Does installing a bridge pickup affect the tone of the original split coil?

[Freud_Chicken123]

Can anyone answer this?

I'd like to install a passive bridge pickup (single coil) into a passive P bass, but i don't want it to change the tone of the split coil P pickup (when split coil is solo-d). I don't mind 60 cycle hum at all, i just dont know if the split coil tone itself will be affected. 

Anyone done it?

Cheers all

[Geek99]

This was surely a common mod, back in the day 

[itu]

From the electronics point of view the sound will change, if you put anything to the existing circuitry. Another thing is, if this change is too big for you.

You want to mix them, the passive option is the Bourns 250k or 500k MN blend pot. Active mixing: use Noll Mixpot. Active preamp with active mixing, use Audere, or John East.

Most tone capsules do not offer active mixing.

[ikay]

It would also be possible to add a switch to completely remove the added J pickup (and vol pot if it has one) from the circuit allowing you to switch between a P/J config or the original unmolested P config.

[shoulderpet]

Some people say a pj sounds different than a p bass even with the p soloed, I would disagree, theoretically there would be a small difference but I think for most people its too small to notice

[chris_b]

The best mod I did to my Precision was to change the weak Fender pickup to Bartolini. That was a gazillion percent improvement to the tone and worth every penny. Encouraged by this success I spent a fortune adding a J pickup. I found this mod added a minimal amount to the tone, but I didn't hear it take anything away.

[ikay]

How it affects the solo'd P sound depends  on how it's wired. If a P/J is wired as a regular VVT then the additional vol pot will change the load on the P pickup which does affect the tone. In the same way that swapping 250k pots for 500k makes the sound brighter, adding an extra pot (in parallel) reduces the load and makes the sound a little less bright. Soloing the P pickup in a VVT setup will sound similar to running a standard P with the volume backed off a bit. A smidge less grunt. You might not notice it unless you really listen for it but it does make a difference.

Edited June 1, 2020 by ikay