• Ernie Ball
  • MusicMan
  • Sterling by MusicMan

How do you balance your bass' pickups?

  • Neck pickup soloed

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Bridge pickup soloed

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    26

Alvabass

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Hi everybody.

I posted this poll some time ago at TalkBass and now I want to aim it to MM owners. Of course I know that the palette of philosophies on this topic is HUGE, but I'm just curious about the tendencies. Let's suppose that you are preparing for a gig, put your amp's tone controls flat and use your pickups' balance as an starting point. What do you do? My settings have always been both pickups full, but the Bongo is so versatile that it makes me think twice about this. I feel tempted of moving to option 3 to get more growl. Of course everybody has his/her own conception of tone and I'm not posting this poll looking for an advice. Just curious about it. If you want to add any comments about how do you use your bass' tone controls, please do so. Thank you for your input!
 
Last edited:

shamus63

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San Mateo, CA
I voted in favor of the 60/40 (neck>bridge) set-up.

The only drawback of my Sabre...3-way toggle switch instead of a blend knob.

I may mod that.
 

word

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Mar 24, 2003
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180
i like a seperate volume for each pickup. i usually either run them both full on or the bridge at full and the neck rolled off until i get the proper amount of growl i'm looking for.
 

bovinehost

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I go back and forth, depending on the mood of the tune, but when everything is equal, I favor the bridge pickup for that slightly angry tone!
 

Alvabass

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bovinehost said:
I go back and forth, depending on the mood of the tune, but when everything is equal, I favor the bridge pickup for that slightly angry tone!

Hey Jack, thanks for your comment! Just wanted to know if you received an e-mail message I sent you (no obligation to reply. Just wanted to know if you received it). :)
 

bovinehost

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Recibido!

El problema es que no puedo enviar nada afuera de los EEUU.

Lo siento, porque me gustaria ayudarte pero es, desafortunadament, imposible!

las reglas son las reglas........

Joaquin
 

Psychicpet

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Sylvan Lake, Alberta, Canada
other....

normally both p/u's are wide open but depending on the tone I'll solo the neck bucker for more of a "P" like tone and then favour the bridge bucker for a little more burpy finger funk effect.
 

Alvabass

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bovinehost said:
Recibido!

El problema es que no puedo enviar nada afuera de los EEUU.

Lo siento, porque me gustaria ayudarte pero es, desafortunadament, imposible!

las reglas son las reglas........

Joaquin

OK, Joaquin (sounds funny). De todas formas te agradezco tu interés. :)
 

Father Gino

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May 19, 2005
Messages
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I had to say other as my only two 2-pup basses are so different. With separate volume controls, usually the bridge on full and the neck up just enough to make a noticable difference. On the old Sabre, I only have a choice of one or the other or both pups on full. Mostly I run just the bridge on this beast, though I'm getting to like just the neck for a thumping P-bass sorta thing. At the moment, my least favorite is both at once. but I've used that too.
 

Aussie Mark

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Sydney, Australia
All my two pup basses have both pups on full, which is why I bought those two pup basses in the first place. If I want to use one pickup only, I have plenty of single pup basses that can do the job.
 

AnthonyD

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New Jersey
Aussie Mark said:
All my two pup basses have both pups on full, which is why I bought those two pup basses in the first place. If I want to use one pickup only, I have plenty of single pup basses that can do the job.
Funny - I too find that both pick-ups full on is the way to go, but didn't always think that way.

For the longest time it was neck or bridge - one of the reasons I preferred a single pick-up bass like the Sterling. Then I noodle with a two pick-up Bongo and I realize the blend of both is awesome.

In fact, during my "preview" of a soon to be mine Bongo fretless I pretty much decided that the neck AND the bridge AND the piezo is the way to go! :D
 

Freddy-G.

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Apr 1, 2005
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Duluth, Georgia
Part of the Bongo Magic, for me, is using equal amounts of Bongo Love from each pickup.

The combination is SO effective, that we will soon get to hear it on our beloved Rays and Sterlings.
 

shamus63

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bovinehost said:
Recibido!

El problema es que no puedo enviar nada afuera de los EEUU.

Lo siento, porque me gustaria ayudarte pero es, desafortunadament, imposible!

las reglas son las reglas........

Joaquin
Que?
 

0557

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Apr 22, 2004
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GA
I just depends on the style the bass is being used for at that moment.
I use several variations. all of the above at different times.
 

shamus63

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0557 said:
I just depends on the style the bass is being used for at that moment.
I use several variations. all of the above at different times.
I'd actually have to side with you on this one...one setting doesn't do it for every song.

But as a rule-of-thumb, I set 60/40 neck>bridge.
 
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