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Combining Pickups: the Ins and Outs
April 10, 2020 2 min read
Resident tone expert Stew McKinsey is back with more information on mixing pickups!
A lot of people ask if it’s okay to combine different kind of pickups from our various sets and the answer to this is like many things we tell people: yes and no. As always the best place to start is with the sound and function you’re going for rather than simply looking at 2 different models and thinking they’d be cool together. I’ve written a bit about this in a couple of other pieces for the site (“Mod My Bass to Sound Like Another Bass” and “I Want That Sound”), but as this question comes up more and more, it seemed like a good time to address the inquiries.
Some designs work better together than others. This has to do with any number of factors, not the least of which is output. Combining a hot pickup with one that’s comparatively weak is just not a good idea.
This is one of the reasons we recommend not combining a Fat Stack with anything but another Fat Stack: the difference in output between single coil and hum canceling mode is significant enough that many designs will just mow over it sonically. It’s also why we suggest both pickups are wired to the same switch so the set is hum canceling or in single coil operation.
I’ve written about how the P-pickups don’t combine well with MM designs, but they pair absolutely beautifully with the Bigman and BigSplitMan models. Similarly the Power Blade and BigBladeMan 4 are a glorious set. You can also combine the NP4a or NP5 with a to get an outrageous P/J pairing.
So if you’re thinking about a nonstandard set, contact the shop and ask if the models work well together. The chances are we know someone who’s tried it and can tell you about their findings! Expect to be asked what you’re going for sonically, though, if it’s an unusual combination. We may even be able to offer you something that will get you there better!
3 Responses
Jeff Norris
October 13, 2026
Stew, thank you for the article and taking the time on the phone to help me understand why I have never liked the P/J combo after years of trying to make it work. I’ll be ordering the big rig soon to pair with my NP4.
Thank You!
Kristopher W Kerr
July 01, 2020
Hey Stew! I own a powerblade/big blademan 4 and it is glorious! Just a couple of questions. Right now, I have 3 control knobs wired vol/blend/tone. I want to get it down to 2 knobs for a traditional p bass look. I really don’t have the time nor the extra $$$ to experiment too much. What would be my best options to make this work? I am thinking about having both pickups wired in series and going vol/tone…or maybe vol/vol…or….I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas.
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Rizzle
October 13, 2026
I found this article trying to research this topic. I just bought a bass with a set of big splits, they sound nice but I really like the big single. Do these go well together? I am thinking a big single at the bridge and keeping the neck as a big split. I appreciate any input.