What are some good alternatives to the Precision, with more versatility (and bang for the buck) and available in LH ?

[brikus]

I've seen some guys even do it on the split coil pickup of their PB...but the quality of the vids, even if it showed some difference, wasn't good enough to really appreciate it. Besides, it may be tricky to do it on a split coil, as I suppose they generally don't come in a 4-wire config as guitar humbuckers often do.

[DeepEnd]

This wiring diagram, courtesy of Rothstein Guitars, indicates it can be done:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]n31714855[/ATTACH]

[brikus]

Thanks...yeah, I know how to do that kind of stuff...I have modded the shyte out of my guitars, LOL.

But the problem is that, from what I've seen so far, split coil PB pickups rarely have 4 conductors...

[DeepEnd]

Depends on the pickup. A typical P-Bass pickup is two halves wired together, right?

The pickup here is a Fender Custom Shop 62. There's a white wire for each half and a common black. I really don't know but it looks like you might be able to wire them as if they were two separate pickups. You really need to talk to someone who knows this stuff better than I do.

[brikus]

Yeah but on the one you showed, the white wire coming out of the half on the right seems to straight into the other half. If one wants to go for a S/P operation, one would have to cut it and add some wire to both end to hook them up to a switch. But that's something feasible, because at least it's accessible. That wouldn't possible if that wire had been inside the plastic casing. I guess that if I end up getting a bass with only a PB pickup (like the Tokai Hard Puncher I've tried a liked a lot), I'd have to look under its bonnet to see what it looks like...

[Craig Vecchione]

@ Craig: don't worry, I'll be fine... Yeah it's true there's more to Fender than the US models, sometimes with even more choice in the other ranges...but with them you can also find instruments of inferior quality, so you gotta know where you're stepping if you want to get a good bargain and not a lemon... And I don't have such a big knowledge in this particular field...

 

Yes, knowing where to step is important, and I'm simply offering a little advice and suggestion, all well-meaning, just as everyone else has. For some reason you became indignant with my suggestion to consider the "real thing" so-to-speak. I wasn't suggesting that Fender was the only way to go. There are a lot of bargains and hidden gems among Fender's many models over the years. The Lyte is one of them. I've played three, and all were consistently solid players, so I'm confident in recommending it if you happen to find one. Again, I don't know if lefty models were made.

 

Of all the suggested models in this thread, however, I think G&L's are the best possibilities. If price really is a consideration the Tribute models are great, and IMO don't suffer any loss of quality or sound. And most importantly, if a G&L has a split-coil, it'll sound like a P-bass.

[Craig Vecchione]

Thanks...yeah, I know how to do that kind of stuff...I have modded the shyte out of my guitars, LOL.

But the problem is that, from what I've seen so far, split coil PB pickups rarely have 4 conductors...

 

My P is an MIA built around 2002, with the "S-1" series/parallel switch. In parallel the output drops a bit, and there's little to no 'thump'. More of a "generic bass" sound, if you will.

 

All PBass splits have four conductors. From the factory some will be pre-wired with a common. It's easy enough to either cut or unsolder the common to add or rewire for parallel circuits. You can also, obviously, add in- and out-of-phase circuitry if you want. I've tried this and don't like either series or parallel out of phase, as the output is significantly lower, and the parallel has a 'phaser' effect. But you may like/want this variation ?

[Mikeo]

On another note this is me with the P bass I had for probably 20 years. I remember buying it in 1983. I old sold it after I bought the J bass standard and the Jazz Bass Deluxe. The P bas just sad for year. I like the smaller neck on the Jazz and Jazz deluxe better any way.

 

I'm not sure what club this is anymore. Might be Albany, might be NYC, I have no idea. ( might be the old Ratt in Boston) They all start looking like holes after awhile. I have no idea who took the pic either.

 

[brikus]

@ Craig : Thanks for the tips and info, man.

 

@ Mikeo :

[Craig Vecchione]

Yeah, I thought mikeo looked all rocker/badass....until I spotted the right pinky......

 

j/k....cool gig pic!!

[*BLEEP*]

Depends on the pickup. A typical P-Bass pickup is two halves wired together, right?

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, two RWRP single coil pickup segments wired in series in humbucking mode and located in the so-called "sweet spot" on the 34-inch scale, as intended by Leo and employed extensively by James Jamerson and others.

 

Just in case you haven't tried it, the standard modern split Pbass pickup will sound like ass when split to parallel operation -- weak and noisy -- and will not sound fat and strong like a split Pbass pickup should in humbucking series mode, nor will it sound like the original 4-pole Pbass single coil pickup (pictured below).

 

Why is there 8 magnets in the modern split Pbass pickup? The use of pairs of magnets for each string on the split Pbass pickup is to reduce harshness by predominately sensing the edge of string swings as opposed to sensing the entire undulation of the string.

 

The original single coil Pbass pickup sounds good and balanced, but it doesn't have that special bold sounding resonant peak that the modern Pbass pickup has.

 

 

 

 

 

[DeepEnd]

. . . Just in case you haven't tried it, the standard modern split Pbass pickup will sound like ass when split to parallel operation -- weak and noisy -- and will not sound fat and strong like a split Pbass pickup should in humbucking series mode, nor will it sound like the original 4-pole Pbass single coil pickup . . .

No, I haven't tried it, thus my "You really need to talk to someone who knows this stuff better than I do." comment. I know enough to know what I don't know so I was hoping someone with more knowledge/experience would chime in. Originally I was thinking the OP wanted to connect P-Bass and J-Bass pickups in series or parallel but then the whole thing with wiring a P-Bass pickup in series/parallel got me confused. Does he want to wire the two pickups in series with the P-Bass pickup also in series and then the two pickups in parallel with the P-Bass pickup in parallel? I don't know at this point but I'm guessing at some point it will start to sound like ass.

[brikus]

Well, to make things clear, if the bass has a J and a B, then I'd try doing the series/parallel op with these two. If it only has a split coil, then I'd try doing it on the split coil itself. From what I've heard on videos, it may still be interesting to some extent...

 

 

[DeepEnd]

Your original idea was a P-Bass+. A P-Bass style pickup by itself will be unlikely to provide the + without active electronics or outboard processing unless you're really happy with the series/parallel sounds.

[*BLEEP*]

No, I haven't tried it, thus my "You really need to talk to someone who knows this stuff better than I do." comment.

 

 

 

Okay, I misread your original post. I thought you were talking about playing around with the Pbass pickup *only* (series versus parallel wiring between the two halves).

 

If you were to have a Pbass pickup and a Jbass (bridge) pickup, those are always wired in parallel -- as in the Pbass pickup unit in parallel with the Jbass pickup. The idea with the P+J pickup setup is that you basically roll in some amount of treble articulation with the Jbass pickup volume control to supplement the Pbass pickup.

 

Of course, you can just use one pickup or the other, but most people going for a P+J bass like to roll in some treble-y J bridge pickup for slap or cutting articulate lead tones.

 

 

 

 

[*BLEEP*]

Well, to make things clear, if the bass has a J and a B, then I'd try doing the series/parallel op with these two.

 

 

 

Series instead of the normal parallel with the P+J pickup arrangement?

 

Interesting sounding? Maybe, but not likely. Once again, this will more than likely sound like ass instead of interesting.

 

You'll have a somewhat muddy sounding high output signal with the differing impedance of the two dissimilar pickups creating a rather jagged frequency response curve.

 

 

 

[brikus]

 

 

 

Series instead of the normal parallel with the P+J pickup arrangement?

 

Interesting sounding? Maybe, but not likely. Once again, this will more than likely sound like ass instead of interesting.

 

You'll have a somewhat muddy sounding high output signal with the differing impedance of the two dissimilar pickups creating a rather jagged frequency response curve.

 

 

 

Could very well be...but unless one tries, one cannot really tell.

Given this mod costs only a few bucks (I can do it myself), it's worth a try. And the (probable) mud can be EQed out, only to leave the (probable) jagged response...which can be interesting for some applications, as oddball sounds often have a character of their own...

 

That being said, I don't know if it'd still be possible to play on the blend of the pickups if they're wired in series...

[*BLEEP*]

Given this mod costs only a few bucks...

 

 

 

You can absolutely do it for *free* by temporarily wiring the P and J pickups in series. There's no need to solder the temporary connections unless you want to, as you can simply twist the required connections together, insulate the temporary connections with common cellophane tape, and place the scratchplate back onto the bass for a test drive. Once you are done, you can either modify or not modify to your discretion.

 

Otherwise, my speculation that wiring the P and the J pickups in series will sound like ass is rooted in the fairly well-known fact among tinkers that doing the same thing with a Stratocaster's pickups will produce a rather ugly sounding combination.

 

 

 

[brikus]

 

Otherwise, my speculation that wiring the P and the J pickups in series will sound like ass is rooted in the fairly well-known fact among tinkers that doing the same thing with a Stratocaster's pickups will produce a rather ugly sounding combination.

 

 

Well, it depends on the pickups, I guess...I've done that to both of my strat-likes, and I'm pretty happy about the result...

[Craig Vecchione]

Yeah, I've never liked the results much, but beauty is in the eye..., and all that. It never hurts to try and if the sound is ever actually desired later, the mod could be made. That's where a cheap "Frankenstein" instrument is valuable as a test bed.

[isaac42]

My SG has that capability. It's neither bass nor Start, of course, but it's a useful sound on that instrument. I have a bass wired that way, but it doesn't seem to be a whole lot different than other settings. Doesn't sound like ass, just not particularly better or even different.

 

I also have a couple of Daisy Rock basses with a series/parallel switch on their split P pickups. Mostly I just run them in series mode.

[DeepEnd]

Okay, I'm going to suggest you try a G&L L-2000: http://www.glguitars.com/instruments/USA/basses/L2000/index.asp. They're available in left handed and have series/parallel switching from the factory. If nothing else, play around with one and see what you think of the various options. It might help you figure out what you want. Personally, I'm a big fan of buying the bass/guitar you want rather than one that's "okay" and modding it to death.

[brikus]

Okay, I'm going to suggest you try a G&L L-2000: http://www.glguitars.com/instruments...2000/index.asp. They're available in left handed and have series/parallel switching from the factory. If nothing else, play around with one and see what you think of the various options. It might help you figure out what you want. Personally, I'm a big fan of buying the bass/guitar you want rather than one that's "okay" and modding it to death.

 

2 buckers ? Can it nail the PB sound at least ?

[DeepEnd]

2 buckers ? Can it nail the PB sound at least ?

The P-Bass has what is essentially a single split bucker so if you use the pickup selector on the L-2000 to just use the neck pickup it's possible. It's supposed to be able to produce a wide range of sounds and you might find something that works for you. In any event, it won't hurt to play one if you get the chance.

[brikus]

The P-Bass has what is essentially a single split bucker so if you use the pickup selector on the L-2000 to just use the neck pickup it's possible. It's supposed to be able to produce a wide range of sounds and you might find something that works for you. In any event, it won't hurt to play one if you get the chance.

 

Absolutely...now getting the chance to play one is another story...but we'll see when I go to Paris, in about 3 weeks...