Top or tail?

sdennan

Joined: Mar 17, 2019
Posts: 13

Posted on Feb 28 2023 06:41 PM

For those on two pickup axes, do you spend more time on the neck or brisge pickup?

Asking for a friend.

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SandBug

Joined: Feb 22, 2016
Posts: 442
California
United States

Posted on Feb 28 2023 10:17 PM

I love both PUs on in parallel, (Jaguar player here). I don't favor one PU or the other. Having both pick ups on gives me the most variety of tones that can be captured simply by adjusting my picking position. Not to mention it's humbucking.

Massive overgeneralization; I've noticed that fast players tend to prefer the more focused and aggressive tone of the bridge PU. While slower, more lyrical passages often benefit from the lushness of using the neck pick up.

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synchro

Joined: Feb 02, 2008
Posts: 4462
Not One-Sawn, but Two-Sawn . . . AZ.
United States

Posted on Feb 28 2023 10:27 PM

In most cases, both pickups. It depends on tne guitar. If I’m playing Sirf on a Gretsch, the bridge pickup, alone, has enough heft to give me the right sound. Likewise if I’m looking for a twangy Country sound. For just about anything else, I usually play on both pickups.

—

The artist formerly known as: Synchro

When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.

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Samurai

Joined: Mar 14, 2006
Posts: 2258
Kiev, Ukraine
Ukraine

Posted on Mar 01 2023 12:09 AM

Jaguar - bridge
Jazzmaster - both
Gretsch - bridge

—

Waikiki Makaki surf-rock band from Ukraine

https://linktr.ee/waikikimakaki

Lost Diver

https://lostdiver.bandcamp.com
https://soundcloud.com/vitaly-yakushin

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twang10

Joined: Dec 12, 2018
Posts: 24
New Zealand

Posted on Mar 01 2023 05:28 AM

For rhythm I usually use the neck pickup, sometimes the bridge.
For lead I use either both or the bridge.

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da-ron

Joined: Jan 02, 2009
Posts: 1307
The original Plymouth, UK.
United Kingdom

Posted on Mar 01 2023 06:40 AM

I have a Jazzmaster. I prefer the sound of both pickups when playing on my own.

When playing with a band I use the bridge pick up as it cuts through the rest of the band more than both pickups.

—

http://thewaterboarders.bandcamp.com/

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synchro

Joined: Feb 02, 2008
Posts: 4462
Not One-Sawn, but Two-Sawn . . . AZ.
United States

Posted on Mar 01 2023 09:00 AM

da-ron wrote:

I have a Jazzmaster. I prefer the sound of both pickups when playing on my own.

When playing with a band I use the bridge pick up as it cuts through the rest of the band more than both pickups.

That’s a good point; a lot of it has to do with the setting. I played in a quartet, with a rhythm guitarist, and used single-coil guitars and (usually) a treble sound. When the rhythm guitarist moved away, I started playing a Gretsch, with Filtertrons, because it filled-out the sound better in a trio.

—

The artist formerly known as: Synchro

When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.

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Samurai

Joined: Mar 14, 2006
Posts: 2258
Kiev, Ukraine
Ukraine

Posted on Mar 01 2023 09:08 AM

da-ron wrote:

I have a Jazzmaster. I prefer the sound of both pickups when playing on my own.

When playing with a band I use the bridge pick up as it cuts through the rest of the band more than both pickups.

yep, when I record I use Jazzmaster, both, for rhythm and Jaguar, bridge, for lead mostly. It sound a little as two different guitar players)

—

Waikiki Makaki surf-rock band from Ukraine

https://linktr.ee/waikikimakaki

Lost Diver

https://lostdiver.bandcamp.com
https://soundcloud.com/vitaly-yakushin

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chiba

Joined: Sep 02, 2022
Posts: 519
Central VA
United States

Posted on Mar 01 2023 01:13 PM

Mostly on the bridge, no matter the guitar. I've modded my favorite Strats to have two pickups rather than three, and even on those, mostly the bridge

—

--
Project: MAYHEM by Hypersonic Secret now available!

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edwardsand

Joined: Jun 29, 2018
Posts: 776

Posted on Mar 03 2023 08:45 AM

1 - When I saw the title of this thread, I first thought it was another porn spam post.

2 - Which pickup or combo totally depends on the type of music I'm playing, and I can't say I necessarily play one more than the other. But for some different genres, here's what I often use:

Bridge: Link Wray, 60s garage/pyschedelic, Johnny Cash lead
Bridge + Neck: Surf, Cramps tunes, folk type stuff
Neck: Blues, bluesy noise/punk (e.g., Jon Spencer), old country

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synchro

Joined: Feb 02, 2008
Posts: 4462
Not One-Sawn, but Two-Sawn . . . AZ.
United States

Posted on Mar 03 2023 11:23 AM

edwardsand wrote:

1 - When I saw the title of this thread, I first thought it was another porn spam post.

2 - Which pickup or combo totally depends on the type of music I'm playing, and I can't say I necessarily play one more than the other. But for some different genres, here's what I often use:

Bridge: Link Wray, 60s garage/pyschedelic, Johnny Cash lead
Bridge + Neck: Surf, Cramps tunes, folk type stuff
Neck: Blues, bluesy noise/punk (e.g., Jon Spencer), old country

That was my first reaction, as well. I’m a moderator at the Gretsch-Talk forum, so my eye is always peeled for spam posts. My first reaction to the title of this thread was that this was some weird new porn description.

Interestingly, as I’m getting to know my new Squier Jaguar, I am finding that the pickup use varies greatly, depending upon the amp. I have a Winfield Typhoon, which is basically a Vox AC 15 preamp going into a 5 watt, single ended EL 84 power amp. On that amp, both pickups together sounds drippy, Surfy, and is just about perfect. On the bridge alone, the sound is very bright, almost into icepick territory, but it’s usable for a handful of things.

If I plug the same guitar into my Winfield Tremor, which is basically a 6G2 Princeton circuit, both pickups together are too warm for Surf, and I have to use the bridge pickup alone. It’s a great sound, but it definitely shifts the guitar into warmer territory, even though the tone control was set fairly high.

Both amps provided a useful sound, but the guitar had to be configured differently in order to obtain it.

—

The artist formerly known as: Synchro

When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.

Top

DaveMudgett

Joined: Mar 17, 2019
Posts: 162
Central PA
United States

Posted on Mar 03 2023 01:29 PM

I know there are guitar players who only use one pickup, regardless of the guitar, amp, and playing situation. I am not one of them. I use whatever pickup and/or pickup combination that sounds best, to me, for the playing situation at hand. I listen, and then decide.

And sure - it depends on a lot of factors. The music, the guitar, the amp, the effects, what other people are playing, and probably other things as well. If there's another guitar player, it is often useful to use a different part of the sonic landscape to create some distinction. I fairly often change pickup(s) in the middle of a song.

I believe I am devoid of one-pickup electric guitars at this point. I traded away my last one last weekend. I love Les Paul Juniors, Fender Esquires, and so on. They can be great, but there is always a point in any gig where I want a different pickup. I have two guitars that started life as an Esquire, but they are now Telecasters. One came to me that way, the other I changed myself. The latter was routed that way, it was a simple matter to add the neck pickup.

The notable exception for me is pedal steel. Good luck finding a pedal steel with more than one pickup. I may well rout out a piece of the neck on one to give me a second pickup. I think one of the things that has furiously typecast pedal steel is that they, mostly, sound the same. There are some exceptions, mostly on older pedal steels. But most modern pedal steels have a strikingly similar sound, played by the same person through the same equipment.

—

The Delverados - surf, punk, trash, twang - Facebook
Chicken Tractor Deluxe - hardcore Americana - Facebook and Website
The Telegrassers - semi-electric bluegrass/Americana - Facebook

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sdennan Joined: Mar 17, 2019 Posts: 13	Posted on Feb 28 2023 06:41 PM For those on two pickup axes, do you spend more time on the neck or brisge pickup? Asking for a friend. Top
SandBug Joined: Feb 22, 2016 Posts: 442 California	Posted on Feb 28 2023 10:17 PM I love both PUs on in parallel, (Jaguar player here). I don't favor one PU or the other. Having both pick ups on gives me the most variety of tones that can be captured simply by adjusting my picking position. Not to mention it's humbucking. Massive overgeneralization; I've noticed that fast players tend to prefer the more focused and aggressive tone of the bridge PU. While slower, more lyrical passages often benefit from the lushness of using the neck pick up. Top
synchro Joined: Feb 02, 2008 Posts: 4462 Not One-Sawn, but Two-Sawn . . . AZ.	Posted on Feb 28 2023 10:27 PM In most cases, both pickups. It depends on tne guitar. If I’m playing Sirf on a Gretsch, the bridge pickup, alone, has enough heft to give me the right sound. Likewise if I’m looking for a twangy Country sound. For just about anything else, I usually play on both pickups. — The artist formerly known as: Synchro When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar. Top
Samurai Joined: Mar 14, 2006 Posts: 2258 Kiev, Ukraine	Posted on Mar 01 2023 12:09 AM Jaguar - bridge Jazzmaster - both Gretsch - bridge — Waikiki Makaki surf-rock band from Ukraine https://linktr.ee/waikikimakaki Lost Diver https://lostdiver.bandcamp.com https://soundcloud.com/vitaly-yakushin Top
twang10 Joined: Dec 12, 2018 Posts: 24	Posted on Mar 01 2023 05:28 AM For rhythm I usually use the neck pickup, sometimes the bridge. For lead I use either both or the bridge. Top
da-ron Joined: Jan 02, 2009 Posts: 1307 The original Plymouth, UK.	Posted on Mar 01 2023 06:40 AM I have a Jazzmaster. I prefer the sound of both pickups when playing on my own. When playing with a band I use the bridge pick up as it cuts through the rest of the band more than both pickups. — http://thewaterboarders.bandcamp.com/ Top
synchro Joined: Feb 02, 2008 Posts: 4462 Not One-Sawn, but Two-Sawn . . . AZ.	Posted on Mar 01 2023 09:00 AM da-ron wrote: I have a Jazzmaster. I prefer the sound of both pickups when playing on my own. When playing with a band I use the bridge pick up as it cuts through the rest of the band more than both pickups. That’s a good point; a lot of it has to do with the setting. I played in a quartet, with a rhythm guitarist, and used single-coil guitars and (usually) a treble sound. When the rhythm guitarist moved away, I started playing a Gretsch, with Filtertrons, because it filled-out the sound better in a trio. — The artist formerly known as: Synchro When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar. Top
Samurai Joined: Mar 14, 2006 Posts: 2258 Kiev, Ukraine	Posted on Mar 01 2023 09:08 AM da-ron wrote: I have a Jazzmaster. I prefer the sound of both pickups when playing on my own. When playing with a band I use the bridge pick up as it cuts through the rest of the band more than both pickups. yep, when I record I use Jazzmaster, both, for rhythm and Jaguar, bridge, for lead mostly. It sound a little as two different guitar players) — Waikiki Makaki surf-rock band from Ukraine https://linktr.ee/waikikimakaki Lost Diver https://lostdiver.bandcamp.com https://soundcloud.com/vitaly-yakushin Top
chiba Joined: Sep 02, 2022 Posts: 519 Central VA	Posted on Mar 01 2023 01:13 PM Mostly on the bridge, no matter the guitar. I've modded my favorite Strats to have two pickups rather than three, and even on those, mostly the bridge — -- Project: MAYHEM by Hypersonic Secret now available! Top
edwardsand Joined: Jun 29, 2018 Posts: 776	Posted on Mar 03 2023 08:45 AM 1 - When I saw the title of this thread, I first thought it was another porn spam post. 2 - Which pickup or combo totally depends on the type of music I'm playing, and I can't say I necessarily play one more than the other. But for some different genres, here's what I often use: Bridge: Link Wray, 60s garage/pyschedelic, Johnny Cash lead Bridge + Neck: Surf, Cramps tunes, folk type stuff Neck: Blues, bluesy noise/punk (e.g., Jon Spencer), old country Top
synchro Joined: Feb 02, 2008 Posts: 4462 Not One-Sawn, but Two-Sawn . . . AZ.	Posted on Mar 03 2023 11:23 AM edwardsand wrote: 1 - When I saw the title of this thread, I first thought it was another porn spam post. 2 - Which pickup or combo totally depends on the type of music I'm playing, and I can't say I necessarily play one more than the other. But for some different genres, here's what I often use: Bridge: Link Wray, 60s garage/pyschedelic, Johnny Cash lead Bridge + Neck: Surf, Cramps tunes, folk type stuff Neck: Blues, bluesy noise/punk (e.g., Jon Spencer), old country That was my first reaction, as well. I’m a moderator at the Gretsch-Talk forum, so my eye is always peeled for spam posts. My first reaction to the title of this thread was that this was some weird new porn description. Interestingly, as I’m getting to know my new Squier Jaguar, I am finding that the pickup use varies greatly, depending upon the amp. I have a Winfield Typhoon, which is basically a Vox AC 15 preamp going into a 5 watt, single ended EL 84 power amp. On that amp, both pickups together sounds drippy, Surfy, and is just about perfect. On the bridge alone, the sound is very bright, almost into icepick territory, but it’s usable for a handful of things. If I plug the same guitar into my Winfield Tremor, which is basically a 6G2 Princeton circuit, both pickups together are too warm for Surf, and I have to use the bridge pickup alone. It’s a great sound, but it definitely shifts the guitar into warmer territory, even though the tone control was set fairly high. Both amps provided a useful sound, but the guitar had to be configured differently in order to obtain it. — The artist formerly known as: Synchro When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar. Top
DaveMudgett Joined: Mar 17, 2019 Posts: 162 Central PA	Posted on Mar 03 2023 01:29 PM I know there are guitar players who only use one pickup, regardless of the guitar, amp, and playing situation. I am not one of them. I use whatever pickup and/or pickup combination that sounds best, to me, for the playing situation at hand. I listen, and then decide. And sure - it depends on a lot of factors. The music, the guitar, the amp, the effects, what other people are playing, and probably other things as well. If there's another guitar player, it is often useful to use a different part of the sonic landscape to create some distinction. I fairly often change pickup(s) in the middle of a song. I believe I am devoid of one-pickup electric guitars at this point. I traded away my last one last weekend. I love Les Paul Juniors, Fender Esquires, and so on. They can be great, but there is always a point in any gig where I want a different pickup. I have two guitars that started life as an Esquire, but they are now Telecasters. One came to me that way, the other I changed myself. The latter was routed that way, it was a simple matter to add the neck pickup. The notable exception for me is pedal steel. Good luck finding a pedal steel with more than one pickup. I may well rout out a piece of the neck on one to give me a second pickup. I think one of the things that has furiously typecast pedal steel is that they, mostly, sound the same. There are some exceptions, mostly on older pedal steels. But most modern pedal steels have a strikingly similar sound, played by the same person through the same equipment. — The Delverados - surf, punk, trash, twang - Facebook Chicken Tractor Deluxe - hardcore Americana - Facebook and Website The Telegrassers - semi-electric bluegrass/Americana - Facebook Top

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