String spacing tolerance

[cagincet]

Hi,

I have a set of pickups, which are for a string spacing of 18,5 mm (bridge p/u) and 17,5 mm (neck p/u).
But I want to use them for a project with a string spacing of 16,75 mm (bridge p/u) and 16 mm (neck p/u).

I want to use them for a tenor bass strung E-A-D-G-C.

For bridge p/u:
If D string is perfectly in the middle of the pickup, deviation is 1,75 mm on the A and G strings (for my tenor bass), and 3,5 mm on the extreme strings (E and C in my case).

For neck p/u:
For the same perfect alignment of center lines for D string and the neck p/u, 1,5 mm deviation for A and G, 3 mm on E and C strings.

1- Can you comment on this situation? I know it will be bad aesthetically, I think of covering the poles, but what about sonically?

2- How much deviation (in mm) is tolerable sonically?

Thanks

[SGD Lutherie]

What kind of pickups are they?

[cagincet]

They are Seymour Duncan NYC-II's

Dimensions can be found here:
Basslines NYC-5 - Passive Phase II NYC Soapbar

[walterw]

in theory, the strings should be between each pair of polepieces to create the slight natural compression that leo fender designed into the original jazz and '57 P pickups.

in reality, if the pickup is not too close to the strings and you don't hit too hard, it won't make a big difference as long as each string is somewhere over the zone of the two poles.

this might be a better job for any one of a bunch of soapbars with continuous blade magnets, though.

[cagincet]

Here's what I heard back from Seymour Duncan:

In terms of string coverage over the pole pieces, as long as the string is even a little bit over it, you’re ok. The magnetic field of those pole pieces is not just straight up and down…it’s wider than that.

I wouldn’t cover the pickups…might change the tone.

I will use them, without covering, and I will write here if there's any problem.