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Single coil vs split coil for my first bass

RoderickF

RoderickF

Guest
Mar 27, 2016
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#1
Hi everyone ! I've been playing the guitar for 12 years and it's time for me to buy my first bass guitar (better late than never !). I'm looking for an affordable instrument and this one caught my attention :
The Harley Benton PB-50
I've always been attracted to vintage precision basses (especially the Fender Sting signature) but I don't know if a single coil pickup would suit my musical tastes well.

I mainly play metal (Megadeth, Iron maiden, Metallica) and rock (The Police, Led zeppelin, Franz Ferdinand, Dire straits, RHCP) but I also like jamming along Jazz, Funk or G-funk songs.

If I was only a metal player, I'd get a split coil bass.
If I was a rock, jazz & funk player, I'd probably get a single coil bass.

But which one should I get ? Which one would be the better choice in my situation ?

Thanks !
 
#7
ps. You mentioned Franz Ferdinand. i sold my '66 Precision to Alex, the lead singer from FF, when I was living in San Francisco in 2013 and they were in town on their way to Coachella. You can't go wrong with a split coil P bass.

Though, if you really want a good slap tone for Funk also, then I would suggest a Stingray or Sterling. It will also do Rock very well, but I think a single H Stingray or Sterling in Parallel mode has the best slap tone of any bass.
 
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#12
bdgotoh said:
It wasn't one of your options but for a small upcharge you can get a PJ from the same place and it has an alder body vs basswood and poplar for the other two basses. A PJ is super flexible tone-wise.

I agree with the split coil over single coil though.
Click to expand...

The PJ seems to be a nice toy for the price ! Thanks
But the PB-50 is way more attractive IMO...

If I had 1000 bucks, the choice would be easier ^^
 
#14
RoderickF said:
Hi everyone ! I've been playing the guitar for 12 years and it's time for me to buy my first bass guitar (better late than never !). I'm looking for an affordable instrument and this one caught my attention :
The Harley Benton PB-50
I've always been attracted to vintage precision basses (especially the Fender Sting signature) but I don't know if a single coil pickup would suit my musical tastes well.

I mainly play metal (Megadeth, Iron maiden, Metallica) and rock (The Police, Led zeppelin, Franz Ferdinand, Dire straits, RHCP) but I also like jamming along Jazz, Funk or G-funk songs.

If I was only a metal player, I'd get a split coil bass.
If I was a rock, jazz & funk player, I'd probably get a single coil bass.

But which one should I get ? Which one would be the better choice in my situation ?

Thanks !
Click to expand...
Most P-Basses have a split single coil pickup Jazz Basses have single coil pickups too their just straight not split, and a little bit of a difference in sound. For the music you mentioned a single coil pickup or split single coil pickup will work just fine. Just remember to get some stainless steel round wound Bass strings for that music and always keep a good bright, crispy set on your Bass and it will always sound great.:):bassist::bassist:
 
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#15
Dan Bass said:
Most P-Basses have a split single coil pickup Jazz Basses have single coil pickups too their just straight not split, pretty much no difference in sound. For the music you mentioned a single coil pickup or split single coil pickup will work just fine. Just remember to get some stainless steel round wound Bass strings for that music and always keep a good bright, crispy set on your Bass and it will always sound great.:):bassist::bassist:
Click to expand...

I always thought that split coil is humbucker not single coil
 
#17
Kenova said:
I always thought that split coil is humbucker not single coil
Click to expand...
Nope, but they do come that way if you want a double humbucking split coil pickup, you won't need one but they have them. Steve Harris of Iron Maiden has been using his Fender P-Bass with a split single coil pickup for decades now, and his Bass sounds awesome. Because its a P-Bass.:):bassist::bassist:
 
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#18
RoderickF said:
Hi everyone ! I've been playing the guitar for 12 years and it's time for me to buy my first bass guitar (better late than never !). I'm looking for an affordable instrument and this one caught my attention :
The Harley Benton PB-50
I've always been attracted to vintage precision basses (especially the Fender Sting signature) but I don't know if a single coil pickup would suit my musical tastes well.

I mainly play metal (Megadeth, Iron maiden, Metallica) and rock (The Police, Led zeppelin, Franz Ferdinand, Dire straits, RHCP) but I also like jamming along Jazz, Funk or G-funk songs.

If I was only a metal player, I'd get a split coil bass.
If I was a rock, jazz & funk player, I'd probably get a single coil bass.

But which one should I get ? Which one would be the better choice in my situation ?

Thanks !
Click to expand...
Harley Benton PB-50. It is sweet.
7512028-1.jpg
 
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#19
A split coil P bass pickup is a humbucker, it's made of 2 coils wired to cancel hum, the 2 coils cannot be used separately, they operate as one pickup, and are wired as one pickup, the pickup is not like the single coil one in those pics, early P basses had a single coil like the pics, Steve Harris uses a humbucker. split coil pickup, nothing single coil about it....there's quite a difference in sound between a single coil pickup, and a humbucker.
 
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