K_J Posted November 8, 2018 Share Posted November 8, 2018 (edited) Hi, I'm making my own carbon fibre bass guitar and I am wondering where is the best place to put the pickups? Thanks:D Edited November 8, 2018 by K_J 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aidan63 Posted November 8, 2018 Share Posted November 8, 2018 which pickups ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacko Posted November 8, 2018 Share Posted November 8, 2018 on the front under the strings seems to work for most builders. 3 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keeponehandloose Posted November 8, 2018 Share Posted November 8, 2018 Its something to do with string nodes.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grangur Posted November 8, 2018 Share Posted November 8, 2018 Nearer the neck makes the sound more "rounded". Nearer the bridge for a more aggressive "clipped" sound. So there is no "Right" position. Some will talk of a sweet-spot but it's down to personal preference. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted November 8, 2018 Share Posted November 8, 2018 (edited) Unless one is playing only 'open' strings, the 'sweet spot' and 'string node' positions will change as the string length gets shortened. There is no one spot for every note, so it's a matter of best compromise. One option is to provide for a movable pick-up (s'been done before, on sliding rails...). If you're building from scratch, I'd suggest doing a 'plank' mock-up, and moving a pick-up around until you find the spot that pleases most for the styles of music to be played. Shouldn't be too difficult; worth a shot..? Hope this helps. Edited November 8, 2018 by Dad3353 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conan Posted November 8, 2018 Share Posted November 8, 2018 55 minutes ago, jacko said: on the front under the strings seems to work for most builders. Damn - beaten to it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4000 Posted November 8, 2018 Share Posted November 8, 2018 It's entirely dependent on your taste. I've found that an important part of the sound I love and use is having a specific type of pickup roughly half an inch away from the end of a 20 fret fingerboard. The same thing an inch away doesn't work the same for me. Put 24 frets on it and I'm knackered. However if you asked Jaco, he'd tell you something entirely different. Dad3353's suggestion is a very good one. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted November 8, 2018 Share Posted November 8, 2018 2 hours ago, 4000 said: It's entirely dependent on your taste. I've found that an important part of the sound I love and use is having a specific type of pickup roughly half an inch away from the end of a 20 fret fingerboard. The same thing an inch away doesn't work the same for me. Put 24 frets on it and I'm knackered. However if you asked Jaco, he'd tell you something entirely different. Dad3353's suggestion is a very good one. I wouldn't bother asking Jaco as he's unlikely to reply....😉 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teebs Posted November 8, 2018 Share Posted November 8, 2018 (edited) 👻 Jaco P : on the front under the strings seems to work for most builders. Wooohoooooo! * @jacko sorry I stole your quote! Edited November 8, 2018 by Teebs Attribution 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NHM Posted November 9, 2018 Share Posted November 9, 2018 If you wear a glove to pluck, why not sew a pup into the palm - then you can learn to move up and down the neck to always be on the 'sweet spot', and subtle shifts in intensity will be possible too. Shouldn't be too difficult to master. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grangur Posted November 13, 2018 Share Posted November 13, 2018 On 08/11/2018 at 12:41, Dad3353 said: Unless one is playing only 'open' strings, the 'sweet spot' and 'string node' positions will change as the string length gets shortened. There is no one spot for every note, so it's a matter of best compromise. One option is to provide for a movable pick-up (s'been done before, on sliding rails...). If you're building from scratch, I'd suggest doing a 'plank' mock-up, and moving a pick-up around until you find the spot that pleases most for the styles of music to be played. Shouldn't be too difficult; worth a shot..? Hope this helps. What some folk have done, to do this, is get a cheap bass and rout out the body for almost the whole of the space under the strings. You can then move the pups anywhere and find what you like. ( @Dad3353, already knows this, but it's useful to quote it so you know what I'm on about) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTravis Posted November 13, 2018 Share Posted November 13, 2018 Saw Paul Reed Smith discussing pickup placement based upon where the octave harmonics were. That’s why he preferred the sound of the McCarty and Custom 22 guitars - the neck pickup sat where the 24th fret would be. but that’s a preference thing, and not “correct” nor “incorrect”. Also, it was a free bar when he was talking so I don’t remember what his science was about. Although he did talk about pushing almost finished guitars through a band saw if they had ugly tops or “faults” in the Wood. I facetiously asked why they didn’t just put a solid finish on it instead, or donate to local music charities rather than bin off a nearly finished guitar. He smiled politely and answered succinctly. I don’t remember what his reasons were. He’s not as dull as Bob Taylor...but not far off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted November 13, 2018 Share Posted November 13, 2018 On 09/11/2018 at 12:04, NHM said: If you wear a glove to pluck, why not sew a pup into the palm - then you can learn to move up and down the neck to always be on the 'sweet spot', and subtle shifts in intensity will be possible too. Shouldn't be too difficult to master. I don't think the RSPCA would approve... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted November 14, 2018 Share Posted November 14, 2018 On 08/11/2018 at 12:12, keeponehandloose said: Its something to do with string nodes.. I'm not convinced about that explanation, since the nodes change position as you fret different notes and the string length varies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted November 14, 2018 Share Posted November 14, 2018 8 hours ago, Grangur said: What some folk have done, to do this, is get a cheap bass and rout out the body for almost the whole of the space under the strings. You can then move the pups anywhere and find what you like. ( @Dad3353, already knows this, but it's useful to quote it so you know what I'm on about) I did that on an old OLP (Stingray style) bass. It was an interesting exercise that ultimately turned fruitless: I liked the sound with the pickup right where it was originally. A Precision pickup at the Stingray pickup position sounded really good too. Of course, that's just for my taste. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HengistPod Posted November 14, 2018 Share Posted November 14, 2018 (edited) Check out the 10-string Thunderbird thread in the "Builds" forum for pics of a pickup mule in action ... Edited November 14, 2018 by HengistPod Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyquipment Posted November 14, 2018 Share Posted November 14, 2018 I would have thought near the stringz😂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.