Distance between bridge and MM sweet spot

Human Bass · #1 04-02-2009, 04:41 PM

Hey guys, I need to know the distance between the bridge "wall" and the closest "border" of a MM pup on its traditional sweet spot, well, here is a pic explaining what i mean, the purple lines are the distance i want to know.

OriginalCrash · #2 04-02-2009, 04:44 PM

I'm not at all saying you don't know what you're asking for, so I apologize if it seems that way. I just wonder if your question is about the MusicMan bridge in particular, or more general... In other words, do you want the distance from the bridge "wall" or from the saddles?

Brian

Human Bass · #3 04-02-2009, 04:45 PM

The bridge wall.

spalatalatan · #4 04-02-2009, 04:49 PM

if i may clarify, i think hes asking for the distance from then back of the bridge and the near side of the pup. i would get you it but alas, i do not have a mm

roberthabraken · #5 04-02-2009, 04:54 PM

( I assume you know that pickups are placed relatively between the nut and the saddles in exact scale length position? Since the saddles are adjustable, the bridge wall could differ in place, while the saddles are still tuned op correctly. So I think it's not a save starting point to measure. )

Human Bass · #6 04-02-2009, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roberthabraken

( I assume you know that pickups are placed relatively between the nut and the saddles in exact scale length position? Since the saddles are adjustable, the bridge wall could differ in place, while the saddles are still tuned op correctly. So I think it's not a save starting point to measure. )

But arent the saddles position adjustable for intonation and therefore variable?

roberthabraken · #7 04-02-2009, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Human Bass

But arent the saddles position adjustable for intonation and therefore variable?

Yes, they are. But everything is measured from the nut. If you build a bass from scratch, you first finish the neck / fb / nut and all and than measure the scale length from the nut. Then you put your saddles almost in forward position, line them up with the measurement you made and that's where your bridge goes. So depending on where the saddles where put when measuring / placing it, your bridge location can vary. Slightly, but it can.

So, I think it's best to measure from the nut.

Human Bass · #8 04-02-2009, 05:03 PM

Ok then, so its possible to provide the distance of the RED line?

roberthabraken · #9 04-02-2009, 05:06 PM

I'm sorry I cannot help you with that, because I don't own a MM (I wish I did), but that's a much more accurate way to measure

.

Greenman · #10 04-02-2009, 05:08 PM

In my records I have 30.5" from the nut to the center of the neck pole pieces but you had better verify from another source. The d saddle fully extended towards the nut should be 34". Hope that helps.

Human Bass · #11 04-02-2009, 05:12 PM

Well, tomorrow im going to a bass store with a big ruler to measure their MMs. It will be fun.

GBassNorth · #12 04-02-2009, 05:13 PM

I must admit this is kind of an odd way of measuring for pickup or bridge placement but hey, to each his own.
Here's the answer to your exact question - the distance from the back of the bridge to the pickup edge closest to the bridge (exactly per the lines you drew on your pic) mics out at 3.80 inches on a vintage 1979 pre-ernie ball Stingray.
Now to put that in terms slightly more standard - the distance from the center of the G string saddle to the edge of the pickup closest to the bridge is 2.58 inches.

Now to really confound the issue - you asked about the sweet spot placement for the musicman pickup. I did countless mockups of Bartolini MM pickups to find what I felt was the sweet spot and ended up with a placement of 3.19 inches from edge of pickup to center line of G string saddle. Thats quite a bit further from the bridge than my stingray but with the Bart pickup it sounded better there. I did the same thing with a Delano MM style pickup and ended up much closer to the bridge than the Bart but still further away than the Stingray

.
Hope this helps.

Greenman · #13 04-02-2009, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Human Bass

Well, tomorrow im going to a bass store with a big ruler to measure their MMs. It will be fun.

Please report back.

Human Bass · #14 04-02-2009, 05:31 PM

Well, the MM pup I will use is the Vintage Bassline.

http://www.seymourduncan.com/product...b4a_5a_alnico/

The body will be brazilwood, yeah, the same one used in violin bows and also brazilian "blonde oak", that is at least how its called here.

The neck will be a Status one.

The pre will be from my MIA Deluxa Jazz, 18V.

Talk about a fun frankstein. =D

GBassNorth · #15 04-02-2009, 07:24 PM

Sounds interesting

- I never tried the SD pickups but have heard a lot of good about them. I think SD also makes a MM preamp that isn't too pricey and probably goes good with their pickups. The fender preamp (I assume its a jazz bass preamp) will certainly have an effect

, just not sure what that would sound like.

Oh well, the fun with a Frankenbass is putting all the pieces together and bringing it to life knowing that you can (and probably well) continue to modify and tweek it until its exactly what you want. Enjoy! And keep us posted with pics and sound clips. You may have the only SDMM/Fender preamp combo on talkbass - maybe you'll set a new trend!

pilotjones · #16 04-02-2009, 10:48 PM

Look here for the graphic link. Distances are from active edge of nut to polepieces.
32" scale p.u location

Human Bass · #17 04-02-2009, 10:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotjones

Look here for the graphic link. Distances are from active edge of nut to polepieces.
32" scale p.u location

Thanks!

RedLeg · #18 04-02-2009, 11:09 PM

I remember reading somewhere, I don't really remember (probably TB), but the sweet spot on a 34" bass is roughly where the 36th fret would be, right under a really powerful sounding harmonic position. If that were the case (and I think I am correct) the middle of a musicman pickup should lie at 29.750" from the nut. Just a thought, could be urban myth.

Human Bass · #19 04-02-2009, 11:50 PM

I was measuring my Ibanez here and checking the place I like to pluck. Since I dont want my fingers to hit the poles, I want the bridge poles to be a little bit more distante than where my fingers go bridge wise. What means that the neck pickup edge would be 130mm (13cm) from the 21st fret, the bridge edge about 178mm. (The width of a MM pup is 48mm)

And from what i checked its a little bit closer to the neck than the traditional spot, but really just a little and I think I will settle with that.

jordan_frerichs · #20 04-03-2009, 12:43 AM

here is what you do:
Get an image from musicians friend and take it to paints. Draw a line across the 12 fret, and the bridge or neck coil. Connect the lines at about the centerline. Cut out that piece and re-paste an image of the bass, and take the cutout, and match it to the fret lines on the bass. After you find a match, mark the frets it goes across and add their distance from eachother. The bridge/neck coil will be that distance from the 12th fret.
This works for changing scale lengths, but maintaining the pup coil locations relative to the harmonics, since the frets change in distance from eachother is at a constant rate.