Best place for locating the pickups

[maellaguitars]

Hi, I'm makin' a solid body guitar and would like to know which is the best place for routing the pickups cavities (two humbuckers) in a 25.5" scale guitar.

I know there are some theories about nodes-antinodes placement, but I have no idea about a "real" formula to calculate it.

[The Everlove]

under the strings would be a good place

[bluesjunior]

You should have the pole pieces in your neck pickup where the 24th fret octave would be if you had 24 frets. Your bridge pickup polepieces should then be at the next octave.

Probably the best thing to do would be to use a strat with the action etc set up to your spec and use a slide and a chromatic tuner to find the position of the octaves and then use these measurements for the pup placement on your newbuild.

[maellaguitars]

under The Strings Would Be A Good Place


+ 1

[TooManyHobbies]

You should have the pole pieces in your neck pickup where the 24th fret octave would be if you had 24 frets. Your bridge pickup polepieces should then be at the next octave.

Probably the best thing to do would be to use a strat with the action etc set up to your spec and use a slide and a chromatic tuner to find the position of the octaves and then use these measurements for the pup placement on your newbuild.

I wouldn't necessarily do that. Cancellation of the secondary harmonics and all. It it not such a straightforward answer. Placing pickups directly under the nodes can somtimes be unfavorable.

[maellaguitars]

I wouldn't necessarily do that. Cancellation of the secondary harmonics and all. It it not such a straightforward answer. Placing pickups directly under the nodes can somtimes be unfavorable.

The neck has 24 frets but I wouldn't like to mount them under the nodes, I preffer under the "antinodes". I've read the there is more energy there, but I don't know how to calculate it.

[walterw]

remember, though, all this talk of "nodes" and pickup placement relative to them becomes meaningless once you fret a string.

i say put them where they are on a normal gibson (not your 1275,which has a weird placement), neck humbucker edge about 1/2" away from the 22nd fret, bridge humbucker edge about 3/4" away from where the hi E contacts the bridge saddle. 50 years of recordings tell us humbuckers sound good there.

(edit: 24 frets, huh? just put the neck pickup as close as you can the the last fret, it won't sound the same, but some folks like it.)

[maellaguitars]

remember, though, all this talk of "nodes" and pickup placement relative to them becomes meaningless once you fret a string.

I think the same too, but what about the Green/Moore Les Paul? Some people say the neck humbucker in the "24 fret" seems to sound muddy.

The neck single pickup of a strat is not place in 24 fret.

Any rule for advice the bridge pickup?

[walterw]

I think the same too, but what about the Green/Moore Les Paul? Some people say the neck humbucker in the "24 fret" seems to sound muddy.
?? the pickup is the same place it is on any other les paul. just because it's turned around doesn't change that.

The neck single pickup of a strat is not place in 24 fret.

sure it is. switch to the neck pickup on a strat, chime the open string harmonics at the 24th fret location, and listen to how much sound it doesn't make.

[maellaguitars]

?? the pickup is the same place it is on any other les paul. just because it's turned around doesn't change that.

but the polepieces are not placed in the 24 fret

[walterw]

but the polepieces are not placed in the 24 fret
common misperception. the 6 screws on a gibson bucker are not the primary focus of the sound, and aren't even all that important (especially with the cover off).

as has been mentioned around here, seth lover (the inventor) didn't even bother with them, but gibson's marketing guys wanted them because the p-90 had them.

[Tone_Terrific]

My little experiment with a single hb near the central area proved to me that I want a dual hb guitar with a neck tone that sounds like neck tone and a bridge tone that sounds toppier, twangier and tighter but not TOO much.
I don't know where it should be, but the classic Gibson spot is surely not a bad choice.

[maellaguitars]

I don't know where it should be, but the classic Gibson spot is surely not a bad choice.


but I have 24 frets with 25.5 scale, is there any PRS with this features?

[Tone_Terrific]

My 25.5, 24 fret Charvel has the neck pup snug to the base of the neck and the bridge one centred 2 inches from the g-string saddle, FWIW.