I have an old (probably 92) MIM Fender Jazz bass that I'm looking to upgrade the pickups on, but I found out that standard size pickups won't work. So would using 2 neck pickups sound bad/ cause problems for me?
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Two neck pickups on a fender jazz?
- Thread starter ourworldisgrey
- Start date
I would, but I really don't trust my abilities to do that. Would using 2 neck pickups cause any difference in sound?
Are you talking about the same noise problems that you get from any single coil or a seperate thing?
If they are singlecoil you will have to connect the leads reversed and you will have to switch the magnets (north/south) in one pickup. That way they will be RWRP and therefore humcancelling when used both.
2 standard neck pickups will give twice the hum of one.
2 standard neck pickups will give twice the hum of one.
I haven't really looked, but since you mention this, always wondered if turning the pup 180 degrees and reversing the leads accomplishes this? Anyone can verify?
There's another issue: Bridge pups are wound hotter to compensate for reduced string vibration closer to the bridge. If you use two neck pups the volume from the neck pup in the bridge position will be weaker than normal and your tone w both pups on full will have more emphasis from the neck pup. Not necessarily a bad thing, but not what one would typically expect.
What do you mean by upside down? With the pole pieces facing into the body of the bass?
Yes, that's exactly what that means. Sometimes possible, sometimes not, depending on where the leads come off the bobbin (If it's wrong the cover won't fit back on). But that's what's needed.
The answer to the other part of the question is, bridge pups are wound with more wire, to make them darker and louder. This may or may not be an issue for you, or it may be.
Also arent the bridge pups slightly wider to accommodate the fact that the string spacing is wider at the bridge on some models?
- Aug 5, 2005
- 7,243
- 92
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: J.C. Basses
This. Draw a circle and put an arrow on it to denote that it is spinning counter-clockwise. Now turn that whole circle 180 degrees. The arrow still points counter-clockwise. The only way to make it point to clockwise is to physically flip over the piece of paper.
Now imagine "circle" is "pickup" and "arrow" is "winding."
This issue was remedied a few years back. Now MIM Fender Jazz basses contain a wider bridge pickup as well.
Right, but when you also flip the leads - doesn't that reverses the coil direction?
I was thinking the 180 turn would be for the reverse of the magnets?
Not sure how that would work on a single coil, but that is kinda what Kramer did in the 70's with the Dual J's on the lumie basses. Those were humbuckers like the DiMarzio's Model J though and the leads were not flipped. Been scratching my head for at least a decade on this.
Wanted to do this on a j bass to make a double J ala Roscoe Beck type pickup. Have a couple sets of MIA J pups sitting in a box for this some day....
