Reverse Precision Pickups or Standard?

[Max Bogosity]

Another might be to scoot one coil of each pickup further out from the center line -- it would look off-center (and require, at minimum, a new pickguard -- or a tolerance for gaps in the old one) so that one coil is sensing three strings, the other two. The way the poles are arrayed on the P-46 (overlapping fields approximating a blade) would seem to make it more tolerant of such manipulation than your typical, split-coil Precision pickup. Don't mind me, though, if what you're doing is working for you.

Yeah, I originally intended to do something similar and move both coils outwards by about half the string-to-string distance. That way it would still look symmetrical (or as symmetrical as a P pickup gets), but each coil would get a weaker signal from the A string. But to get the right offset might take a couple of attempts, and I didn’t want to mess with it that much. Your way is probably foolproof, but the off-centre look would drive me nuts.

 

[bolophonic]

How much difference is audible in a live situation? How much will be obvious in the studio once everything is mixed?

 

[hypercarrots]

..and this? Have you ever tried? (just made on the fly with photoshop)

View attachment 3563822

 

[Dave Hill]

Most boutique builders I can think of who make P’s or PJ’s have kept the standard P pickup as the norm...Fodera, Sadowsky, Fbass, Nordy, etc. There must be something to it(?). Aren’t MTD’s using standard P’s in a soap shell?

I wanted to order a VF-P/J from Fbass several years ago, and George wouldn’t do it citing phasing between the pickups as a reason. Now, he sells a bunch of them.

I’ve heard the Sadowsky PJ referred to as the “Nashville bass”. @Sadowsky has said that he’s not a fan of the scooped/phased sound of a 50/50 P/J mix with a standard P, and that a reversed P “cured” that sound. However, his standard configuration is the standard P.

 

[gigetto]

Instead of P there are somebasses with angled P.U. single or soap or Humbuckers. The differences between angled right or left is evident....

 

[fermata]

View attachment 3564037

I have one of these Aria Pro II Cardinals; the E-A side of the pickup coil is closer top the bridge relative to a standard P; the D-G coil is about where it would be on a standard P. The result is an articulate and even tone across the strings with tight lows that never get muddy. And it's medium scale, which adds to the perfection!

 

[M.R. Ogle]

Whenever I'm building a bass using split-P pickups, I always install them reverse. I've done it on about a dozen basses so far because of all the reasons already stated. I value string-to-string balance more than just about any other inherent sound quality in a bass.

I even once sawed a Telecaster bridge plate in half and reversed the bridge pickup orientation. You can sure hear THAT change!

 

[mcnach]

How much difference is audible in a live situation? How much will be obvious in the studio once everything is mixed?

Live?
It depends. Sometimes live bass sounds like subsonic mud whatever anyone plays.

Studio?
It depends. It depends on how busy the mix is.

Can you tell a neck Jazz pickup from a Precision live? And in the studio? Then you can tell the P from reverse P.

It's different, but it's not like night and day. Moving a pickup 2cm up or down has a clear effect, but it's never going to be like the difference between a P and a Stingray, for example.

I wouldn't lose sleep on it, but it's a nice configuration to have if you don't think you *must* have a traditional sounding P.

 

[MarkA]

Yeah, I originally intended to do something similar and move both coils outwards by about half the string-to-string distance. That way it would still look symmetrical (or as symmetrical as a P pickup gets), but each coil would get a weaker signal from the A string. But to get the right offset might take a couple of attempts, and I didn’t want to mess with it that much. Your way is probably foolproof, but the off-centre look would drive me nuts.

I considered the way you mentioned, first (with the A-string on the edges of the field from either coil), but it seemed like it would be tricky to get right (and then you might have tonal changes even if the volume is equal).

Would it still drive you nuts if, say, a coil at the neck was offset to the treble side and one at the bridge to the bass side? Just a thought! Do whatever works for you, of course.

 

[Ric5]