Where exactly is the " sweet spot" pickup placement

[Bioflava]

Heya! So at the risk of restarting a 10-year-old thread, I thought I would chime in since I'm researching this topic for a parts build...

First off, as someone who owns a Modulus Flea with a single humbucker mounted in the "sweet spot" (2" from the closest edge of the Bad Ass II bridge) + a P/J bass & a Sadowsky with single-coil soapbars... there IS a "sweet spot" sound that is distinct and different from P/Js and soap bars.

What's more, a humbucker placed 2.75" from the E-saddle of the bridge (which is what my Modulus measures) overlaps with a P-pickup in its traditional placement (see photos). Thus, if you want to combine these styles, you have to use a thin single coil a la G&L in the front position, and/or shift the placement of one or both of the pickups. To my ears, nothing matches the focused tone of a single humbucker in the sweet spot!

 

[socialleper]

What are the tonal characteristics of the sweet spot?

It sounds good to you.
So it is completely subjective and there isn't a single proper sweet spot.

 

[Bioflava]

It sounds good to you.
So it is completely subjective and there isn't a single proper sweet spot.

Sure, of course, there's some subjectivity -- but this really isn't rocket science: A MM in the sweet spot sounds more focused than a blended pair of soapbars or a P/J and cuts through the mix better than a single P. I haven't measured them all precisely, but from looking at photos is sure seems that the placement is similar across Fender, G&L, Modulus, etc. So there IS a so-called "sweet spot" placement that's pretty consistent!

 

[tubby.twins]

Bioflava, you may want to check these out:
Response Effects of Guitar Pickup Position and Width
Guitar Pickup Response Demonstration

The modeling tool applet (on the 2nd link) is fairly new.

If you don't mind, can you double-check your bass measurements and plug those into the modeling tool, to model your Modulus bass (with the awesome Lane Poor legacy pickup) and show us the graph of your single pickup's frequency response?

I took a swag at it, and came up with this:

Assumptions: scale length = 35", open string frequency = 41.2 Hz, # frets = 24, pickup #1 at position 3.5 inches from bridge (measured from center) with 2" width.

In the curve I've attached, notice how harmonics #8 and #10 are noticeably lower, and harmonic #9 is pretty much zero response at this pickup position. I wonder if these factors may form the basis of a more scientific explanation as to why this is the "sweet spot".

Since your Lane Poor pickup is probably a wide-aperture humbucker under the hood, you could model it either as a wide pickup (assume aperture width of 1.5") or as two pickups adjacent to each other (assume aperture width of 0.75" each), and see how that differs.

And yes, those pickups will definitely be able to sense the highest harmonics.

 

[bass71]

Well Jacos sweet spot was down by the bridge but generally speaking I always thght it was half way between neck and bridge..P bass style.

 

[Bioflava]

@tubby.twins Thanks for the links! That response modeling tool is super cool -- and yes, I think it does explain the differences... So my Modulus is a 34" scale, 22-fret instrument. The Lane Poor Legacy I have in there (recently purchased) is 1.875" wide (top plot). I'm comparing that to my passive G. Gould, which is a 24-fret bass with an EMG GZR P-style pickup (plot below). The Gould (in P-mode) is definitely a darker and dirtier sound as compared to the Modulus, which is clean and clear (unless you dig in). It would be interesting to measure an actual impulse from each axe to visualize the differences in tone

 

[mickebas]

Right here. The pickup location on this bass is perfect! It gets me a divine blend of a jazz bass and a P bass tone. Makes a great rock bass tone.
View attachment 1583069

Almost 10 years later, opening up this thread again.
What bass is that?
That’s exactly where the pickup type and placement I’m looking for.