Precision pickup bridge position

[Dom in Dorset]

I'm building a bitsa bass with two precision pickups. I'm trying to find out where the bridge pickup should go. Anyone got such a bass? Where is the bridge pickup?

[FlatEric]

I love this set-up.

I am in the process of doing the same thing.

I am basing the position, on where the ones on my Odyssey, are.



So, the forward edge of the E & A pick-up, wants to be as close
to the back of the pick-guard, as possible - 3mm or 1/8", should do.

Adds no end of bite, to the sound.

Cheers.

Edited March 3, 2014 by FlatEric

[Dom in Dorset]

Thanks Eric, pickguards vary (the bass in your pic doesn't have one!) , could you measure from the 12th fret to the E/A poles please?

[ikay]

The 'Dual P Pickup Club' thread from TB may be of interest - http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f8/dual-p-pickup-club-588469/

[FlatEric]

[quote name='Dom in Somerset' timestamp='1393834078' post='2384700']
Thanks Eric, pickguards vary (the bass in your pic doesn't have one!) , could you measure from the 12th fret to the E/A poles please?
[/quote]

Sorrreeee.

My mistake - thought you were doing a Bitsa "P".

I'll measure from the bridge saddles to the centre of the pole pieces.
That should sort you out.

Cheers.

[Dom in Dorset]

Thanks Ikay, I'll take a proper look through later but first impressions are that there is some subtle variations , some show the pickup touching the pickguard, some show a gap.

[Dom in Dorset]

[quote name='FlatEric' timestamp='1393834506' post='2384706']
Sorrreeee.

My mistake - thought you were doing a Bitsa "P".

I'll measure from the bridge saddles to the centre of the pole pieces.
That should sort you out.

Cheers.
[/quote]
Thanks again, but bridge saddles being movable aren't ideal, it really must be from the 12th.
Pickups tend to sit under certain harmonics or in places where frets would be if the neck continued, not sure what difference it makes but manufacturers usually seem to do it this way.

Edited March 3, 2014 by Dom in Somerset

[HowieBass]

According to this it appears to be 11 3/4" from the 12th fret to the split between the two halves of the pickup http://www.talkbass....-pickup-314560/

Late in the day edit: I didn't read your question correctly because the above measurement relates to the neck pickup rather than bridge position. Sorry

Edited March 3, 2014 by HowieBass

[Dom in Dorset]

[quote name='HowieBass' timestamp='1393839836' post='2384755']
According to this it appears to be 11 3/4" from the 12th fret to the split between the two halves of the pickup [url="http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f38/distance-12th-fret-fender-p-bass-pickup-314560/"]http://www.talkbass....-pickup-314560/[/url]
[/quote]
Bingo! thanks, keep them coming it would be interesting to see if there is any variations between makers.

[HowieBass]

Just found this post with a range of pickup placement measurements and their relationship with string vibration modes http://basschat.co.uk/topic/208369-pickup-placement-and-string-vibrationharmonics/

[BigRedX]

[quote name='HowieBass' timestamp='1393849968' post='2384931']
Just found this post with a range of pickup placement measurements and their relationship with string vibration modes [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/208369-pickup-placement-and-string-vibrationharmonics/"]http://basschat.co.u...ationharmonics/[/url]
[/quote]

Is there any point when the nodes move every time you fret a string in a different place?

[HowieBass]

Well, the mix of harmonics seen in various positions is about the only thing I can think of that has any bearing on why a Jazz bass neck pickup sounds different to the bridge pickup and those differences are maintained across various fretting points.

[ikay]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1393852492' post='2384980']
Is there any point when the nodes move every time you fret a string in a different place?
[/quote]
Agree that it's a constantly moving target but it's still interesting to understand the fundamental tonal differences between various pickup positions. Part of the point of the post (it was mine) was also to demonstrate how the nodes shift and harmonic content changes when fretting notes (see second graphic).

Edited March 3, 2014 by ikay

[Skybone]

How about:

Edited March 3, 2014 by Skybone

[winterfire666]

[sharedmedia=core:attachments:140265]
im goin for something like this in my xylem custom build, a little unusual but its gonna be epic.
i selected the positions after lots of experimenting with different positions and pickup variations so i know more or less what they will sound like individually. i really dislike a p pickup too near the bridge i find them unusable on their own .
[sharedmedia=core:attachments:154324]

Edited March 3, 2014 by winterfire666

[HowieBass]

Q to winterfire666; did you choose the reverse P configuration due to the depth of the neck pocket (possible problems with siting the EA split pickup in a conventional P bass manner) or because you prefer the reward placement with more harmonic content nearer the bridge?

[Green Alsatian]

I added a split-P at the bridge of the Westfield B1000 I had. I don't have any measurements as I positioned it by eye - but ensured that the poles lined up with the strings.

There are pics in this thread:

http://basschat.co.uk/topic/210027-the-double-p-pickup-bass-thread/page__st__30__p__2119736#entry2119736

[hamfist]

These are mine

[url=http://www.ephotobay.com/share/bitsa-main.html][/url]
[url=http://www.ephotobay.com/share/w-body.html][/url]

I've experimented with a fair few double P postions and I pretty much always keep the neck pickup in the Fender P sweetspot (mid spot of the pickups 11.5" from the 12th fret) as I love that sound and it's one I always want available on any of my basses.
As for the 2nd P, I'll never put one nearer the neck as I wouldn't want a rounder, deeper tone than the traditional Fender P sound, so the 2nd one will always go nearer the bridge. And then, you have to think what you are trying to achieve. Personally I always find I gravitate to tones produced by a single pickup. I know others love blended pickup tones but, for me, I always like to keep the mid complexity that a solo pickup tends to keep. So, for me, I put my 2nd P straight behind the neck pickup. On one bass, literally touching it. THis is pretty much where the MM stingray sweetspot is, and a P pickup there certainly is in the same universe as a Stingray but definitely has it's own thing going on. Blending these two pickups is fairly pointless though, as they are too close together and do not produce a particularly musical tone when blended.
However, if you are going for more of a J bass blended pickup tone, but raunchier, put the bridge P back in the 60's Jazz bridge pickup spot. Maybe even the 70's position. It'll sound poor on it's own (IMO) but will blend very well with the neck pickup. If I was putting a P pickup that far back I would personally reverse it and have the DG portion further from the bridge than the EA. With a P pickup, the nearer it is to the bridge, the more you will notice the tonal and volume differences between the two sections of the pickup (which personally I find fairly minimal up in the Fender precision position)
If at all possible, try and play these two different takes on a double P because they really are very different animals.

[winterfire666]

[quote name='HowieBass' timestamp='1393861384' post='2385146']
Q to winterfire666; did you choose the reverse P configuration due to the depth of the neck pocket (possible problems with siting the EA split pickup in a conventional P bass manner) or because you prefer the reward placement with more harmonic content nearer the bridge?
[/quote]

the second one to some extent but i also find that as the thinner strings have a lower mass i find the volume constsistancy across all 4 strings is more balanced