Is there really a good reason to slant a pickup?
- Thread starter gripweed
- Start date
flank
New member
Re: Is there really a good reason to slant a pickup?
no......Leo Fender originally did it to give the bridge pickup more treble and bite......so it would give greater diversity in sound.....but i think i read somewhere that he had treble loss in his hearing or something......so thats why so many people think that strat bridges are kind of shrill and too trebly..... i think its fine tho
the same is not for the tele tho, tele bridge pups just kick A$$ either way
no......Leo Fender originally did it to give the bridge pickup more treble and bite......so it would give greater diversity in sound.....but i think i read somewhere that he had treble loss in his hearing or something......so thats why so many people think that strat bridges are kind of shrill and too trebly..... i think its fine tho
the same is not for the tele tho, tele bridge pups just kick A$$ either way
Boleslaw Gers 666
New member
Re: Is there really a good reason to slant a pickup?
I really don't think there is. That's why I tend to favor H/S/S strats, because they aren't slanted and they don't have a single coil bridge.
I really don't think there is. That's why I tend to favor H/S/S strats, because they aren't slanted and they don't have a single coil bridge.
Zhangliqun
Questionologist
Re: Is there really a good reason to slant a pickup?
The slant works better to give the lower strings a little more beef -- the harmonic nodes farther away from the bridge have more low end because the string vibrates in a wider amplitude the farther you get from the bridge (or the nut).
If the pickup was straight up and down, the same distance from the bridge as the high E pole-piece when it's slanted, then the low (E, A, D) strings would sound intolerably thin and hollow, like mosquitoes. Or if it was straight up and down even with the low E pole-piece, the high (G, B, E) wouldn't have enough top-end sparkle.
The slant works better to give the lower strings a little more beef -- the harmonic nodes farther away from the bridge have more low end because the string vibrates in a wider amplitude the farther you get from the bridge (or the nut).
If the pickup was straight up and down, the same distance from the bridge as the high E pole-piece when it's slanted, then the low (E, A, D) strings would sound intolerably thin and hollow, like mosquitoes. Or if it was straight up and down even with the low E pole-piece, the high (G, B, E) wouldn't have enough top-end sparkle.
Guitar Toad
Toadily Stratologist
Re: Is there really a good reason to slant a pickup?
Well, what if the middle pup were slanted? Would the middle pup alone sound better?
Well, what if the middle pup were slanted? Would the middle pup alone sound better?
Zhangliqun
Questionologist
Re: Is there really a good reason to slant a pickup?
To my ear, the middle pickup is in the ideal spot as is to get the "cluck" or "quack" tone in the #2 and #4 positions (bridge + middle, middle + neck). Slant it or move it significantly in one direction or the other and the cluck is gone.
As for the middle pu by itself, this is just me but I don't think there is a way to make it sound good by itself. It's like a spice -- you add it to your food but you don't eat it separately as a meal. The middle pu spices up the bridge or neck pu wonderfully but just doesn't sound good by itself no matter what.
For that reason I got a Superswitch from Stewart MacDonald and wired my Strat so the #3 position = neck + bridge, instead of middle alone.
To my ear, the middle pickup is in the ideal spot as is to get the "cluck" or "quack" tone in the #2 and #4 positions (bridge + middle, middle + neck). Slant it or move it significantly in one direction or the other and the cluck is gone.
As for the middle pu by itself, this is just me but I don't think there is a way to make it sound good by itself. It's like a spice -- you add it to your food but you don't eat it separately as a meal. The middle pu spices up the bridge or neck pu wonderfully but just doesn't sound good by itself no matter what.
For that reason I got a Superswitch from Stewart MacDonald and wired my Strat so the #3 position = neck + bridge, instead of middle alone.
Guitar Toad
Toadily Stratologist
Re: Is there really a good reason to slant a pickup?
Thanks. Terrific entry. I've been considering the superswitch. I may have to give it a go.
Zhangliqun said:
Thanks. Terrific entry. I've been considering the superswitch. I may have to give it a go.
Re: Is there really a good reason to slant a pickup?
Agreed on center strat pup with single coils- but try a blade one day and bet you will be surprised- Wonderful rhytehm and non-quacky sound if you roll off about 1/2 the 2nd blade- Covering 70's tunes, couldn't handle rhytem without it-
Agreed on center strat pup with single coils- but try a blade one day and bet you will be surprised- Wonderful rhytehm and non-quacky sound if you roll off about 1/2 the 2nd blade- Covering 70's tunes, couldn't handle rhytem without it-
Guitar Toad
Toadily Stratologist
Re: Is there really a good reason to slant a pickup?
So are you saying that 70's strat playing is characterized by the notch positions without the quack? It's not a series vs. parallel issue regarding 70's stuff?
zionstrat said:
So are you saying that 70's strat playing is characterized by the notch positions without the quack? It's not a series vs. parallel issue regarding 70's stuff?
Re: Is there really a good reason to slant a pickup?
Guitar Toad- Good question, I tried to roll too many thoughts into one sentence-
First I completely agree with Zhangliqun's post that the middle pup is the spice that gets quack and that quack is one of most importand strat sounds and that the middle pup by itself tends to be rather colorless- Of course these are rather broad genrealizations, but overall I think he's dead on-
As far as 70's strat, there are really 2 things at work- First of all most of the strats weren't 5 way back in the dark ages, and alhtough everyone knew the ballance trick, it's wasn't easy live-
But IMHO there was another thing going on that affected the recording side- It was far more likely that someone would take the time to get quack sounds in the studio, but in a complex mix, much of this color was lost to limited bandwidth and noise floor. Althouhg there are exceptions (Gilmore and Knophler are two of my favorites), most of the strat sounds , especially rhythem , sound either bridge like (lots of R&B stuff ) or slightly brighter than neck. My guess is that a lot of the slightly brighter than neck sounds are 4 position but lost the upper range in a complex mix.
As a result, when coverign the average strat sound from the 70's I find quack is too thin to reproduce the feeling and in the past found brdige or neck pup best most of the time-
But when I switched to twin coils I found that the middle pup became extremely useful for the first time outside of quack- By using a little of the 2nd coil to fatten the middle pup I found I could get a brigther than neck, but less bright than bridge sound that works really well for that 'strat in the back' kind of sound-
Still don't use it more than 20% of the time-
This making more sense?
Guitar Toad- Good question, I tried to roll too many thoughts into one sentence-
First I completely agree with Zhangliqun's post that the middle pup is the spice that gets quack and that quack is one of most importand strat sounds and that the middle pup by itself tends to be rather colorless- Of course these are rather broad genrealizations, but overall I think he's dead on-
As far as 70's strat, there are really 2 things at work- First of all most of the strats weren't 5 way back in the dark ages, and alhtough everyone knew the ballance trick, it's wasn't easy live-
But IMHO there was another thing going on that affected the recording side- It was far more likely that someone would take the time to get quack sounds in the studio, but in a complex mix, much of this color was lost to limited bandwidth and noise floor. Althouhg there are exceptions (Gilmore and Knophler are two of my favorites), most of the strat sounds , especially rhythem , sound either bridge like (lots of R&B stuff ) or slightly brighter than neck. My guess is that a lot of the slightly brighter than neck sounds are 4 position but lost the upper range in a complex mix.
As a result, when coverign the average strat sound from the 70's I find quack is too thin to reproduce the feeling and in the past found brdige or neck pup best most of the time-
But when I switched to twin coils I found that the middle pup became extremely useful for the first time outside of quack- By using a little of the 2nd coil to fatten the middle pup I found I could get a brigther than neck, but less bright than bridge sound that works really well for that 'strat in the back' kind of sound-
Still don't use it more than 20% of the time-
This making more sense?
Guitar Toad
Toadily Stratologist
Re: Is there really a good reason to slant a pickup?
That's good stuff. And yes it does make sense. I guess that I think of Clapton and Blackmore as the 70's strat sound and having a thicker more mid-rangy, less bright sound. I could probably get it with the right amp set up with my JV strat as is, but the rail middle pickup is an interesting idea for fattening up the strat tone. Thanks for that great post Zionstrat.
zionstrat said:
That's good stuff. And yes it does make sense. I guess that I think of Clapton and Blackmore as the 70's strat sound and having a thicker more mid-rangy, less bright sound. I could probably get it with the right amp set up with my JV strat as is, but the rail middle pickup is an interesting idea for fattening up the strat tone. Thanks for that great post Zionstrat.
Zhangliqun
Questionologist
Re: Is there really a good reason to slant a pickup?
The reason LP bridges are slanted has nothing to do with tone but with tuning, i.e., intonation. The lower strings need to be slightly "longer" to intonate properly, so the LP bridge is slanted in favor of lengthening the lower strings. Without this difference in length, you may have problems with the lower strings intonating a little sharp, especially farther up the neck.
Most TOM-type bridges (regardless of manufacturer) are slightly slanted for this reason, but even on bridges that are lined up perfectly straight, you will see that on a properly intonated guitar, the general pattern of the saddles on the bridge are shorter on high strings and longer on low strings.
nepalnt21 said:
The reason LP bridges are slanted has nothing to do with tone but with tuning, i.e., intonation. The lower strings need to be slightly "longer" to intonate properly, so the LP bridge is slanted in favor of lengthening the lower strings. Without this difference in length, you may have problems with the lower strings intonating a little sharp, especially farther up the neck.
Most TOM-type bridges (regardless of manufacturer) are slightly slanted for this reason, but even on bridges that are lined up perfectly straight, you will see that on a properly intonated guitar, the general pattern of the saddles on the bridge are shorter on high strings and longer on low strings.
Guitar Toad
Toadily Stratologist
Re: Is there really a good reason to slant a pickup?
But, There are a lot of slanted comments in this thread
gripweed said:
But, There are a lot of slanted comments in this thread
Re: Is there really a good reason to slant a pickup?
oyi!
the slanting of a pup does change the tone a little, im actually in the process of building a reverse slant esquire. tighter spankier lows and a little less brittle highs. should be cool but who knows... could be brutal
oyi!
the slanting of a pup does change the tone a little, im actually in the process of building a reverse slant esquire. tighter spankier lows and a little less brittle highs. should be cool but who knows... could be brutal
ratherdashing
Kablamminator
Re: Is there really a good reason to slant a pickup?
My Tele has a reverse slant bridge, and I love that tone! Trust me, you will be VERY happy.
Personally, I think Leo got it backwards when he put that slant in his bridge pups, and my friend Mr. Hendrix agrees with me! :banana:
jeremy said:
My Tele has a reverse slant bridge, and I love that tone! Trust me, you will be VERY happy.
Personally, I think Leo got it backwards when he put that slant in his bridge pups, and my friend Mr. Hendrix agrees with me! :banana:
