How do bridge and neck pups differ?

[TheGreek]

Probably changing the pups in my recently acquired JP Squier.

I already have a Seymour Duncan jazz neck pup which has been lying in my parts drawer since the beginning of time - why can't I use this in the bridge position?

[bartelby]

11 minutes ago, TheGreek said:

Probably changing the pups in my recently acquired JP Squier.

I already have a Seymour Duncan jazz neck pup which has been lying in my parts drawer since the beginning of time - why can't I use this in the bridge position?

 

Different size? Bridge one being slightly wider...

 

[foxyFuze]

Resistance is sometimes higher in the bridge pup to account for lower string vibration being closer to a fixed point (the bridge).

[Jus Lukin]

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Edited March 4, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[Stub Mandrel]

Try it, it will probably have a lot more output.

Pickups usually are made in neck/bridge pairs, the bridge ones have more windings which makes then more powerful but a little less bright. This is balanced by the bridge position be naturally brighter but quieter (less fundamental, more harmonics and less amplitude).

This means that a well matched pair of pickups give two contrasting but balanced sounds and also a pleasant balance when both turned up.

Swapping neck for bridge will spoil this balance, but there's no absolute reason why any individual pickup won't sound good in either position. Anything goes if mixing unmatched pickups and then you will probably want to play with pickup height to get a good balance.

[mcnach]

Typically a bridge pickup will be a bit wider, with wider spacing between polepieces, so one does not fit in the routing for the other. Having said that, some basses use the same size pickup - particularly older Squiers and some Mexican Fenders). 

Sometimes the bridge pickup is also a bit hotter, but there's generally very little difference and instead the bridge pickup just needs to be set closer to the strings to ensure even output between both pickups. 

Just try it, if it fits... it'll work.

[TheGreek]

Thanks fellas...on Annual Leave this week and the Squier is in the office...I'll check next week.