One Pickup or Two on a Jazz Guitar?

[Dpardoe]

New member here. It’s great to have happened on this forum…generous members and lots of useful information. Thank you.

I come from the acoustic side of things and have just about narrowed down the choice of a first electric…a used Eastman El Rey ER1 or ER2. I like the size. The acoustic I have is 15 inches across the bout and even that is a bit large for my liking. I have to say I really like the simple, clean look of the ER1 and I am guessing that without the extra pickup, knobs and switch, the ER1 might contribute a bit more acoustically to the sound than the ER2.

I have done some homework on single pickups vs. two pickups…lots of searches on the net and in this forum and I am still scratching my head. If jazz is played mostly on the neck pickup, I wonder why a fair number of players go with dual pup guitars. I suppose the answer could be that they want versatility for playing other types of music. Or is it that two pickups contribute a subtlety to the sound they are looking for? In the You Tube videos I have watched, most of the time that switch is in the neck position! So, you guys who play jazz most of the time, when, if ever, do you switch on the bridge pickup and why?

[hans halmackenreuter]

what do you mean exactly with jazz? just straight ahead?

[mr. beaumont]

I'm going to have the bridge pickup on my Heritage replaced with a dummy holkow pickup. it will be filled with bourbon.

[Jim Soloway]

I have absolutely no use at all for a bridge pickup (and I'm really too clumsy to switch on the fly anyway). I'm in the midst of putting together a short scale Tele partscaster and I've been talking to my wife about whether I should stick a pickup in the bridge position. Unless I decide to sell it some day, the bridge pickup would just be decorative anyway. The body came pre-routed. The control plate is pre-cut for the blade switch and of course the Tele bridge has the opening for the pickup, but I may just leave it empty and not bother installing a switch.

[PTChristopher]

>>> is it that two pickups contribute a subtlety to the sound they are looking for?

Well as the sort of revisionist history applied to many classic guitars I guess you could say that the ballast of the neck PU is a small part of the sound of some guitars.

There is possibly some irony in the love many have for older, thinner plywood guitars, yet seeming no regard for the effect of hanging an unused pickup on the top of any guitar.

>>> wonder why a fair number of players go with dual pup guitars.

Fashion, tradition (of some existing designs), the very occasional actual use of the bridge PU (hard to find many examples, but there must be).

I have owned and played guitars that did not seem to suffer from the second PU. So I guess, "It doesn't hurt." is also a reason.

In my opinion.

Chris

[mike g]

I play an ES-165, only has a neck pk-up. Never miss the other.

[Jim Soloway]

>>> is it that two pickups contribute a subtlety to the sound they are looking for?

Well as the sort of revisionist history applied to many classic guitars I guess you could say that the ballast of the neck PU is a small part of the sound of some guitars.

There is possibly some irony in the love many have for older, thinner plywood guitars, yet seeming no regard for the effect of hanging an unused pickup on the top of any guitar.

>>> wonder why a fair number of players go with dual pup guitars.

Fashion, tradition (of some existing designs), the very occasional actual use of the bridge PU (hard to find many examples, but there must be).

I have owned and played guitars that did not seem to suffer from the second PU. So I guess, "It doesn't hurt." is also a reason.

In my opinion.

Chris

You missed the most obvious reason: availability. There are just a whole lot more guitars to choose from with two pickups.

[PTChristopher]

Hey, I miss the obvious all the time. Thanks for adding this one.

[SamBooka]

I play an ES-165, only has a neck pk-up. Never miss the other.

Same here
And an es125
And an EmpReg with a CCRider in the neck

But I also have a few solid bodies. If I only had 1 guitar and it was an archtop it would probably be a two pickup

[jorgemg1984]

For jazz - modern, traditional, whatever - neck pickup all the time. For pop / rock stuff (in the large sense of the "word") I can use both at the same time. I don't think I ever use the bridge pickup only.

[Frank67]

IMHO if you have the switch set to both pickups and mix in a bit of the bridge you can gain some clarity and edge which is not always a bad thing. It gives plenty of opportunity to adjust your sound on the guitar rather than to fiddle with the amp while playing. One sees many pros doing that a lot. Whether the extra versatility is worth the reduced vibrations of the top is a different question.

[hot ford coupe]

I've got a floating "monkey on a stick" pickup. If I want more clarity, I just slide the monkey down the stick until I get the sound I want. Then I adjust the tone on the control box as needed. I rarely play any rock or pop so I rarely slide the pickup down.

[kawa]

The music scene needs effective tones sometime.
The mix position's good also bridge.

[2bornot2bop]

There are just a whole lot more guitars to choose from with two pickups.

Isn't that a fact of life. Perhaps that's market driven to make every guitar appeal to anyone.

Until recently 95% of 20 plus guitars I'd previously owned were double hb models. Now I've 5 floating pup's, which provide the performance I'd been seeking with double hb models...however, I can see myself eventually acquiring a single routed pup guitar for the sake of variety.

[brad4d8]

If you are going to play only jazz, all you'll probably need is the neck pup. If you might play other styles, especially rockabilly, you will need the bridge pup.
Brad

[Section Player]

There is a case to be made for having the option of switching to both pickups if playing a lead solo with considerable volume. There is a case, but I won't make it!

[Jim Soloway]

Isn't that a fact of life. Perhaps that's market driven to make every guitar appeal to anyone.

Until recently 95% of 20 plus guitars I'd previously owned were double hb models. Now I've 5 floating pup's, which provide the performance I'd been seeking with double hb models...however, I can see myself eventually acquiring a single routed pup guitar for the sake of variety.

Just to put this in perspective ... We've built about 350 guitars. Of those, about 12 were with only one pickup. Of those 12, 6 were intended to be mine for personal use.

[Clamps]

I've really been digging my 335 with both pups on 10, treble tone at 5 and rhythm at 10 lately. I like pinch harmonics too much to not use a bridge pup! I have to admit that the bridge is rarely a favorite of mine, but I do appreciate having the chance/choice to choose...I've noticed that I can sound like a palm-muted bass on the neck pup, and like a chik chick chicka all treble funk player with the flip of the switch (and a pick sometimes) ... Of course, my first guitar was a jazzmaster, do I may just be inclined towards flashy extra options...

[kawa]

Shipping Totals 1967 ES-175,175D,175DN
from "The Gibson ES175 its History and Players" By Adrian Ingram.

ES-175 194

ES-175D 840

ES-175DN 26

[kawa]

from "Good Sounds Page24 etc"

ES-175d (1966)

0:34 Mix, 1:05 Neck, 1:32 Bridge.

ES-175D (2009) TI Fiat, Headstrong Lil' King Mods

2:42 Mix Tone, 4:40 Bridge Pup.

Explanations: ES-175D

At the 6:00, Mix tone (Center Positions of Pups-Selector)
Mix Tone (Half Tone) is useful and good matching for the any genres.
Bridge Pup is used for the efective scenes, like "the 007 thema" also for Rock etc.

ES-175D (2003), Vibrolux Reverb (1966)
1;05 Bridge, 1;05 Mix, 2;00 Neck

1;44 Bridge, 2;10 Mix, 2;20 Neck

ES-175D (1995), Vibrolux Reverb (1966)
1;39 Bridge, 1;57 Mix, 2;11 Neck

1;26 Bridge, 1;30 ? Mix, 1;40 ? Neck

ES-175DN (1982), Vibrolux Reverb (1966)
0;48 Bridge, 0;55 Neck, 2;32 Mix, 2;46 Bridge

1;53 Bridge, 2;09 Neck

ES-175D (1961), Silver Face Vibrolux Reverb
0;48 Bridge, 1;11 Neck

ES-175D (1994), Vibrolux Reverb (1966)
1;04 Bridge, 1;24 Neck

[feet]

two for me, please. even though i use the neck 80% of the time, at least. i also like the middle position- i can pretend i'm playing a p90 or something. the bridge doesn't get much use these days, least of all with an archtop. but its nice to know its there.

if i commissioned something just for jazz or whatever, i might consider just a neck pickup. but its unlikely i'd ever settle for a guitar that can't do much else. and the extra hole makes a difference in the sound- some people like that. i think heritage makes/made a couple of sig models with vestigial bridge pickups.

[Gabe]

IMHO if you have the switch set to both pickups and mix in a bit of the bridge you can gain some clarity and edge which is not always a bad thing. It gives plenty of opportunity to adjust your sound on the guitar rather than to fiddle with the amp while playing. One sees many pros doing that a lot. Whether the extra versatility is worth the reduced vibrations of the top is a different question.

This is exactly what I've started to do, it works a treat!

[Patrick2]

I thought the OP's question was specific to arch tops.?.? In the case of arch tops, he references seeing many you tube vids of players with 2 pup archies and the selector switch is always on the neck pup.

I guess if one is gigging, having the bridge pup on an archie does allow for a broader song list . . . or should I say, more appropriate tone on a broader song list . . . while not having to bring along a second guitar. Other than that, I see no need for it. Neither do any of the high end "boutique" (I hate that word) arch top builders. I can't recall ever seeing any of the top builders full size arch tops with 2 pups.

I currently have 2 full size arch tops with 2 pups . . . an L5CES and a Super Eagle. The L5CES is a 1994 . . bought it new at Cintioli's in Philly. I bought it for all the wrong reasons . . . self indulgence being at the top of the list. But, it's probably the best (electric) arch top I've ever owned . . for my taste, not withstanding the 2 pups. Better even than my L5 Wesmo. Oddly enough, I bought the Super Eagle new at Cintioli's also. I searched for 2 years for a single pup model and couldn't find one. This 2 pup model was hanging on Benny's wall for well over a year. Got the nitro burn from the surgical tube type wall hangers to show for it. I later learned, after I became a rep for Heritage and was privied to the dealer cost info . . . that I got if for $340 below dealer cost. It's right up there with the L5CES in its greatness.

So, while I really don't see a need for the bridge pup, I wouldn't let it deter me from buying a guitar that has everything else going on for it.

[sdr]

The bridge pickup is useful. I turn the bridge volume down a few notches below the the neck and use the middle position for rhythm. I get a nice little volume boost when I switch to the neck for solos. I might have picked up that trick from someone here on the forum.

[Spook410]

Assume for a second you have a floater Armstrong 12 pole.. what will the guitar not do?