Pick up volume imbalance

[alembic1989]

I've got a humbucker ( neck position) and single coil jazz up in the bridge position with a VVT passive configuration. The trouble is the volume of the humbucker is way louder than the jazz. Is there anyway of sorting this and keeping the bass passive..or do I just have to rely on turning the front pick up down to the volume of the back pick up?

[Vinny]

I take it you've tried tweaking the heights?

[fretlessguy]

Not uncommon in PJ pickup combinations. If adjusting the heights worked you could just bring the volume of the Precision down to match the Jazz pup. Another route to take would be to replace the jazz pickup with a Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounder Jazz pickup. Believe me, that would cure the problem. Rarely even use my jazz pup except to just color the sound with a few more highs.

[alembic1989]

[quote name='fretlessguy' timestamp='1499547845' post='3332173']
Not uncommon in PJ pickup combinations. If adjusting the heights worked you could just bring the volume of the Precision down to match the Jazz pup. Another route to take would be to replace the jazz pickup with a Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounder Jazz pickup. Believe me, that would cure the problem. Rarely even use my jazz pup except to just color the sound with a few more highs.
[/quote]

Thing is..it's not a pj combination. The humbucker is a large Schaller vintage humbucker..similar to the Di marzios of the 70s..kind of mud bucker -ish

[alembic1989]

[quote name='Meddle' timestamp='1499553204' post='3332197']
Sounds like a Schaller 232 Bassbucker. High output for sure! Maybe try it in parallel or with one coil shorted?
[/quote]

It has a coil tap....and it's still huge sounding..I think you're right..it is a schaller 232...sounds great but..completely mental volume!

[EliasMooseblaster]

[quote name='alembic1989' timestamp='1499552731' post='3332193']
Thing is..it's not a pj combination. The humbucker is a large Schaller vintage humbucker..similar to the Di marzios of the 70s..kind of mud bucker -ish
[/quote]

Is it a similar arrangement to a Gibson EB-3 type bass then? I usually find with those that your best bet is to bring in a bit of the smaller bridge pickup to clear up some of the muddiness of the neck pickup; or run the bridge on full and blend in the neck until you get an Andy Fraser-like tone.

[Skybone]

Does the motherbucker have adjustable pole pieces?

You could always adjust the pole pieces & raise the jazz pickup.

[Andyjr1515]

As fretlessguy says above, putting a higher power bridge pickup would be probably the best way of keeping the thump of the neck while having better blend options from the bridge.

There are loads of other ways of alleviating the problem, as above, but they will all have consequences and compromises - and most of those compromises will relate to the sound of your humbucker changing.

[prowla]

Another way would be to wire the bass stereo, so the pickups go to separate amps or a mini-mixer (but that's effectively just an offboard pre-amp, if you think about it).