Single Coil vs Split Coil

[slapmachine]

Yesterday while tracking the bass, I decided to solo the neck pup on my jazz with 70's spacing rather than to favor the bridge pup like I usually do. I loved the p-bass type tone I got from it, and it added some fat depth to the crazy mix of my 3pc fusion group. In saying that, how different are split coils and single coils??? They can't be that different because I couldn't get almost nearly the same tones that a pbass split could get. Mind you the jazz I was tracking with is a passive one too.

Best regards,

Brooks

 

[Coolhandjjl]

Depends on the pup. DiMarzio Model J's and Bill Lawrence J45's sound about as close to a split P as a J is capable of.

 

[slapmachine]

Depends on the pup. DiMarzio Model J's and Bill Lawrence J45's sound about as close to a split P as a J is capable of.

So, there is a tonal difference in capability between the two pickups?

Best regards,

Brooks

 

[DaveKirkpatrick]

So, there is a tonal difference in capability between the two pickups?

Best regards,

Brooks

I believe that there is ... and that was what prompted the development and popularity of the P/J bass.
I believe the standard jazz neck pickup and a standard P bass pickup are also in slightly different locations- that may contribute to the sonic differences as well.
-Dave

 

[slapmachine]

I believe that there is ... and that was what prompted the development and popularity of the P/J bass.
I believe the standard jazz neck pickup and a standard P bass pickup are also in slightly different locations- that may contribute to the sonic differences as well.
-Dave

I did think about that, and I would have to say based on my experience with how dramatic pickup placement can have an effect on the tone coming through the signal, I do think that that could definitely have an effect. Great point Dave. For instance in the two basses I have, my active '97 American Deluxe Jazz with single coil humbuckers and a maple board can't growl as much as my passive American Hot Rod FSR Jazz with a rosewood fingerboard. Measured it out as a 5mm difference in the placement of the bridge pickup in respect to the bridge.

Best regards,

Brooks

 

[DaveKirkpatrick]

There's another thread on here about the different tone of a single coil P bass vs a split coil P bass if you'd like to check out the impressions of a few other folks. I have a Telecaster bass with the single coil pickup and a Precision with the split coil pickup. They both sound great, but very different from one another.

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f8/telecaster-vs-precision-bass-845234/

 

[SGD Lutherie]

They can't be that different because I couldn't get almost nearly the same tones that a pbass split could get. Mind you the jazz I was tracking with is a passive one too.

P bass pickups don't sound like they do just because they are split coils. Look at the size of the coils? They are very wide and not very tall. Jazz bass pickups are narrow and tall. They way they don't sound like a P bass.

Split coils can sound extremely close to single coils. It all depends on how you wind then and what single coil you are comparing them too. There are lots of different Jazz bass single coil pickups out there, and they all sound a little different.