Switching pickup positions mid-song/mid-set?

[boilingTheDead]

Do any of you actively toggle between pickups (e.g., switching from Neck to Bridge or using different blend settings) during a gig or even mid-song to change your tone for specific sections? How do you make sure all of your sounds fit in the mix?

At the moment Im playing it safe and use the same pickup sound for the whole gig, (also not to annoy the FOH with 3 different bass sounds), but I was wondering If there are people that give less sh*t than me.

There are parts in the set where I would love to have a different character, for example a more agressive bridge sound, or a differnt pickup compination for slapped parts. But these sounds always need extra EQ work to fit nicely in the mix...

Especially with the bridge sound on a Jazz... there is a noticable bass loss (which can be cool for solo or a short part) but If I want to make it work under normal circumstances, I would definitely boost the bass slightly... So you would have to toggle a differnt pickup AND eq it on the fly with onboard or pedal eq...Anyone doing that? Sure, you could also just add mids, but thats not really the bridge pickup sound..


(I know your good ol' P only has one Pickup, and thats all you need. Its perfecly fine too but I do not need to hear that.) Just kidding.

 

[Wasnex]

Yes. Probably the best advice is be gentle.

My primary technique is finger style, but I also play slap and pick. I use a really bright sound with finger style, but I have clean technique, so I don't produce a lot of clank and fret noise unless I want to. With slap or pick I might need to back off on the highs a bit.

With most basses I prefer to slightly favor the bridge pickup. With my long-term #1 I prefer to slightly favor the neck. In the event a song really needs a bridge type tone, I find it necessary to bump up the lows a bit.

It's a good idea to check the different tones you use during sound check and work out an appropriate compromise with the audio tech.

I normally dial in my stage sound with the instruments volume wide open and bass and treble controls in their center detente. The blend is set to slightly favor the neck. This bass has piezos in the bridge saddles. I set the piezo polarity so they enhance/shape the high end. If I want a crisp HiFi sound I dial up the piezos a bit. If I want a more traditional treble sound, I dial the piezos down.

 

[JonathanPDX]

My weird 5-string has a 3-way toggle with magnetic pickups, piezo, and all three. It offers a ton of tonal versatility, I'll switch to the piezo for a solo, or add it in when I start comping with chords under a guitarists solo to fill more space.

Every sonic tool in your toolbox can be used. If you actually have a FOH guy you have even less to worry about because it's their entire job to balance things when you make adjustments!

 

[Jeff Scott]

Yes.

 

[Edwcdc]

I do change pickups or make blend adjustments depending on the song. But as Wasnex mentioned, be gentle unless it's really needed for a solo (not me) or if you are going for a rounder tone and want to favor the neck pickup. If I'm playing my active Jazz bass with the blend knob, I might cheat it a little towards the bridge if I feel like I'm not cutting through but I really don't go full bridge. Now if you mostly play using just the bridge pickup, that's fine, but when you dial in some neck, it might get a little bassy for the FOH guy.

 

[mambo4]

I used to solo the neck pickup for certain songs
These days I'm more likely to adjust my plucking hand

 

[Michedelic]

Sure, why not? It’s no different from switching basses or kicking in certain effects, either momentarily or for an entire song. Besides, guitarists do it all the time, and if you’re in a cover band, well, in spite of all the supposed P worship, you’re not hearing the same kind of bass on every song that you might be doing.

 

[Edwcdc]

Sure, why not? It’s no different from switching basses or kicking in certain effects, either momentarily or for an entire song. Besides, guitarists do it all the time, and if you’re in a cover band, well, in spite of all the supposed P worship, you’re not hearing the same kind of bass on every song that you might be doing.

It's funny you mentioned the P worship thing. I started on a P copy in the late 70s and then got a cheap Hondo Explorer with a single P type pickup. Finally in 84, I got a G&L L2000 (still have it) and haven't owned any P type basses until I bought a P bass last month. I'm determined to make it my everything bass in the cover/originals band I'm in. I really like the sound, weight, and the simplicity. I've always been a guy that will change right hand position to change the sound I'm getting. I don't really even think about it. I still have my active 6 string, my active 5 string Jazz, and a passive 4 string Jazz and of course the G&L on standby if the P isn't getting me where I need to be.

 

[sleddogn]

Me personally, never ever, ever lol...

 

[andare]

I try to avoid it even on guitar, especially mid-song.
I play P basses so I do all my tone shaping with plucking position, pick and volume and tone knob plus some light pedal use.

In general bass is my refuge away from the million options that exist in guitar world, plus I play bass as a supporting instrument therefore my tone needs to be quite consistent throughtout the set.

 

[Bob_Ross]

Yes. Rarely mid-song, but very often from song-to-song. That’s *why* those controls are there: so you can use them to achieve the most musically appropriate sounds as needed.

 

[TheArchitect]

Do any of you actively toggle between pickups (e.g., switching from Neck to Bridge or using different blend settings) during a gig or even mid-song to change your tone for specific sections? How do you make sure all of your sounds fit in the mix?

At the moment Im playing it safe and use the same pickup sound for the whole gig, (also not to annoy the FOH with 3 different bass sounds), but I was wondering If there are people that give less sh*t than me.

There are parts in the set where I would love to have a different character, for example a more agressive bridge sound, or a differnt pickup compination for slapped parts. But these sounds always need extra EQ work to fit nicely in the mix...

Especially with the bridge sound on a Jazz... there is a noticable bass loss (which can be cool for solo or a short part) but If I want to make it work under normal circumstances, I would definitely boost the bass slightly... So you would have to toggle a differnt pickup AND eq it on the fly with onboard or pedal eq...Anyone doing that? Sure, you could also just add mids, but thats not really the bridge pickup sound..


(I know your good ol' P only has one Pickup, and thats all you need. Its perfecly fine too but I do not need to hear that.) Just kidding.

Guitar players change sounds drastically all the time.

If switching to a bridge only setting for example makes the sound unusable or inappropriate, that's kind on on you to have your stuff together. Find a bridge pickup that doesn't lose all that bass. Or, don't touch the bass and use another channel or effect unit to alter the tone for you accordingly. You just should not need to jump through all those hoops if you have things dialed in.

 

[buldog5151bass]

I get a tone that fits the mix/venue and generally leave it there. That's the most important thing.

If I need to change the tone to fit a song more (say going from a modern tone to a classic Motown), I can either move my fretting hand further from the bridge, or roll off the tone knob on my passive bass.

 

[MrAB4003]

Do any of you actively toggle between pickups (e.g., switching from Neck to Bridge or using different blend settings) during a gig or even mid-song to change your tone for specific sections? How do you make sure all of your sounds fit in the mix?

At the moment Im playing it safe and use the same pickup sound for the whole gig, (also not to annoy the FOH with 3 different bass sounds), but I was wondering If there are people that give less sh*t than me.

There are parts in the set where I would love to have a different character, for example a more agressive bridge sound, or a differnt pickup compination for slapped parts. But these sounds always need extra EQ work to fit nicely in the mix...

Especially with the bridge sound on a Jazz... there is a noticable bass loss (which can be cool for solo or a short part) but If I want to make it work under normal circumstances, I would definitely boost the bass slightly... So you would have to toggle a differnt pickup AND eq it on the fly with onboard or pedal eq...Anyone doing that? Sure, you could also just add mids, but thats not really the bridge pickup sound..


(I know your good ol' P only has one Pickup, and thats all you need. Its perfecly fine too but I do not need to hear that.) Just kidding.

Never on my original songs. But I will during practice (I don't actively gig).