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Precision question: single coil tone vs. split coil

#21
The '51-style single coil is quite a bit more percussive. The split coil P is a bit softer on the attack. As chef has said, the reisssue pickup on the Fender is pretty hot.

Also, the '51 single coil is a smidgin closer to the neck than the split coil or neck J pickup is, so the sound is a tiny bit darker, at least to my ears.
 
#24
I have limited experience with SCPB's but I do own one that had the stock Fender Single Coil pickup but now has a Lindy Fralin Humcancelling 51 Single Coil.

The stock pickup was more like a Jazz neck pickup solo'd but a bit fatter and more percussive.

The new Lindy Fralin Pickup that I have in there definitely brought out a little more of that split coil P-bass midrange.

Honestly, I liked the sound of the stock single coil more, it had a bit more grind and bite to it, but the hum was really annoying.
 
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#27
Here's the definitive answer to the OP:

The single-coil P and the single-coil J pickups are completely different from each other, They share only the fact that each one is single-coil. The J represents Leo's thinking on single-coils ten years (!) after he designed the original P. Thus, the J lost the one-string-one-pole piece form of the P, using two pole pieces per string to smooth out the attack and enhance sustain; the Jazz pickup is shaped differently and its electronic specs are different from the P; and, finally, the J pickups are not in the same spot as the P.

Hope this helps.:D
 
#29
The reason why the 51 pickup sounds fat is that it is very far up toward the neck. It's not because it's a fat pickup. Pickup position matters, a lot.

Personally I don't like it too much but I keep a 51 style bass for "woman tone" kind of things along with a Les Paul with Lollars and DR blue blues pure nickel strings.
 
#33
Chef said:
Woman Sound?
Click to expand...

It's normally referred to as "woman tone". It's a phrase that (as far as I know) Eric Clapton created. I've always heard it described (on guitar anyway) as a neck humbucker with the tone rolled off into an maxed out amp.

Here you go:



I assume he named it based on the fact that its a warm, round and soft tone.

"Wife tone" on the other hand can be much more shrill and grating.
 
#35
Chef said:
Never heard of any of those terms, but, I'm no guitar player.
Click to expand...

Well, "woman tone" is pretty much used exclusively to refer to Clapton's late 60's tone, so it's a fairly esoteric term even in the guitar world, especially since even with the right settings most players can't cop Clapton's feel and thus it's not all that widespread anyway.

As for "wife tone", that was a joke.
 
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