| Author | Message | ||
| tmoney61092
Intermediate Member Username: tmoney61092 Post Number: 185 Registered: 9-2008 |
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
Senior Member Username: dnburgess Post Number: 643 Registered: 1-2003 |
The new Musicman Big Al has three pickups and is way fun to play. | ||
| tmoney61092
Intermediate Member Username: tmoney61092 Post Number: 192 Registered: 9-2008 |
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
Senior Member Username: dannobasso Post Number: 1087 Registered: 3-2004 |
Having one built as we speak. | ||
| tmoney61092
Intermediate Member Username: tmoney61092 Post Number: 194 Registered: 9-2008 |
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
Senior Member Username: keith_h Post Number: 1353 Registered: 2-2005 |
Moderator Dave has/had a three pickup Alembic as I recall. Keith | ||
| dannobasso
Senior Member Username: dannobasso Post Number: 1088 Registered: 3-2004 |
Also Trip Wamsley. | ||
| toma_hawk01
Member Username: toma_hawk01 Post Number: 99 Registered: 7-2009 |
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
Senior Member Username: pace Post Number: 414 Registered: 4-2004 |
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....) |
