Phat cat - uncovered/trem spacing?

[Narcosynthesis]

I have been looking at switching the bridge pickup in my humbucker equipped tele for something more singlecoiley, and this looks to be awesome

the problem, I would be after it in trem spacing, is this available?
and I am not after a nickel cover really, can you get the phat cat in any other options apart from nickel/gold covers? would I be able to take the cover off it and still have a nice looking pickup underneath (a la most humbuckers which are just normal ones with the cover ontop) or am I stuck with nickel covers? (I realise its not a humbucker, so I don't know if sd make them integrated with the cover or what?

I just don't like the look of a chrome pickup in the teles chrome bridge, a black one breaks it up nicely...

David

 

[jeremy]

Re: Phat cat - uncovered/trem spacing?

ive never tried to take apart a phat cat to see if you can take the cover off. im guessing it might not be a good idea. as far as trem spacing, its not available as far as i know but i think a phat cat would work out ok even on a wider spaced guitar. i had one in a hardtail strat for a while and had no string to string volume issues that i couldnt fix with a quick pole piece adjustment.

you might be able to get the custom shop to make you a black one?

 

[cheezemaster]

Re: Phat cat - uncovered/trem spacing?

Other than for aesthetics, it shouldn't matter. I have an SG where no standard bridge pickup poles seem to line up correctly with the strings, I can't tell if it's the hole in the pickguard or the tuneomatic that's slightly off.. Anyhoo - the low E sting is way off of the pole. I got Phat Cats in there and there's no lack of low E string volume/response at all. I think Phat Cats/P-90s put out a pretty wide magnetic field (not sure if that's the correct term).

As far as taking it apart - haven't done it. Regular P-90s look kind of odd without the cover, though. The bobbin kind of "dips" in the middle.

 

[Narcosynthesis]

Re: Phat cat - uncovered/trem spacing?

I just think a standard spaced nickel one would look rather silly, with a black pickup (like I have now) you can get off with wee spaces at either side of the pickup which kinda blends in with the pickup, a nickel covered pickup would match the bridge and the space would stick out a lot more
I would use a normal spaced one if I could get it in black - the pickup in at the moment is a normal spaced jb and it sounds fine (balancewise, I am not really a fan of it, hence switching it) so I am confident enough the phat cat would sound ok

anyone tried pulling the cover off one?

My friend did point out to me that nobody apart from me would ever notice something like a slightly smaller pickup, but its my guitar and I want it perfect...

David

 

[Narcosynthesis]

Re: Phat cat - uncovered/trem spacing?

as for customshop stuff, how much would that be costing to get one made? I am assuming it would be a fair amoutn, which I am not really wanting to pay without getting the chance to at least hear the pickup first, I can take the risk on a £70 or whatever pickup as I can always sell it on, but a custom you are kinda stuck with...

David

 

[Scott Miller]

Re: Phat cat - uncovered/trem spacing?

You don't really want to take the cover off of a Phat Cat---it ain't pretty under there. They are essentially soapbar bobbins that are cut down to squeeze into the HB sized cover.

 

[Narcosynthesis]

Re: Phat cat - uncovered/trem spacing?

You don't really want to take the cover off of a Phat Cat---it ain't pretty under there. They are essentially soapbar bobbins that are cut down to squeeze into the HB sized cover.

Damn, what options do I have then?

Would it be easy enough to take off the cover and replace it with a livewire/emg style one or something? (I realise the holes for the polepieces wouldnt line up, so I guess it would have to be something polepieceless like those)

any other information on the custom shop?

David

 

[Narcosynthesis]

Re: Phat cat - uncovered/trem spacing?

anyone?

David