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Pickup Positions


Matt P
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hello, I did a search but couldn't find anything, I apologise if I was just being a dolt and missed something,

I hear a lot about standard positions for pickups and about 60's/70's spacing for jazz pickups but what are the actual dimensions, (from 12th fret to centre of polepieces in millimetres would be the most useful fo most i guess)

I have a couple of basses but no idea what the positions actually are, especialy my beloved 77 precision that had a j-pup added at some point, I love the tone but have no idea if it's in a 70's position or a 60's or just thrown in any old place, it certainly isn't in the same position as the p/j body I bought off here.

I thought that some kind of record would come in handy for those building new basses, so i guess measurements of all kinds of basses would be useful, (have a hankering for a Pingray and just saw an ibanez roadstar on here that looked rather tasty)

I guess I should start the ball rolling,

Fender P-bass (1977) 280mm from centre of 12th fret to centre of polepieces E-A half of pup, 309mm to the D-G polepieces.


Matt

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Jazz bass bridge pickup:
1) 70's - 808mm from nut (fretboard edge) to the centre of polepieces
2) 60's - 798mm from nut (fretboard edge) to the centre of polepieces

Measuring from frets is a mistake because you have different fret size (narrowed, regular size, jumbo), it's more accurate when measuring from nut's edge as I did for you :)

I modified my 1964 Precision Bass by adding J pickup (60's position) but I hate mixing those pups, I'm using just one in the time. 70's sounds better mixed but still I don't like it. What people usually do is putting J pup even further than 70's position (for example 814mm), but when using just J pup is RUBBISH then, it's more less ok when using both, but still - Pbass is Pbass, when you whant using both pups, go for Jazz Bass. That's my point of view as a recording engineer and as a bass player.

Edited by dr Szelma
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thanks for that, yes measuring from the nut is much better, (you'd never guess i was an engineer would you!) it seems that my j-pup is in the 70's position,

and the p-pup is at 712/740mm to the centre of the polepieces if it's useful info for anyone.

would still love to have positions for other classic bass pickups, (stingray etc)

Matt

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