3+ pickup bass?

[whyachi]

This rarely occurs in nature, but I have been turning the idea of a three-pickup bass over in my head for a long time. Not Strat-style, I mean three very different pickups. I was thinking a single coil in the neck, P in the middle and a splittable MM at the bridge. Its not really my style but it seems like it would be a good idea, especially if wired Jaguar-style with a half dozen switching options to keep it under control.

Besides a few EBMM models, I've never seen this. Am I missing some fundamental flaw here, or is there just not a market for it? I'm fine with two knobs and only using one of them but surely some of the tone freaks out there would love having seventy-hundred different pickup combos.

Thoughts? What am I missing?

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

The Stu Hamm sig model has 3 pickups.  Basically the 2 J-Bass pickups with a P-Bass pickup between them and wired with a Strat 5-way switch.  IMO, the differences between the neck and bridge positions are very pronounced on a bass but aren't as pronounced if you move them a little bit either way, so a 3rd middle postion pickup is just superfluous.  Also, may one pickup'd basses such as P-Bass or Stingray have their pickup in what is known as the "sweet spot."  It's too far back to be considered middle and too far forward to be considered bridge position.  It's just there and it's perfect.  I love tinkering and the what ifs involved in custom work, but for the most part the work has been done and there's no need to spend the time and energy in reinventing the wheel just to come to the same conclusion.  Guitar is guitar and bass is bass.  Just let the bass be a bass and not try to do something just because a guitar does it.  And FWIW, I've heard many reasons why the Strat has 3 pickups including that Leo got a deal on a surplus of 5-way switches.  One problem with that reasoning, the Strat originally had a 3-way switch.  Supposedly he put 3 pickups on the Strat just to do it.  Others' had 2 pickups, his would have 3.  He may have been a brilliant engineer and since then that middle pickup has become necessary, but that wasn't the original reasoning.

 

[tubby.twins]

If such a beast existed, I'd guess that the luthier would have "balanced" the pickups so they had comparable output levels.  Meaning that the single coil pickup in the "neck" position would be a bit underwound, so that it wouldn't overpower the "bridge" humbucker when both were selected.

I would disagree that the middle pickup position is superfluous.  I've achieved some really interesting tones that way.  In fact a number of "neck" pickups sound better when you move them to that position. (e.g. Bartolini)

I've built a 3-pickup Gecko, but it's probably not in the same category.  The pickups are fairly similar to each other, and the tonal differences are subtle, not dramatic.

In fact, that's pretty much true of any bass with lots of pickups.  The difference in tone becomes much greater when you get closer to the bridge.  A Precision pickup in the "middle" position isn't going to sound hugely different from a single-coil pickup in the "neck" position.  It will be subtle.

 

[whyachi]

So what if it was switched up? A P in the bridge, MM in the sweet spot / middle and a J in the neck? The pickups and locations are as irrelevant as they are infinite really. I was just looking at a Jaguar bass and thinking, why didn't they do something different? Why did they go to create something new and think, lets just use a set of J's and some extra switches and call it good? There was so much potential for a do-anything bass there and they just made an entirely unnecessary inbred cousin to the Jazz.

 

[mgaut051]

I'm working on one right now, my first.

2x wood Artec Giovannis neck and mid, and a Q-tuner bridge. Eventually to add a Ghost graphtech. And knobs galore (while trying to keep to a minimum - I'm sure I'll need at least 5.) It's not even so much about the sound, which I'm sure will be great, but for me it's about the concept of it.
If for you, the absolute COOLEST thing is a 3-pup bass, go for it, do it like it's no-one's business.

 

[lidesnowi]

I experimented a lot with using 3 Bartolini 94J pickups on a Jazz Bass about 15 years ago trying out many pickup wirings and configurations!
I come to the conclusion that if you want to get the most out of it it´s best to have separate outputs for each pickup.
Of course this requires 3 amps or a stereo rig+3 channel mixer but the tonal possibility's are staggering!

 

[Tofu]

So what if it was switched up? A P in the bridge, MM in the sweet spot / middle and a J in the neck? The pickups and locations are as irrelevant as they are infinite really. I was just looking at a Jaguar bass and thinking, why didn't they do something different? Why did they go to create something new and think, lets just use a set of J's and some extra switches and call it good? There was so much potential for a do-anything bass there and they just made an entirely unnecessary inbred cousin to the Jazz.

I just want to say that for about 3 days I have been looking for this. I am getting into bass and I plan to work with dudesweet157 to build one sometime in the near-ish future, and I pondered a three pickup bass and i didnt know if anyone had done it. 

^ this is actually exactly what i decided to do if i were to build this beast, and i am so glad that others are considering it xD I'm a complete noob when it comes to this sort of thing, my profenciency lies in percusion, but i do play some guitar and decided to be BA at bass one day.....my point is w00t at this thread because it gives me confidence   :hello2:

 

[Mor Paul]

Hey, Tofu, welcome to the forum!

Only guy YOU should worry about is DBW.  :laughing7:

 

[Tofu]

well thanks for the heads up, i guess  :icon_biggrin:

 

[swarfrat]

I can't imagine Leo putting 50% more pickup cost into a guitar because he got a deal on 5 way switches. What Leo would've done in this case is wire up a few extra tone control options.
Neck, Neck + bridge, Bridge, Bridge + Neck + tone, Neck + tone.

I'm convinced Cheaper By the Dozen was inspired by Leo Fender.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

The 3 pickup part is true, but remember the Strat originally had a 3-way switch and all 3 pickups were individually selected (and wound and polarized the same).  They were in effect all the same pickup.  The 5-way and RWRP middle pickup didn't come along until later.  Buddy Guy takes cresit for the 5-way, BTW.  As far as 50% more pickup cost, everything I've read of him, that doesn't make sense, then again the Strat was a departure from a Tele.  Optional gold hardware, custom colors, body contours, a headstock design that only yeilded one neck per blank instead of 2?  He wasn't always cheap.  The 50% more pickup cost was compared to the Tele.  The competition was starting to do hums, so if his had 3 coils instead of 4 (2 hums), copper cost-wise, he was still saving money.

 

[itsdavehere]

I've been toying with a 3 (possibly 4) pick up bass. I'm thinking along the lines of :-

Neck p/u - Dimarzio Willpower
Middle - Split p/u
Bridge - Humbucker with coil tap for single coil option
Piezo Bridge - ?

I'm looking to build it mainly for recording.
I play most contemporary styles, a bit of everything, but nothing too weird or specific.
Any suggestions for woods to be used?

 

[AutoBat]

We had a Guitar (Bass) of the Month that was a custom 3 pup Orange beauty by Hatchikid in October

 

[Jack Michaelson]

That is one nice looking bass.

 

[hachikid]

I've been toying with a 3 (possibly 4) pick up bass. I'm thinking along the lines of :-

Neck p/u - Dimarzio Willpower
Middle - Split p/u
Bridge - Humbucker with coil tap for single coil option
Piezo Bridge - ?

I'm looking to build it mainly for recording.
I play most contemporary styles, a bit of everything, but nothing too weird or specific.
Any suggestions for woods to be used?

that's actually, exactly what I did. here's the specs and photos of it:
http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=13567.0


in short, this thing is a Swiss Army Bass. I've gotten 5 distinct tones out of it. nailed Geddy's Rickenbacker tone with the p and X2N-7 100%, I can manage to get a Wal tone out of it in mono mode with the Model 1 and X2N on full, and straight up p-tone, MM tone, and EB-0 tone, and then you start blending the volumes, and it really just goes crazy from there. the tone you get from the two Will Power's on full is something really unique. it's like a really thick P-tone with mellower mids. it's active versatility with passive tone, and no batteries! this thing does everything I need it to.

as far as wood, I would saw Swamp Ash. it's got great resonance, and it balances nicely with the Canary neck. whatever wood you use for the neck, I would say keep it raw. it feels so great.