How many prefer their J pickups wired in series?

[JohnArnson]

So I am curious to how many prefer their basses with a 2 x J pickup configuration to have the pickups run in series.

Personally I love how my 5 string Ibanez GSRM25 Mikro bass sounds after I wired the two stock J pickups in series.

Any combination in parallel of those two stock J pickups sounded way too burby and oddly hollow, as well as the 2 highest strings sounded weak and thin, wiring the pickups in series directly to the output jack socket of the bass however solved that issue completely and took the bass from sounding horrible to sounding amazing.

I do realize though that this was likely more a case of the specific cheap stock pickups just not working well wired in parallel than it is a typical situation with J pickups, but I still like to hear from people who prefer their J's in series.

 

[NKBassman]

With a Series/Parallel switch so I don't have to choose.

 

[JohnArnson]

With a Series/Parallel switch so I don't have to choose.

So you don't have a preference?

 

[NKBassman]

So you don't have a preference?

Nope. Totally depends on the musical context.

However, I voted for parallel with neck favoured. I like to turn my bridge pickup down just a little bit. Basically just until you hear the tone change, but not so much that it starts humming. This works great for a lot of the rootsy stuff I do (when I'm not playing my P).

Both pickups full up parallel for when you want that brighter attack and nice clarity and articulation. Both pickups in series for extra phat and/or more aggressive rock tone with a pick.

I never solo the bridge pickup.

 

[Gothic]

I voted for the carrots thing (sorry) because I crammed both of them in the bridge position and run them with a DPDT for series/parallel and two separate volumes (in parallel).
However, before that, I did prefer them in series. There's also a schematic here that allows for series wiring with separate volumes by walterw (if I remember correctly, sorry if I'm mistaken) for even more versatility (if you don't want a DPDT and go for series).

 

[Killed_by_Death]

permanent series (no switching) is the best of both worlds
You have the higher output & more lows when both pickups are on full-volume & if you want the highs back you just roll back the volume on the neck pickup.

It is possible to have independent volume controls in series!

 

[Gothic]

As an addendum, series is much more preferable when the pickups are more on the "vintage" side, output wise. Hotter pickups tend to bring out the mud when wired together in series.

 

[ThudThudThud]

I put a push/pull volume control in, and it worked as a master when both pickups were on together.
It's not my favourite sound from a Jazz, but in certain contexts it works perfectly.

 

[bigtone23]

I have a push/pull to put the pickups in series, but I tend to play the bass in parallel, both pickups up full.
Sometimes, I solo the neck pickup.