Bass Pickup Volume

maze.michael.a · July 21, 2020, 2:47am

Hello all,

So I have a MIM Fender jazz bass, and I noticed that the neck pickup is a LOT louder than the bridge pickup. Is this something that others have experienced as well?

howard · July 21, 2020, 2:48am

Might need a pickup height adjustment?

Mac · July 21, 2020, 2:50am

Welcome to the best place in the inter web @maze.michael.a

I may have a similar thing going on with the Ibanez but I’m not sure if it’s not a different tone my ears are picking up

And what @howard said is a definite possibility

Gio · July 21, 2020, 3:04am

This is hopefully the case.

If the magnets on the neck pickup are closer to the strings, you’ll get bigger output.
I’ve had to fiddle with mine quite a bit, as my E string is pretty quiet on my J bass. So I have my pickups adjusted at an angle so that the E string side is higher.
Fun tweaks to mess with.

TNKA36 · July 21, 2020, 3:21am

Welcome aboard @maze.michael.a
Enjoy the ride.
Cheers Brian

maze.michael.a · July 21, 2020, 4:02am

Thanks. I appreciate it

maze.michael.a · July 21, 2020, 4:05am

I did go back over the height of the pickups in relation to the strings, and found that it was about 1.5 mm lower than the neck pickup. That seems to have worked.

I did eyeball it a few days ago and thought it was about even, but apparently now. Odd how such a small distance makes such a big difference…

JerryP · July 21, 2020, 10:56am

Welcome to the community @maze.michael.a!