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Pups - what's your favorite flavor?

If you had only one bass, what pup set up would you go for?

  • P

  • J

  • MM

  • P / J

  • P / MM

  • P / P

  • J / J

  • J / MM

  • MM / MM

  • Other please specify

Results are only viewable after voting.
#61
Who doesn't love a puppy. Since all pickups are humbuckers, save for early p & tele, singles. I'd think placement of the pick up more important. Which P or J's or MM would get my vote.
 
#63
The early Peavey T series pickup is kinda special, dual or single coil using the blend control, this one on a T45.


IMG_0587.JPG
 
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#64
Al Krow said:
Thanks for the first point - what do you find is the key difference that the reversing delivers?
Click to expand...

I've done both. My first bass had a single P pickup mounted "normally", and later I added a second P pickup at the bridge, also mounted "normally". When I plugged it in the first time I was immediately disappointed. The D/G side was almost right up on the bridge, while the E/A side was much further away. As others have said, this makes the D/G strings sound very plinky/twangy, while the E/A strings, with a much greater distance from the bridge, still sound beefy. The natural slant of a properly intonated bridge simply accentuates this even more.

Reversing the pickup puts the D/G strings further from the bridge, and the E/A strings closer, which makes the higher strings fuller and the lower strings less boomy.

You can get a sense for the difference simply by plucking these strings at various distances from the bridge.

So if we re-ran this poll down the line, and bearing in mind that the bog standard J bass has only had 3 votes so far, which is a little surprising(!), what would be the additional pup options you would suggest including that are pretty commonly used?
Click to expand...

  • Reverse P / Reverse P
  • Reverse P / Normal P
  • One dual-coil blade humbucker
  • Two dual-coil blade humbuckers
  • One dual-coil blade humbucker and one single-coil blade
  • One sidewinder
  • Two sidewinders
  • One dual-coil humbucker and one sidewinder
  • One multi-coil
  • Two multi-coils
  • All of the above with piezo
  • All of the various three-pickup combinations possible
 
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#70
I have a double reverse P, A single reverse P, a standard P, a reverse P-J and a standard P-J. So here are some thoughts on the differences I notice:

One big difference for me is when using the pickup as a thumb rest, the reverse P puts your plucking position closer to the bridge and I like that better.

Now when you talk P-J with both pickups on, there is a huge difference in the tonal balance between the E-A and D-G. I'm talking about how neck and bridge pups both on full gives a scooping sound with certain harmonics cancelled out. There is a distinct tonal shift between the E-A and D-G with both pickups on any P-J and the reverse P is much smoother/natural sounding while the standard P causes (to my ear) a really unnatural tonal shift when playing a line that crosses back and forth between A and D. But for both pickups on full I prefer double reverse P or two Jazz pickups over any P-J
 
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#73
Al Krow said:
P vs reverse-P?

Be really interested to hear from any folk who have had basses both P and reverse-P what your experiences are and which you ended up going for?
Click to expand...
My 6 string has Bartolini quad coils and I can switch between P and reverse P. The coils are closer than in a normal P so the effect isn't as strong. I can hear the difference when I switch but It's subtle enough I couldn't tell which setting it's on by listening.

Lot's of soapbars are reverse P's inside. California built Tobias' and I think the original Steinbergers.
 
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#79
The first few Aria MB series quickly won my heart over the past year. Unique, punchy as all heck and crushing with distortion (It's like they were made for it)

I know people aren't too crazy about Burton here, but either he really knew what he was doing or made one hella lucky choice with the SB.
 

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