Pickup type and descriptions

[charic]

Ok lets see what peoples definitions on what each kind of pickup is like to sound like

P (neck position)

P (bridge position)

Reverse P (neck)

Reverse P (bridge)

J (neck)

J (bridge)

MM (neck)

MM (bridge)

Soapbar (neck)

Soapbar (bridge)

This could end up being one for wiki

[lowhand_mike]

mine has 2 soap bars (barts mk1's)
the neck has a bit of a P sound too it, though much smoother and warmer depending how much bass/mid/treble boost/cut you give. with the treble rolled off you get a very smooth tone (think a warmer "Come Together" tone) but loads of depth. with the treble on it has that P 'growl" (cant think of a better word) but again a bit warmer.

the bridge bar is far more mid and lack the low end grunt the neck gives but cuts through. again the sound can be changed by where you play over the pick ups, so for a real nasaly honk play it over the bridge end but you'll need to boost the bass a bit.

played both together you get a bit of a Jazz sound but with far more warmth to it, clean mids and biting treble and a thick low end. doesnt have the dryness a jazz can have.

this is also heavily dependant on the type of wood the body and neck has as well as the eq (in my case and active Bart mk1 with mahogany body, wenge/bubinga neck)

i'm sure there is someone more eloquent than me to give a similar description.

Edited June 30, 2008 by lowhand_mike

[charic]

So soap bar is similar to J style pickups but capable of the further extremeties? Both warmer or harsher than the J pickup allows? Interesting

[neepheid]

Soapbar pickups hide a multitude of options. Take EMGs for instance. In the same soapbar package (let's say the 40) you could have a single blade, dual blade, split blade (like a P), dual blade with ceramic and steel magnets, switchable single/dual blade ceramic and steel. All of which will have an effect on the sound produced.