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Single coil vs split coil for my first bass
- Thread starter RoderickF
- Start date
I know all about humbuckers and single coil pickups. Single coil tend to sound thinner, but Fender P-Basses sound fat because the way their made. Humbuckers sound warmer and fatter, Fender P-Basses have a single split coil pickup and Steve Harris of Iron Maiden uses the new SPB-4 single coil split P-Bass pickup hand grounded with Alnico 5 pole pieces.
Sorry Dan, Steve Harris uses the Spb4 dual coil humbucker from Seymour Duncan, it has 2 coils, so it's not a single coil anything, it's a DUAL coil pickup the words single coil don't apply at all in any way? the Op asked a reasonable question,and your reply was wrong, your information is incorrect, it doesn't help to answer with wrong info, and that's what you did.
The Harley Benton PB-50 clearly IS one sweet bass. However it is single coil and in the wrong venue will hum like mad. Tone will be killer like so many single coil pickups...except for the hum. Most P-basses use what people are calling a "split coil" pickup. It's really two coils offset from each other. One for high strings and the other for low strings. Because they only pick up half the strings each has the sound of a single coil pickup. But since there are two coils (one of them reversed) the whole system works as a humbucker and gets rid of hum. The advantage of this compared to say soapbar humbuckers is that those pickups sense all the strings at TWO places and that creates a fatter less defined tone. Not that that is undesirable, it just has to be the kind of tone you want!
My advice to a guitarist is to go to a store and try a variety of basses. Try a single coil P-bass. (usually listed as vintage etc) Try the split coil P-bass. (Most of them will be this) Try a Jazz bass. Note that with a Jazz bass it is only a humbucker when both pickups are on full. Also try a regular modern soapbar humbucker bass (Like Ibanez SR series). In each case pay particular attention to how much hum you hear and the tone. Note that guitar amps and cabs are designed to roll off all deep bass so hum is not nearly the problem with a guitar that it is with playing bass. Hence Hum may be a bigger problem than you think it will be.
That sounds like it should be right, but you have no idea how wrong you are...
Thanks ! You're right, I have to go to a store and try basses but I hate how seller urges customer to buy, especially when you try instruments...
I have a Zoom G3 (that I love !) and I've always been satisfied with its ZNR pedal emulation (Zoom noise reduction) which works great with my LTD ST-203 single-coils. Do you think it would be effective with a single-coil bass as well ?
Split P is a safe choice for everything, but that Harley Benton looks sweet, so I'd consider it anyway they make split coil pickups that will fit in the single coil route too, so that's a possible upgrade...
Single coil hum ime is unpredictable, but not that bad... I played a lot with a jazz bass favoring the neck pickup, and it didn't bother me much... Also, if you only play at home, it can be much easier to keep it quiet... Then again, you can always check the wiring and shielding to ensure you minimize hum... And last, noise supressors might do the trick too...
So, try before you buy, go with the one that feels and sounds best... My keyboard playing friend got the single coil p bass for his studio, even though he went in to get the split p...
they make split coil pickups that will fit in the single coil route too, so that's a possible upgrade...Single coil hum ime is unpredictable, but not that bad... I played a lot with a jazz bass favoring the neck pickup, and it didn't bother me much... Also, if you only play at home, it can be much easier to keep it quiet... Then again, you can always check the wiring and shielding to ensure you minimize hum... And last, noise supressors might do the trick too...
So, try before you buy, go with the one that feels and sounds best... My keyboard playing friend got the single coil p bass for his studio, even though he went in to get the split p...
buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
If he/she tries that, tell them when you find the bass you like you'll buy it. If they won't leave you alone, tell them to back off, or it won't be there.
The Jazz Bass has 2 separate single coil pickups, putting the blend knob on both pickups makes it 2 single coil pickups working at the same time , it doesn't make it one humbucker that's 4-5 inches apart.
Split P is a safe choice for everything, but that Harley Benton looks sweet, so I'd consider it anyway
Single coil hum ime is unpredictable, but not that bad... I played a lot with a jazz bass favoring the neck pickup, and it didn't bother me much... Also, if you only play at home, it can be much easier to keep it quiet... Then again, you can always check the wiring and shielding to ensure you minimize hum... And last, noise supressors might do the trick too...
So, try before you buy, go with the one that feels and sounds best... My keyboard playing friend got the single coil p bass for his studio, even though he went in to get the split p...
That was my first idea : Buy it and maybe upgrade the pickup.
Sorry , no it is not, go read about it, its a single coil pickup. They modified it to give it more mid range and warmth, they beefed it up.
Seymour Duncan Steve Harris Signature
P-Bass Pickup Specs:
•Split Single Coil
•Alnico 5 Rod Magnets
•Vintage - Hot Coil Winding
•13 DC Resistance
Seymour Duncan SPB-4 Steve Harris Model Split Single Coil is the production version of the custom shop pickups Harris has been using for the last 10 years. Go to NoTreble.com and read the specs. I'm helping the OP , and your giving out a bunch of false information and telling me I'm wrong about something you have no idea what you're talking about, do the research and find out for yourself. Steve Harris has been one of my favorite Bassist for many years, he likes the tightness of his custom single coil pickup in his Fender P-Bass.
I vote jazz bass. I played P basses and Stingrays my whole life and always turned my nose up to Jazz basses. I finally bought a jazz a few weeks ago and it's the most versatile bass I've ever owned.
Sorry , no it is not, go read about it, its a single coil pickup. They modified it to give it more mid range and warmth, they beefed it up.
Seymour Duncan Steve Harris Signature
P-Bass Pickup Specs:
•Split Single Coil
•Alnico 5 Rod Magnets
•Vintage - Hot Coil Winding
•13 DC Resistance
Seymour Duncan SPB-4 Steve Harris Model Split Single Coil is the production version of the custom shop pickups Harris has been using for the last 10 years. Go to NoTreble.com and read the specs. I'm helping the OP , and your giving out a bunch of false information and telling me I'm wrong about something you have no idea what you're talking about, do the research and find out for yourself. Steve Harris has been one of my favorite Bassist for many years, he likes the tightness of his custom single coil pickup in his Fender P-Bass.
Uhh, dude? You just outed yourself. It says right there in what you posted that it is a "Split Single Coil" pickup. That IS the SAME THING as a "split coil pickup". "Split coil pickup" is just a shorter way of saying it. A split coil pickup IS hum-canceling. That's WHY they split the single coil into two - so they can wind one side in reverse to make it hum-canceling. Growlmonkee is spot on with everything he has said.
I mean, seriously, LOOK AT IT. It's a 2 piece pickup. There cannot be just one coil in there. There is one coil in each piece of the pickup. Thus, it is NOT a single coil pickup. It's a single coil that has been split in two. Thus, a split single coil, or split coil, for short.
If you can try before you buy, do. This split vs single presented here is more opinion and preference than fact.
Sting and John Paul Jones don't play rock so disregard my assertions.
Listen to "Spanish Boots" on Beck Ola and then say the split is better for rock. You'll hear Ron Wood on single coil sending everyone back to school with his playing and tone.
The single is capable of huge bass and tone and can sound like an upright in ways the split can't. It has an openness and air that favors articulate playing as well as digging in. The split has that same space filled with mid range prominence that is the Pbass sound. Those rooms are rarer and rarer where you'd have a problem. If it's dimmers everyone even your drummer will have a problem.
The two pickups don't sound the same. So it's choice, not one is better.
Sting and John Paul Jones don't play rock so disregard my assertions.
Listen to "Spanish Boots" on Beck Ola and then say the split is better for rock. You'll hear Ron Wood on single coil sending everyone back to school with his playing and tone.The single is capable of huge bass and tone and can sound like an upright in ways the split can't. It has an openness and air that favors articulate playing as well as digging in. The split has that same space filled with mid range prominence that is the Pbass sound. Those rooms are rarer and rarer where you'd have a problem. If it's dimmers everyone even your drummer will have a problem.
The two pickups don't sound the same. So it's choice, not one is better.
Yeah, I know dude, its a single coil pickup that has been split so now its 2 single coil pickups , its a single coil pickup under the E and A strings and a single coil pickup under the D and G strings. I didn't out myself out of anything, there are double humbucking split P-Bass pickups, Carvin makes them on their P-Basses, where its a double humbucker under the E and A strings and a double humbucker under the D and G strings. Steve Harris's P-Bass pickup is a split single coil not split double humbucker, which they do have but his isn't.
And by the way your wrong, a split single coil pickup is not the same as a split pickup. They make split single coil and split double humbucker.
If you can try before you buy, do. This split vs single presented here is more opinion and preference than fact.
Sting and John Paul Jones don't play rock so disregard my assertions.
The single is capable of huge bass and tone and can sound like an upright in ways the split can't. It has an openness and air that favors articulate playing as well as digging in. The split has that same space filled with mid range prominence that is the Pbass sound. Those rooms are rarer and rarer where you'd have a problem. If it's dimmers everyone even your drummer will have a problem.
The two pickups don't sound the same. So it's choice, not one is better.
In fact I like the distinctive tone of single coil bass. I can't explain why. As you said, it sounds articulate. I just don't know If it can sound "metal". Do you know any (masochistic) bass player who plays metal with a single coil (rather than split coil) ?
