Author Topic: Bass with 3 pickups (Read 147 times)

tmoney61092 · « **on:** August 19, 2009, 08:26:25 PM »

i've just been wondering this lately, why have basses throughout the years only had 1 or 2 pickups? i guess what i'm asking is, why have basses with 3 pickups not been as popular as basses with 2?

~Taylor Watterson

dnburgess · « **Reply #1 on:** August 20, 2009, 02:19:59 AM »

The new Musicman Big Al has three pickups and is way fun to play.

tmoney61092 · « **Reply #2 on:** August 20, 2009, 08:17:14 AM »

very true, is that part of the 40th anniversary stuff or did they just come out with it just for the heck of it?

~Taylor Watterson

dannobasso · « **Reply #3 on:** August 20, 2009, 10:20:07 AM »

Having one built as we speak.

tmoney61092 · « **Reply #4 on:** August 20, 2009, 10:26:12 AM »

your bass is actually the reason i asked. aside from the musicman, the only 3 pickup basses that i have been custom, and those Loewenherz basses that have 6 pickups stock(they made a bass with 12 pickups!!!!!!)

~Taylor Watterson

keith_h · « **Reply #5 on:** August 20, 2009, 01:55:49 PM »

Moderator Dave has/had a three pickup Alembic as I recall.

Keith

dannobasso · « **Reply #6 on:** August 20, 2009, 02:33:20 PM »

Also Trip Wamsley.

toma_hawk01 · « **Reply #7 on:** August 20, 2009, 02:54:15 PM »

Man, I got to have 12 pickups on my bass, and for my speaker volume controls -- Eleven instead of 10.

Then, and only then... I'll be special.

Seriously, Bootsy has about (5) pickups on his famous Space Bass, and it made his sound bossy.
Increasing the pickups, can improve sound to some degree, but I'll just stick to (1) or (2) for less the stress on repairs to consider...

I can hear me now on the phone...

My second pickup q switch has a short... and the Tech support say: We need you to make sure it's not the other (5) pickups that are not problematic, so we need you run a simple test for us...

Or, I hear a hum... I wonder which pickup is causing it?

Yeah, right... not I.

(Message edited by toma_hawk01 on August 20, 2009)

pace · « **Reply #8 on:** August 20, 2009, 09:00:57 PM »

Taylor,

When you consider the course of Alembic's history, based on design, plus when you crunch the numbers their isn't much room for that elusive 3rd pickup.... Back in the day, even if the dummy coil was placed under the tailpiece, it would be near impossible to fit 3 AXY shaped pickups on a short scale bass. Moving up to 32 scale length makes 3 pickups an option, but aside from Phil Lesh's Osage Orange, it wasn't a feasible option back in the day, unless you ditched the PF-6 board and went for an entirely custom electronics package.

Once Alembic started to branch out into their current model lines, having a 3rd pickup became a viable option (longer scale lengths, activatior electronics, various pickup molds, etc etc....)