where, oh where, does my little pup go?

[UnklMickey]

if you only have ONE pickup, where should it be placed?


obviously this is a matter of personal taste.

but i'm also interested in what drives the preference.

keeping it out of the way?

certain sound characteristics fitting in best with a personal style?

versatility?

[UnklMickey]

at the risk of sounding like Goldilocks, i'm gonna say the middle is "just right".

but there are a number of reasons, for and against.

i'll tell you about them later, if i need to.

but i think you guys will probably hit on all or most of them anyway.


cheers

unk

[RandomHero]

I voted Bridge, but I would place mine a centimeter or two farther neckwise than your standard "snuggling with the saddles" location. I like the overdriven snarl that is specific to the bridge, but would prefer a bit fatter and rounder of a clean tone than the standard bridge position supplies.

Now, if I could have a different guitar for each sound... ;D

[JohnH]

I cant answer, beacuse it would depend on what the pup is. An Hb, I would put at the bridge. If it is a single, it would go at the neck. Its about balancing light and dark for each case!

J

[ChrisK]

IN the bridge as in a piezo (or the clunky magnetic add-on if one must), with a 13 pin hex interface, connected to a VG-88.

as in

A Godin with such built-in,
www.godinguitars.com/godinproductlistingp.htm


OR as in

A Variax with the workbench.
www.line6.com/products/instruments/

www.line6.com/variaxWorkbench/


THEN the pickup(S) are anywhere (and any-what) that you want them to be (including in the middle of the neck).

[ux4484]

Bridge, it's the position I play the most on the strat (HB w/split), and at least half the time on the tele (though I have been warming up to the neck pup since upgrading the tele).
I must have the twang.....
I think where you play most might have some consideration also. For me, on the strat picking takes place over the middle pup most of the time, but on the tele, I'm pretty much a bridge hugger. The ashtray bridge is a perfect hand rest.

I would say the same on bass as well. I've never had a single PU bass, and the bridge pup has always been my preference, the exception would be a Kingston Hofner copy I had in H.S., the sweet sound spot on that bass was in front of the neck pup. For playing position on bass, I'm opposite (unless I'm going for a Rick sound) I usually play over of just in front of the neck pup....though I think that's due to my early years spent with Roger Filiberto's Mel Bay book.

[Happyguy]

Bridge, better distortion... can you say harmonics?

[UnklMickey]

happyguy said:

Bridge, better distortion... can you say harmonics?

well yes, yes i can.

i do have a few friends that can't seem to say it without pronouncing the "s" like an "a".

but most of them just pronounce the last 6 letters (monics) like a "p".


the comments are coming along nicely.

i particularly like what i'm seeing so far.

[ccso8462]

I think JohnH hit it on the head: Bridge if it's HB, neck if it's single. Happyguy has a good point about harmonics, too. Of course playing style has an awful lot to do with it. Love the Tele bite and twang of a single at the bridge!

[bam]

Strangely enough, I love a HB at the neck ;D.

.. and when I need harmonics, I switch to the bridge.

[GuyaGuy]

middle position SC is the most underrated pup in the world. just sounds so natural and acoustic and woody. mmmm....
so, yes. middle.

[mikesr1963]

What's the ohm rating?

[UnklMickey]

mikesr1963 said:

What's the ohm rating?

it's whatever you want it to be.

if that makes a difference to you, in determining the placement, PLEASE include that in your comments.



thanks,

unk

[Runewalker]

There is no "Other" category in the radio knobs.

one humbucker with 5 switching options (rotary probably)

• Series
  
• Para
  
• Single N
  
• Single S
  
• Series OoP (novelty tone)
  

Then set the pup on rails to move back and forth along the picking channel to select the tonal placement desired at any moment in the string occilation path.

Of course you would need a "swimming pool" rout for the rail channel so the natural canidate would be a strat or maybe an altered JazzM --- something with a large expanse of toneplastic. WIth the swimming pool rout you would get the additional 'benefit' of an acoustic 'sound chamber."

[UnklMickey]

thanks Rune,

that's a very insightful idea.

it doesn't really advance the original intent of this thread (trying to determine the relationship between pickup position and the resultant tonal characteristics.

nonetheless, i always like a novel idea, regardless of where it arises.




this has mostly run it's course.
we seem to be reaching the point where most everyone who wants to say something on the matter, has.

i'll let it float a while longer, then try to glean the gist of each post and assemble them all together in an overview that we can all hammer on, until it takes shape.

[Ripper]

Call me a Vampire, but it would have to be the neck.

Its as smooth as butta'...

As I get older its the mellow sounds that please my ear the most.

[UnklMickey]

okay guys,

i know this has been left dormant for a while, but i was asked about pickup placement on another forum, and it got me to thinking about this thread.

it looks like half say Bridge, one quarter say Neck, and one quarter say Middle.

nothing surprising about those results.


noteworthy comments:

HB at bridge, SC at neck..................good logic behind that one.

Bridge position, but not as close to the bridge as normal.............i liked that one too.

piezo IN the bridge (ChrisK) -- --- on rails, to make it adjustable (Rune) ..............
....................i don't think these guys ever were able color between the lines. i guess that's why they come up with such interesting ideas.

my opinion(s):

i wouldn't want the pickup at the Bridge........because it's just too brittle there, for an "everything" sound, even with a HB.

i wouldn't want it in the Middle...................good sound, but it's in the way of picking.

i wouldn't want it at the Neck, if i played way up on the fretboard (20th fret)..............it sounds brittle just like the Bridge pickup. the Middle sounds mellower there.

so in general i think, just far enough out of the pick lane would be a reasonable all-round choice.


but who wants just one pickup.