them. Then there's this:

Invalid Link Removed

 

[DinoRock]

Most "neck" pickups are really "mid" pickups because that's where Leo Fender put them. Then there's this:

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Very cool. I've never seen a 1 pickup configuration like this. I wonder is one with a second pickup in the mid/bridge position?

 

[MrWalker]

I just went to their website. Some really beautiful looking basses. Thanks! Have you ever played one?

His name is Odd (it's true) and he's a one man show I haven't tried his basses, but I have heard good things about them.

 

[lz4005]

Very cool. I've never seen a 1 pickup configuration like this. I wonder is one with a second pickup in the mid/bridge position?

 

[mikezimmerman]

Very cool. I've never seen a 1 pickup configuration like this. I wonder is one with a second pickup in the mid/bridge position?

It's basically a Squier re-issue of the Fender Telecaster bass. I've also seen a two-pickup version with one pickup at the neck (like this) and a matching one at the bridge, but it doesn't seem to be made anymore.

 

[DinoRock]

Thanks! Going to have to check those out somehow. I don't recall seeing those in a store or a catalogue. Google, here we come....

Ah, sorry, the Attitude. Yes, yes. Thanks google. Billy Sheehan made his bones from up here in Buffalo. I see that bass in catalogues regularly and just move on due to price. I think its in the current SW monster catalogue if i remember right. Once it gets past about $2K or so, I start thinking Alembic or similar.... You're right - I need to check that out. Thanks again.

 

[mikezimmerman]

Thanks! Going to have to check those out somehow. I don't recall seeing those in a store or a catalogue. Google, here we come....

Ah, sorry, the Attitude. Yes, yes. Thanks google. Billy Sheehan made his bones from up here in Buffalo. I see that bass in catalogues regularly and just move on due to price. I think its in the current SW monster catalogue if i remember right. Once it gets past about $2K or so, I start thinking Alembic or similar.... You're right - I need to check that out. Thanks again.

In addition to the Attitude, Yamaha did a Billy Sheehan version of the BB series, the BB714BS, which is fairly widely available:

 

[MrWalker]

Thanks! Going to have to check those out somehow. I don't recall seeing those in a store or a catalogue. Google, here we come....

Ah, sorry, the Attitude. Yes, yes. Thanks google. Billy Sheehan made his bones from up here in Buffalo. I see that bass in catalogues regularly and just move on due to price. I think its in the current SW monster catalogue if i remember right. Once it gets past about $2K or so, I start thinking Alembic or similar.... You're right - I need to check that out. Thanks again.

The Norwegian Listerud-basses are in the 1500-2500 range, too.

 

[DinoRock]

The Norwegian Listerud-basses are in the 1500-2500 range, too.

This is completely personal: for me, if I see something cool/interesting for under $1K, I'll just pick it up, keep it for life or sell it after a few months of use. For something I think I'll use or fills a gap and is in the $1-2.5K range, I'll obsess a bit and if I really think it will likely fill a niche, I'll pick it up and hopefully keep it. After about $2.5K, I usually am thinking about having something made for me unless it's a real known quantity for me (not a gamble). Again, that's just me. We all have different priorities and financial situations in life.

 

[MrWalker]

This is completely personal: for me, if I see something cool/interesting for under $1K, I'll just pick it up, keep it for life or sell it after a few months of use. For something I think I'll use or fills a gap and is in the $1-2.5K range, I'll obsess a bit and if I really think it will likely fill a niche, I'll pick it up and hopefully keep it. After about $2.5K, I usually am thinking about having something made for me unless it's a real known quantity for me (not a gamble). Again, that's just me. We all have different priorities and financial situations in life.

I can associate with that all the way
Personally I've never bought anything over $2500, but I'm about to. Even though it's not a totally known quantity, it's known and reliable enough. Still, it's extremely nerve wrecking, especially the waiting time :-D

 

[jd56hawk]

Very cool. I've never seen a 1 pickup configuration like this. I wonder is one with a second pickup in the mid/bridge position?

 

[Kenova]

I LOOOVE neck pickup but not so boomy more like warm, growly pickup with definition, something like Rickembacker neck pickup

 

[Blankandson]

I go along with having the neck pickup put out more than 50%, and I've been slowly moving my playing position to the left so now I'm generally playing/picking around the 18th-20th frets. I have more power with my new GK rig so I can play softer but still be heard. When playing with the tubes I tend to go 100% neck pickup. When playing clean I tend to move the balance to 50/50. My bass is 21 years old but the sound can be changed very quickly by just moving the pickup balance a little one way or the other. Today's tube/SS amps give me much more tonal options than I had in the 90s. No way I could have played this bass in the 60s and made it sound this good. Makes playing much more relaxing (and fun again) for this old dude.

 

[Ten Four One]

Yes. Good catch! Gibson does make their basses look like their guitars. For some reason, the SG and Thunderbird basses have just never felt right to me. I'll need to revisit that over the next couple of weeks. There are also some Gretches (not a fan) and a Lakland that I might check out. Even though we can name a handful, I really do wonder why they are lacking in the vast majority. Thanks!

Gibson doesn't make their basses to be playable. The "horn" on the Fender allows for a strap button at the 12th fret. Gibson does not, leading to both neck dive & a first position that's way out of the ergonomic reach of most playerse.