Position of bridge single coil

[akozols]

Hi,

I have a guitar body that orginally had one humbucker. I routed the body to fit 3 single coils. No matter what pickup i put in the bridge position, even when using a bassy single coil. I noticed that becasue the body is small, the bridge single coil is right next to the bridge. On a regular Strat, there's a space about and inch between the pickup and bridge.

HOw important is the spacing from the bridge to the bridge single coil?

thanks,


Al

 

[The JEM Ghost]

Re: Position of bridge single coil

Well it sure will make a difference in sound Al. The closer the pup is mounted to the bridge, the more trebly it ll become.
If every single coil you try, is too trebly, too harsh, it ll be the pup that is mounted to close to the bridge.
Good luck in your tone quest!

 

[Robert S.]

Re: Position of bridge single coil

Bridge pickup placement is critical to the type of tone you are going to get as well as effecting the output of the bridge pickup. It is the movement of the strings passing through the pickups magnetic field that causes current flow in a pickup and the closer you get to the bridge, the less movement that occurs. If your bridge pickup is very close to the bridge you'll get low output and a very bright tone.

In a guitar with matching spec pickups in both the bridge and neck locations you will get very different tones from the neck and bridge positions and it is the location under the strings that causes this.

 

[akozols]

Re: Position of bridge single coil

Thanks,

Right now the pickguard is off and I have a swimming pool route. I'm going to put the pickup on a bracket and move it around to see how it affects the sound.

thanks,

Al

 

[akozols]

Re: Position of bridge single coil

HI,

I looked at some other Strats, and the bridge pickup was about 3/4" away from the bridge where mine was up against it. I made a small pickguard that held a single pickup. With the mini-guard and the swimming pool route, I could move the pickup to all positions. I'm not a newbie to pickups and knew that position would determine tone, but I did find something interesting.

when I started off in a standard Strat bridge position and moved it towards the neck, the sound changed as I expected. When I moved the pickup from the standard position to right up against the bridge, it took on an overly harsh sound. It reminded me of an acoustic when you pick right next to the bridge. It got a thin, washed out sound.

I'm going to make a pickguard taking into consideration where I want the pickups to be.

Al

 

[akozols]

Re: Position of bridge single coil

HI,

I looked at some other Strats, and the bridge pickup was about 3/4" away from the bridge where mine was up against it. I made a small pickguard that held a single pickup. With the mini-guard and the swimming pool route, I could move the pickup to all positions. I'm not a newbie to pickups and knew that position would determine tone, but I did find something interesting.

when I started off in a standard Strat bridge position and moved it towards the neck, the sound changed as I expected. When I moved the pickup from the standard position to right up against the bridge, it took on an overly harsh sound. It reminded me of an acoustic when you pick right next to the bridge. It got a thin, washed out sound.

I'm going to make a pickguard taking into consideration where I want the pickups to be.

Al