Quick question on F spaced vs Standard

[ls1ashley]

I have a Les Paul style guitar, no trem. I assume the pickups in the guitar are standard sized. I notice that the low-E goes right over the pole piece. However, the high-E is on the outside-edge of the corresponding pole piece. I’m going to be getting new PUs for it and was curious:

1) Will F space fit?
2). Do most strings fit like this or would I benefit from going with an F spaced PU?

Note, this is the bridge position. All aligns beautifully at the neck each exactly over the corresponding pole piece.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Quick question on F spaced vs Standard

You can go either way.....there is no requirement for the poles to directly sit below the strings.

 

[Ayrton]

Re: Quick question on F spaced vs Standard

As mentioned, you can use either.

However, the trem spacing is normally used with the wider strings of a Fender or Floyd Rose.

 

[Adieu]

Re: Quick question on F spaced vs Standard

I have a Les Paul style guitar, no trem. I assume the pickups in the guitar are standard sized. I notice that the low-E goes right over the pole piece. However, the high-E is on the outside-edge of the corresponding pole piece. I’m going to be getting new PUs for it and was curious:

1) Will F space fit?
2). Do most strings fit like this or would I benefit from going with an F spaced PU?

Note, this is the bridge position. All aligns beautifully at the neck each exactly over the corresponding pole piece.

Most 21st century Les Pauls (and some late 90's) are FSPACED bridges

 

[Ayrton]

Re: Quick question on F spaced vs Standard

Most 21st century Les Pauls (and some late 90's) are FSPACED bridges

No, they are not, please stop posting about things you know nothing about.

 

[Obsessive Compulsive]

Re: Quick question on F spaced vs Standard

From DM FAQ: Although some players believe that F-spaced pickups are only for the bridge position of tremolo bridge guitars, many guitars with fixed bridges (including post-1998 Gibson® and Epiphone® Les Paul®, SG® and semi-hollow guitars) should have F-spaced pickups in the bridge position.

 

[Ayrton]

Re: Quick question on F spaced vs Standard

Standard Gibson/TOM spacing is 49mm/50mm give or take. I supposed if you should happen to have one with wider string spacing (I don't know why), then feel free to use a wider pickup.

 

[Teleplayer]

Re: Quick question on F spaced vs Standard

Duncan Trembuckers have wider pole spacing than the DMZ F-spaced ones.
F-spacing = 2.01 inch
Duncan Trembucker spacing = 2.07 inch
The two should not be confused with each other. Unless your guitar has a FR or similar tremolo, you are probably better off with a standard spaced Duncan humbucker. Duncan Trembuckers can be problematic to install because they won't fit normal humbucker mounting rings.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Quick question on F spaced vs Standard

The modern Gibson has a .5mm difference in width of the end of fretboard compared with reissues. Even if you exaggerate and make the bridge spacing difference at 1mm, thats still not enough to warrant requiring an F-spaced pickup.

 

[Dave Locher]

Re: Quick question on F spaced vs Standard

Any Gibson with a harmonica (1970s) or Nashville bridge (1980s to present) is F-spaced. I have one of each, both with F-spaced bridge pickups that align the poles perfectly with the strings. Why would you think Dimarzio is lying about this?

 

[Ayrton]

Re: Quick question on F spaced vs Standard

No one is suggesting a lie. However, I have many LPs as well and none of them warrant an F spaced pickup.

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Quick question on F spaced vs Standard

In the bridge position, the DiMarzio 2 inch F-Spacing usually lines up slightly better than "stock Gibson" 1-11/16" IME. Same with Duncan's Trembuckers, and Gibson's "T" pickups (which are 2-1/16" IIRC).

That being said, it doesn't really matter. Strings that line up better with 2" or 2-1/16" pickups don't mean that you can't use traditional 1-11/16" and have it work perfectly well.

And it really isn't worth an argument (or even a question, really) when all you have to do is measure the span across your strings at the point where the adjustable poles will sit. If you wanna know how wide something is, then ya just measure it. It's really that simple.

 

[Teleplayer]

Re: Quick question on F spaced vs Standard

Dimarzio are correct about F-spaced pickups. Duncan Trembuckers have different specs, so the advice from Dimarzio does not apply.

 

[Adieu]

Re: Quick question on F spaced vs Standard

No, they are not, please stop posting about things you know nothing about.

Yes they are, even freakin Gibson says so on the guitar manufacturer end... And DiMarzio on the pickup manufacturer end.

And Epiphone, LTD etc went there even earlier, back in the 90s

 

[Adieu]

Re: Quick question on F spaced vs Standard

Standard Gibson/TOM spacing is 49mm/50mm give or take. I supposed if you should happen to have one with wider string spacing (I don't know why), then feel free to use a wider pickup.

Newer size is 51.5 screw to screw, 52+ string to string once saddle stagger is taken into account - very much in Dmz Fspace and SD TB territory

 

[Ayrton]

Re: Quick question on F spaced vs Standard

I must have magic Gibsons then.

 

[Dave Locher]

Re: Quick question on F spaced vs Standard

I must have magic Gibsons then.

...or vintage spaced ABR-1 bridges?
Imports, Nashvilles, and "Harmonicas" are all a bit wider spaced.

 

[Ben1962]

Re: Quick question on F spaced vs Standard

Measure at the the bridge pickup location. If over 2 inches, its a trem spaced. If under, its regular spaced. Then buy the one that costs less because nobody will notice one difference

 

[Aceman]

Re: Quick question on F spaced vs Standard

And now - for someone who knows what they are talking about...

Modern Gibsons are NEITHER standard nor F-spaced exactly. F spaced may be a little bit better, but I honestly have all standard pups in all my post-1998 style TOM's. Sounds fine. I honestly don't pay enough attention to really care. Spend the extra time you don't worry about this working on your chops. Gibson is as Gibson does - which is whatever. Don't even get me started on the assumption that the rings and route and screw holes are lined up right...not that this is even a Gibson.

Solution: Get whichever you want, and understand that a pole piece does not care about ALIGNMENT. The import factor you need to consider is DISTANCE. What that means is that if the pole does not exactly align, you raise it up a little bit. That brings it a little closer to the string.

**Purists - while technically alignment and distance may make a subtle difference in tone, especially if the height adjust has to be extreme, for almost every freaking guitar I have ever seen it wouldn't matter, and if you can tell the difference between one right under the string 1mm and one 45 degrees off the center but 1mm away, then you have &^$%ing dog ears and your opinion still doesn't matter.

 

[Ayrton]

Re: Quick question on F spaced vs Standard

As mentioned, you can use either.

However, the trem spacing is normally used with the wider strings of a Fender or Floyd Rose.

Annnnnnd back to what I had originally posted. Use whatever you like as both can work.