5 to 1...1 to 5

[haydukej]

Now that I've lured all of the Doors fans in here, sorry guys, it was more of a pun on the pickup switch positions.

I came across a mildly interesting article in the recent Tone Report titled In the defense of the neck pickup. I was kind of surprised, according to the article, that maybe the majority stay on the bridge. I suppose I've never actively monitored this in all the YT viddy's. Although, I have learned from all the Heads seeking Jerry's tone, that he generally preferred the middle pickup.

I was just curious, or tying to spur more discussion on here, which pickup my other fellow nutz typically find themselves on. After reading the article, I suppose I'm one of the odd ones out that typically play with the neck pickup (or on its side of the fence). If I'm playing the strat it's typically N+M or NxM or on the LP I like to go with either N+B or Nsc+B.

Perhaps that can be attributed to that I typically strum more chords that plucking individual notes.  

[b4nj0]

An interesting notion. I'm with you on this, normally eschewing the bridge pup
Maybe peeps are subconsciously going for a brighter sound from a darker sounding, perhaps mahogany based t@ne instrument, or seeking to tame an over-bright sound from a more shrill instrument.
It made me realise that I seldom go for the bridge pup with a Lester or when playing an S-type, but oddly enough rarely go for the neck pup with a T-type.
I've always assumed that this is because I'm not getting the best out of a bridge pup on an S-type in a low volume environment and a (possible) prejudice against the neck pup on a T-type. (but of course normally there's no tone shaping on an S-Type bridge pup.) Combinations of any are always acceptable to these ears.
The only exception here is with my Esquire where I don't have a lot of option! (although that one has a lifting fret and therefore seldom gets played)
Perhaps I'm just getting too old! I bought a detached house principally so I could wind the wick up, but now find I can't stand "loud' for very long anyway. When I was young I could happily crank and wail away for hours on end.

e&oe

[newey]

Count me as mostly on the neck alone, whether on the T type or on the S. It's a nice full jazzy sound, due to the greater string excursion thereabouts . . .

And, perhaps somewhat subconsciously, I have built a number of guitars with only a bridge pickup alone- but most of these have some sort of "cap bleed" circuit that takes the bridge pup closer to neck territory- settings which I use quite a bit when playing my single-pup guitars (including my Esquire-ish dual-rail, my Hofner travel guitar, and my Epi LP Jr.). So, maybe it's a sort of compensation that I've put that type of circuit into each of those guitars.

And, let us not forget that the rest of the lyric is: "No one here gets out alive" . . .

[ashcatlt]

I am going to do you a favor and not link you to the version of that song that was on the Blackwater Tribe's Unrecoverable album...

The "extreme" positions have always been like special effects to me. If I want nasal twanginess, I'll go to the bridge, if I want dark and heavy or square wave/octave up fuzz I'll go to the neck. For general purposes, though, I either use the middle pickup on its own or one of the bridge/neck combos. Been that way since my first Tele(clone). In fact, thinking about it now, I have four guitars in standard tuning with some absurd amount of possible pickup combinations between them, but most of the time - live or recording - I end up using the SG in the middle.

[JohnH]

I could spend my whole life between a neck single and a bridge humbucker. The bridge is great with some drive but i dont use it fully clean. The neck is useful for everything else including anything finger-style, or wound up a bit for some 'Keef' or 'Jimi' sounds.

For Rockabilly I wind a little of a bridge coil in series with the neck. I also spend about 10% of time at N+M.

[JFrankParnell]

For me (Strat HSS), it's N = clean, rhythm; B = distortion, leads. Although, I hardly ever play N by itself, because of hum and also, I like the N+M sound. I'll go N+B for tele twang.

[lunaalta]

I use all 5 positions on my old 73 Strat........... standard (quieted) wiring.  

N for rhythm, m for lead and maybe rhythm, B for leads. Sometimes N+M for rhythm and M+B for lead........... sometimes.
Again, sometimes, I dish the tone controls, to cut highs.............
I don't, normally, try to get other player's sounds dialed in, consciously......... 

I play mostly for recording my own songs, now. A bit of all styles of music. So, I use whatever is needed for the track, really.