• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

What would be your dream setup for pickups?

#42
TonyP- said:
I had to look that Up and I’m still not sure it’s meaning lol.
Click to expand...

Lol, I was afraid trying to be smart using google translate could backfire :D In short - from an old song, I knew avanti means forward in Italian. But the pickups on your bass do not seem to have been moved forward (towards the neck), but rather backward (towards the bridge). So I looked up the word for backward, and it was arretrato :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: TonyP-
#43
sikamikanico said:
Lol, I was afraid trying to be smart using google translate could backfire :D In short - from an old song, I knew avanti means forward in Italian. But the pickups on your bass do not seem to have been moved forward (towards the neck), but rather backward (towards the bridge). So I looked up the word for backward, and it was arretrato :)
Click to expand...
Just the neck pickup.
The bridge pickup is in 60s placement.

This allows a tighter more focused sound. It sounds like a stingray and jazz bass had a baby on steroids.
 
  • Like
Reactions: sikamikanico and Will_White
#45
whero said:
You ask what would be my dream setup for pickups, which would be a passive P/reverse J, maybe Quarterpounders, with VVT pots. But then you set a bunch of conditions so I can't have what I want. Whose dream is this?
Click to expand...

I had my Freddy Krueger sweater on and was channeling him when I started this. I had to steer the conversation a bit to get the information I was looking for. Other wise we would all be opining with nothing to gain from it. I am getting exactly what I was looking for.

Thanks

nnnnnn said:
Two pickups that can both slide horizontally?



(I don't actually want this myself, but if you want options...)
Click to expand...


Actually this looks quite interesting. Some of the anxiety I have in building this is that I would do all the wood work to fit the pickups I chose at the time, and what if they didn't turn out the way I wanted? If I could come up with a universal mount on rails, then I could change the configuration at any point in the life of the bass. This has me thinking a lot.
 
#46
ccfalkner said:
I had my Freddy Krueger sweater on and was channeling him when I started this.
Click to expand...

:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

Some of the anxiety I have in building this is that I would do all the wood work to fit the pickups I chose at the time, and what if they didn't turn out the way I wanted? If I could come up with a universal mount on rails, then I could change the configuration at any point in the life of the bass. This has me thinking a lot.
Click to expand...

I wouldn’t sweat it. Pickup position makes a difference, but only approximately. A half inch either way won’t really be detectable. There is such a spring (edit: spring?!? What are you thinking, autocorrect??) variety of aftermarket pickups available, that if you choose a standard size (J, P, EMG soapbar, Bart soapbar) you can keep trying different pickups until you find the one you want.

I’d also remind you that lots of tonal variation is available by modifying plucking technique and position.
 
Last edited:
#47
dBChad said:
Both Fender and Schecter used to make it, then took them off the market:mad:

A 5 string P and Double J combo, passive, vol/blend/tone.
View attachment 3252019
View attachment 3252020
Click to expand...

That's what I went with based on those two. I borrowed some of the wiring from the Fender Roscoe Beck I used to own.

Volume, tone, 3 way selector for neck/both/bridge, 3 way selector for series/single/parallel on the bridge pickup, Nordstrand neck pickup (P bass tone only slightly more beef), Seymour Duncan NYC5 at the bridge.

All passive tone BEAST.
 

Attachments

  • 20171202_084448.jpg
    20171202_084448.jpg
    375.3 KB · Views: 20
  • Like
Reactions: dBChad and Zoobiedood
#48
ctmullins said:
I wouldn’t sweat it. Pickup position makes a difference, but only approximately. A half inch either way won’t really be detectable.
Click to expand...

If that was true there would be no difference between 60's and 70's Jazz bass bridge pickups. There's 1/4" or less difference between the placement of the two.

Harmonic nodes and anti-nodes are much closer together the closer you get to the bridge. Very small moves make a big difference in sound back there. Near the neck, not as much.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Will_White and ctmullins
#49
True, I meant to mention that. Very close to the bridge the placement matters more.

However, I also posit that the difference between 60s position and 70s position can be obliterated by a simple pickup swap.
 
#50
Hmmm...
Going for a 5 string bass that somewhat covers 3 generations of Leo.
A parallel wired ceramic MM humbucker in the Stingray spot, a vintage output split coil P butted right up to it in the middle, reverse coil orientation with a series/parallel switch and a vintage output single coil P butted right up to that, as close to the proper SCPB location as it can be.
Route it all through a VVV harness and a Nordy or East 3 band EQ with active/passive operation and a concentric passive tone control. 6 knobs on a bass face will need some smaller knobs!
 
  • Like
Reactions: ccfalkner and ctmullins
#55
lz4005 said:
If that was true there would be no difference between 60's and 70's Jazz bass bridge pickups. There's 1/4" or less difference between the placement of the two.

Harmonic nodes and anti-nodes are much closer together the closer you get to the bridge. Very small moves make a big difference in sound back there. Near the neck, not as much.
Click to expand...
Just to add to this...
Agree that 1/4” makes a big difference in the back pickup.

Neck pickup placement is also huge.
I designed my signature instrument around moving the neck pickup back (about 3/4” of an inch) and its much tighter sounding and the upper mids pop.

I have A/B-ed this with exact basses other then the pickup placement and they are very different sounding.

Not just in tone but in response.
When you move the neck pickup back you are now not catching as wide of a string vibration and note/sound reaction changes quite a bit.
 
  • Like
Reactions: GlassToMouth
#56
Crystalman85 said:
For me, it would be a set of bartolini pickups along with an aguilar obp-3 preamp on my Ibanez soundgear bass. I plan to modify my Ibanez bass with those parts sometime soon. I was inspired by a few youtube clips to get those for my Ibanez bass. if for any reason I couldn't find a matching set of barts for my ibby, I would definitely go with either a set of aguilar super doubles or a set of nordstrands big splits. here are some some clips that inspired me to get those parts for my ibby.





Another dream pickup setup for a future bass I plan to buy would be a set of emg geezer pickups for if I buy a yamaha trbx174ew. I plan to get one for just in case my brother ever reforms his old band. but even if he didn't, I would still keep the bass. anywho, I plan to get a yamaha trbx174ew(or the regular 174) sometime soon. especially since I'm in the market for a passive bass. and if I want to swap the original pickups for a new set, I would definitely swap them for a set of emg geezer pickups.
Click to expand...

Thanks for sharing! This helped me decide to replace the stock preamp on my SR706 to the Aguilar. That tone is excellent!
 
#57
As I'm weight conscious, I reject the idea of 3 pickups. 2 has always been plenty for me; it's just dead weight if you add a third. And I don't like active basses in general. My dream pickup setup is obviously gonna be different than yours. I'll show myself out.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back