30" scale, which Hipshot bridge?

[knucklehead G]

I'm heading to Roberto-Venn in August and plan on putting together something a bit like a Mustang for my electric. Not a 7ender copy, but a 30" scale bass with the same string spacing and feel of the Mustang, which I love.

I've searched and been through quite a few threads, but my question is a bit different as I don't need holes to line up with anything in particular.

I'm looking for the option to string-through and the same spacing as the originals, or at least the RI ones out now as I've never played a true original.

Hipshot A-styles go down to .656, B-styles (which I prefer) to .669... what spacing do I need?

[bongomania]

Well, that all depends on the pole placement of the specific pickup you use, and where you position it, and what spacing you like the feel of. You'll honestly have to work that out mathematically, or the luthier will have to, before you buy the bridge. Or, you could get a "blade" style pickup, like SGD or certain S.Duncans, which work with any string spacing.

[mongo2]

Yesterday, I started a floating one piece maple bridge for a shortscale EUB I've been working on which uses a Mustang neck.

I used a string spacing of 23/32" (~ 0.718") since it brought the outer strings a bit closer to the edge of the fingerboard which I prefer.

I'm using Bartolini 8S pickups so the string position over the pickup isn't that important.

[Rusty the Scoob]

Scale length and bridge choice are totally unrelated.

Scale length and bridge placement, on the other hand, are very related.

[mongo2]

Originally Posted by Rusty the Scoob

Scale length and bridge choice are totally unrelated.

True, but bridge selection is somewhat limited by the OPs decision to use a neck with Mustang dimensions since the Mustang neck and string spacing at the bridge is more narrow than the standard Fender neck. The standard Fender bridge string spacing of 3/4" will cause the strings to be too close to the edge of the fingerboard on a Mustang sized neck.

[basslinejam]

Why not track down a RI mustang bridge?

[knucklehead G]

Originally Posted by basslinejam

Why not track down a RI mustang bridge?

Its an aesthetic thing really, I am not trying to go for the Mustang look at all. If nothing else fits I can go that route, but I'd like another option.

[knucklehead G]

Originally Posted by mongo2

Yesterday, I started a floating one piece maple bridge for a shortscale EUB I've been working on which uses a Mustang neck.

I used a string spacing of 23/32" (~ 0.718") since it brought the outer strings a bit closer to the edge of the fingerboard which I prefer.

I'm using Bartolini 8S pickups so the string position over the pickup isn't that important.

So is .718 the spacing? Hipshot has that. I'll be using pickups where the spacing doesn't matter, I just want that Mustang feel.

[mongo2]

Originally Posted by knucklehead G

So is .718 the spacing? Hipshot has that. I'll be using pickups where the spacing doesn't matter, I just want that Mustang feel.

It's what I used...I was not aware that Hipshot carried that particular string spacing.