Here's some more fuel for the trem-spaced debate

[guitarslinger213]

this is all my opinion:

Okay, we've all heard f-spaced vs non.

I argued that there was really no disadvatantage to non-f-spaced pickups b/c of the immense magnetic field size.

However, now, after buying a few f-space pickups, I've made a personal discovery.

non-f-spaced humbuckers generally sound fatter and clearer(better). Tone-wise, I've been getting the worst of both worlds with the f-space pickups. They have been slightly more shrill and slightly more muddy

let me explain.

With a super distortion (or any pickup for that matter) F spaced and non f-spaced, Dimarzio is going to try approximating the same impedance, output, and inductance specifications with both pickups. Due to the extra width of the spindle, there will incidentally be a different ammount of wire on the spindle, or a different depth of wire.

It WILL sound different.

This brings me back to my steve vai point (different thread, different forum). His favorite guitar, evo, has the exact same trio of pickups as the day he got it. When the neck pickup failed, he had dimarzio fix it. He didn't just replace it off the shelf. Both of his humbuckers are non f spaced, which brings me to the end. It doesn't really matter fspace vs non, but, IMHO non fspacers sound better usually.

 

[itbepopples]

Re: Here's some more fuel for the trem-spaced debate

Doesn't his guitar have an OFR? IIRC F-spaced pickups were designed to work with truly wide string spreads like on a vintage Fender Strat. The OFR and other modern tremolos are nowhere near as wide as the tremolos I always thought the F-spaced pickups were designed to accomodate. Therefore, the use of F-spaced pickups with OFR's is not always necessary IMO.

Gibson string spread = 2-2/32"
OFR = 2-3/32"
Vintage Fender Strat Trem. = 2-7/32"

After looking at this information I've decided that one could get away with a regular spaced pickup in an OFR. Especially if it was a neck pickup.

 

[FretFire]

Re: Here's some more fuel for the trem-spaced debate

I've never had any problem with string balance or volume if I happened to use the "wrong" size and didn't have the pole pieces lined up exactly with the strings. IMO it's more cosmetic than anything else.

 

[Metalblaze]

Re: Here's some more fuel for the trem-spaced debate

this is all my opinion:

Okay, we've all heard f-spaced vs non.

I argued that there was really no disadvatantage to non-f-spaced pickups b/c of the immense magnetic field size.

However, now, after buying a few f-space pickups, I've made a personal discovery.

non-f-spaced humbuckers generally sound fatter and clearer(better). Tone-wise, I've been getting the worst of both worlds with the f-space pickups. They have been slightly more shrill and slightly more muddy

let me explain.

With a super distortion (or any pickup for that matter) F spaced and non f-spaced, Dimarzio is going to try approximating the same impedance, output, and inductance specifications with both pickups. Due to the extra width of the spindle, there will incidentally be a different ammount of wire on the spindle, or a different depth of wire.

It WILL sound different.

This brings me back to my steve vai point (different thread, different forum). His favorite guitar, evo, has the exact same trio of pickups as the day he got it. When the neck pickup failed, he had dimarzio fix it. He didn't just replace it off the shelf. Both of his humbuckers are non f spaced, which brings me to the end. It doesn't really matter fspace vs non, but, IMHO non fspacers sound better usually.

I'd been thinking of that also and I think it's correct. Different dimensions -different sound. And if the original one is the standard spaced humbucker, the original sound is the sound of the standard spaced humbucker. The trem-spaced it would sound a little different as guitarslinger says. The pup manufacturers just rely on the fact that the difference is minimal.
I also use standard spacing pickup in my FR loaded axe without any problems at all.

 

[itbepopples]

Re: Here's some more fuel for the trem-spaced debate

I agree about the sound. Even if you look at it from a purely scientific angle you have to take larger bobbin size into account and think about the fact that there will be more or less turns to achieve the same result as a standard spaced pickup. Some good information here.

 

[aleclee]

Re: Here's some more fuel for the trem-spaced debate

I can believe that they sound somewhat different. Which one sounds "better" is a matter of taste.

 

[fab.regnaut]

Re: Here's some more fuel for the trem-spaced debate

They probably wound the tremspaced identically so you have more copper in each bobin , so a little higher DC resistance and the pole witch line properly are able to deliver more bass .
magnet is same size

 

[BachToRock]

Re: Here's some more fuel for the trem-spaced debate

I agree 1000%... I use only traditional humbuckers in all my guitars... all the early EVH tones, Jeff Becks Tele/Gib and others players who started putting humbuckers in Fenders were all created with NORMAL spaced pickups and the tones were excellent.
I do however use the Gotoh Strat and Tele Bridges with NARROW spacing which lines up better than a vintage strat bridge... but you need to change the trem block to the vintage type for the best tone!

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Here's some more fuel for the trem-spaced debate

I like my CC Trembucker. Hey, my maple Carvin needs all the beef it can get. :burnout:

 

[pinto79]

Re: Here's some more fuel for the trem-spaced debate

This brings me back to my steve vai point (different thread, different forum). His favorite guitar, evo, has the exact same trio of pickups as the day he got it. When the neck pickup failed, he had dimarzio fix it. He didn't just replace it off the shelf. Both of his humbuckers are non f spaced, which brings me to the end. It doesn't really matter fspace vs non, but, IMHO non fspacers sound better usually.

I have to correct you on this. Have a look:

This is EVO and notice that the poles line up with the strings? I have F-Spaced bridge pickups in my RG750's that have the same Bridge and same nut specs as the JEM, the poles always line up like they do in the pic. DiMarzio's F-spacing is a bit narrower than Duncan's Trem-Spacing. The Evolution pickups that DiMarzio supply for the JEM7VWH are all F-Spaced. Including the ones in EVO (EVO is the Prototype of the model).

I agree that it is a cosmetic thing. I got a D-Sonic for Christmas that I had to exchange for an F-Spaced one because it wouldn't line up at all and it looked really silly...

Trevor