Seth,PAF,JB-SH-4, VICTORY!!!!

[dvadneau]

Re: Seth,PAF,JB-SH-4, VICTORY!!!!

I use standard spaced pickups in trem spaced guitars with zero problems. It's just a visual or cosmetic thing and nothing to worry about IMHO.

Off-topic, I know, and there is a thread here about this, but no it's not just cosmetic.

You are moving the pole pieces away from the strings. If the spacing is really far off, it will affect the sound.

How do we adjust a pickup to tighten the bass or add a little more clarity? Adjust the pole pieces. Moving the pole pieces closer or farther away from the strings does have an impact on the sound. Period. It's why the pole pieces are adjustable.

As TGWIF mentioned, it depends on the guitar. If you don't notice a difference on your guitar(s), cool, more power to you.

On my LP the difference between a Trembucker's pole pieces and a regular bucker's pole pieces is about the same, in distance away from the strings, just in different directions. It probably makes a slight difference if the poles are closer to the other strings, compared to a Trembucker, but I haven't scrutinized that aspect. On an LP you probably won't hear a difference between a Trembucker and regular-spaced pickup.

On my Ibanez with a Floyd, I definitely notice a difference. The spacing is such that a regular-spaced pickup's poles are noticeably farther away. The result is a difference in the high and low end compared to a Trembucker (or just the high or low end, depending on how the pickup sits in the mounting ring).

If I were to take a regular-spaced pickup and line up the poles to the high e, the low E would be far enough off you would notice a difference, compared to if I lined up the poles with the low E. Lining it up in the middle would balance that, but still wouldn't be the same as having a Trembucker in there.

The difference between a Trembucker and DiMarzio F-spaced pickup is minimal to negligible, kinda like how the Trembucker and regular-spaced pickups are on an LP.


@SJ318 - Glad you found your sound. An A5 Seth is something I have to try - probably UOA5 though. The A2 Seths sound great in my 335, so I'll have to buy another set to try in other guitars

[freefrog]

Re: Seth,PAF,JB-SH-4, VICTORY!!!!

Moving the pole pieces closer or farther away from the strings does have an impact on the sound. Period.

It modifies the balance between coils, it modifies the shape of the magnetic field and it even changes the inductance of the pickup, which defines the location of its "resonant frequency". So, yes, I agree, it changes the sound.

@SJ318 - Glad you found your sound

+1. Enjoy!

[SJ318]

Re: Seth,PAF,JB-SH-4, VICTORY!!!!

Thanks, freefrog,
It is hard to say something short about a guitar that I am burning to play before my feet hit the ground! I just
ordered 2 more Seth's, 1 for my partocaster, one for my very old L. Paul, and after seeing how it sounds in my partocaster, ( Off topic ) I will then buy one for my Chambered and custom finished, rose wood neck, LSR, special arm (custom) bent exactly like J.Beck (lots of angles and hard picture study to get it perfect, I see know why his arm is so sharply bent. It is much easier to play with your fingers and have clearance to use your 1st finger for a vibrato here and there. I think blinding white is always a cool finish on a Strat. Got it from Overdrive guitar works, we studied some perfect angles from Jeff Beck playing Big Block on Clapton's Crossroads. That will be my main player as any guitar over 6 pounds and I can't stand up. Pain and weak leg muscles (all due to a degenerating spine) hate to keep repeating myself, freefrog, as most members have heard me complaining about a million times. I will love learning how to go back to Truth-Beckola days and hopefully play "Where Were You".
Done some of the hard parts, they are all hard parts, and that will be my way into the last section of this life, and more than enough pleasurable challenges coming my way per learning tasteful vibrato bends-key word-tasteful!
Steve