tldr; Look down to the bottom for a set of measurements of the pickup locations in several basses with 34″ scale length.
I’ve started building some basses to my own specifications. It began with a body that used a Fender neck… then another with a Warmoth, and had culminated in a full custom build from Corwin Guitar Co. in Topeka Kansas. Along the way, I started questioning pickup placement and the sounds that I get from them.
First off, I’ll say that while I gravitate towards 2 pickup basses, I’ll also admit to historically rarely using the “bridge” pickup. A few years ago I got my first Music Man style pickup in the “sweet spot” on a Warmoth body, then a second on a Sterling by Music Man Stingray. I found this location interesting – most notably, without added (active) bass boost, you sure don’t get that thick sound of, say a P-Bass pickup. Of course, this is more than just placement, as the P-Bass is a series humbucker, and the Stingray a parallel one. I digress, maybe more on that another time. Then a final entry into the MM style pickup with a Lakland 44-02, admittedly, that pickup is closer to the bridge than the aforementioned “sweet spot”. So what gives with placement?
First off, I have learned that mixing the bridge pickup in with the neck on a P/J or a J bass really does work well. WAY too many decades as a volume-on-0-or-10 guy. I’m not embarrassed to admit it. But where is all of this going? Well, if like me, you’re searching for the perfect location, I think the bad news I have is that there isn’t one – and small changes in placement seem to make little difference.
For the full custom build, I have decided on EMG 35 sized soapbar routes, though I’ve not decided whether or not to use EMGs yet. the bridge pickup will go at the Music Man “Sweet Spot” at 30.5″ from the nut, and the neck just slightly forward of a traditional P or J neck pickup at 27.5″. I am definitely not a fan of the 70’s Fender J closer-to-the-bridge position, and by bringing the bridge pickup all the way to the sweet spot, I figured I should move the neck pickup a little farther forward as well – just looking for a touch more bass – I do use the Rickenbacker neck pickup quite a bit.
Common 34″ Bass pickup locations measured from the front (bridge facing) edge of the nut to the pickup center:
Reverend Triad
- Neck: 27 3/16″
- Middle: 29 5/16″
- Bridge: 31 1/5″
Mid 90’s Fender Japan ’62 Reissue Jazz Bass
- Neck: 27 7/8″
- Bridge: 31 7/16″
1986 Peavey Foundation
- Neck: 28″
- Bridge: 31 7/8″
1983 Squier Precision Bass
- Neck: E/A: 28″, D/G: 29 1/8″
1988 Fender Jazz Bass Special (P/J)
- Neck: E/A: 28″, D/G: 29 1/8″
- Bridge: 32″
2023 Fender Japan ’81 International Colors Jazz Bass
- Neck: 27 7/8″
- Bridge: 32″
Lakland 44-02
- Neck: 28″
- Bridge: 31 1/4″
Warmoth Music Man “Sweet Spot” and Sterling by Music Man Stingray
- Sweet Spot: 30 1/2″
Custom (made by me) P/J:
- Neck: E/A: 28″, D/G: 29 1/8″
- Bridge: 31 3/4″