Quite tempted to do this modification - P+MM with the pickups in the traditional sweet spot.

fretmeister

It could be quite fun!

@Paul_C - what do you think?

I have a good ray pickup already...

ICBM

Some good sounds there.

Unfortunately with the two pickups touching it looks a horrible bodge, like one of those hideous mutilations you often see done to poor Aria SBs when the original pickup dies. Even worse, the MM pickup is *slightly* crooked, but it's very obvious visually because they're so close together.

It would be better to leave even a 1/4" gap between the two, and wouldn't affect the tone noticeably I don't think - at least not for the humbucking sounds or combined with the P pickup - but it would also move the bridge-side coil on the MM closer to the Jazz bridge position.

He's also either got a very weird string set or the intonation must be miles out on the G string!

fretmeister

TBF his timing is a lot more of a problem than the intonation! It's horrific!

I know everyone bangs on about the "Sweet Spot" for pickups, but I'd bet a shiny quid that across the history of building a model that there was at least 1/4 inch variation. And that's before we get to issues of really skinny or really fat strings changing the intonation / saddle position by about the same amount.

I am quite tempted - I have an Aguilar MM pickup but I think it is only 2 conductor so I'd have to have a lot fewer switching options.

Or - as I already have 4 other P or PJ basses anyway, just turn it into a Stingray and have done with it!  

UnclePsychosis

I think my problem with this concept is that I've literally never came across a P bass that I thought would be improved by the addition of a second pickup.

Some formulas should just be left alone.

fretmeister

UnclePsychosis said:

I think my problem with this concept is that I've literally never came across a P bass that I thought would be improved by the addition of a second pickup.

Some formulas should just be left alone.

I think I'd probably use them separately rather than blended most of the time. Just a really versatile bass.

Paul_C

fretmeister said:

It could be quite fun!

@Paul_C - what do you think?

I have a good ray pickup already...

I'd imagine switching to the MM for a bass solo would work, though an EQ boost pedal would do something similar perhaps?

Basses generally sound like basses to me

Bod

I did similar with a Squier PJ and replaced the bridge pickup with an MM.   It's OK, but the MM pickup is a little bit further back than ideal as I'd extended the original single coil cavity.  It was an interesting experiment, and is perfectly usable, just hardly set the world alight. 

Correction - it's not a PJ, it's was just a J.

ICBM

UnclePsychosis said:

I think my problem with this concept is that I've literally never came across a P bass that I thought would be improved by the addition of a second pickup.

That's because you actually need three .

https://www.rockstarsguitars.com/products/creedence-clearwater-revival/stu-cook/stu-cooks-1968-fender-precision-bass/

(FWIW I'm fairly sure the Rick toaster pickup came from John Fogerty's 325 after he put the Gibson humbucker in it, but since RIC used 6-magnet toasters for the basses anyway it's arguably correct!)

Winny_Pooh

Sandberg do a VM4, not played one but the Ray pickup in series could be awesome if you want a driven J bass type tone. 

fretmeister

Winny_Pooh said:

Sandberg do a VM4, not played one but the Ray pickup in series could be awesome if you want a driven J bass type tone. 

Yeah - but the MM is quite a bit back from the traditional position. Sounds more like a chunky J rather than a stingray.

Sporky

I don't see why you'd sully a Stingray with an inferior pickup like that, and the P-bass is too ugly to save. 

fretmeister

I can’t afford a Stingray Special SLO and the older ones are far too heavy, alas.

Sporky

You could put a Stingray pickup in a Jaguar bass. 

MartinB

ICBM said:

UnclePsychosis said:

I think my problem with this concept is that I've literally never came across a P bass that I thought would be improved by the addition of a second pickup.

That's because you actually need three .

https://www.rockstarsguitars.com/products/creedence-clearwater-revival/stu-cook/stu-cooks-1968-fender-precision-bass/

(FWIW I'm fairly sure the Rick toaster pickup came from John Fogerty's 325 after he put the Gibson humbucker in it, but since RIC used 6-magnet toasters for the basses anyway it's arguably correct!)

I have a Kent Armstrong single coil toaster (also 6 alnico poles) right up by the neck on my fretless bass. A relatively clear sounding single coil in that position is a joy to play, I'm not sure why more basses don't do that.

Winny_Pooh

fretmeister said:

Winny_Pooh said:

Sandberg do a VM4, not played one but the Ray pickup in series could be awesome if you want a driven J bass type tone. 

Yeah - but the MM is quite a bit back from the traditional position. Sounds more like a chunky J rather than a stingray.

Exactly! or just mod a stingray first. A used Ray34 can be good value 

FelineGuitars

Someone brought in a bass to my place with the pickups like Leland Sklar has on his "Frankenstein" bass and it sounded awesome.

Maybe not as punchy as a regular P but sounded like it would sit in a band mix amazingly well

ICBM

FelineGuitars said:

Someone brought in a bass to my place with the pickups like Leland Sklar has on his "Frankenstein" bass and it sounded awesome.

Maybe not as punchy as a regular P but sounded like it would sit in a band mix amazingly well

You know the saying ‘if it looks right, it is right’?

Well, that looks exactly right.

OilCityPickups

FelineGuitars said:

Someone brought in a bass to my place with the pickups like Leland Sklar has on his "Frankenstein" bass and it sounded awesome.

Maybe not as punchy as a regular P but sounded like it would sit in a band mix amazingly well

I used to have a Fernandes 'Mockingbird' bass like this 


only in natural finish - it sounded absolutely HUGE. 

axisus

1) that pickup config looks darned fugly.
2) No listener to any music EVER, live or on record, noticed that the sound was better because the pickup was in the 'sweet spot'.

JezWynd

Sporky said:

You could put a Stingray pickup in a Jaguar bass. 

Squier did that a short time ago, it wasn't a great success unless you're looking for a dub reggae bass (the only useable sound I could find). To be fair that may have been something to do with pot values. Unfortunately the bass had such severe neck dive that I couldn't be bothered to troubleshoot it and got rid asap.

fretmeister

axisus said:

1) that pickup config looks darned fugly.
2) No listener to any music EVER, live or on record, noticed that the sound was better because the pickup was in the 'sweet spot'.

They never noticed if it was a real strat or a copy either.

But the player did, and they picked that instrument was inspiring to them. And the listener notices that.