Pickup Placement, measurements of specific basses

This is a very good idea as having such standardized tables may finally give some people an answer why particular pickups at particular positions create particular sounds.

Would love to help - I'll check my P/J bass clone once I get to that bass and write back. If you plan on adding to the table, here's an extra idea you might want to consider: it would also be good to write down the metric equivalent, for us Imperially impaired.

I was going to comment on the instrument scale because it has a major impact and the sizes have to be refactored for <34" or >34" scales, but I see you got that covered. By the way, is the 1998 MIM Jazz the one with 60s or 70s pickup spacing?

My EBMM HH, 34-inch scale, measured from the nut:
Neck pickup centerline, 26 5/8;
Rear pickup centerline, 30 5/16.

My MTD 535, 35-inch scale, measured from the nut (ignored the '0' fret):
Neck pickup centerline, 29 1/2;
Rear pickup centerline, 32 15/16.

Okay, P/J clone, 34" scale, measured from nut:

P-pickup center:
734mm, 85% of total scale length
P-pickup EA-half, pole centers:
720mm, 83.333% = 5/6 of total scale length
P-pickup DG-half, pole centers:
750mm, 86.80555555% of total scale length

Great thread, useful data.

Warwick Thumb NT 4 string, 34" scale
measured from nut to centrline of pup
Neck: 29 3/4"
Bridge (angled, measurement from centre of neck): 32 3/8"

Warwick Thumb NT 5 string fretless, 34 1/2" scale
both pups angled and parallel to one onother, measurement from centre of neck (A string)
Neck: 31 1/8"
Bridge: 32 3/4"

Hey, guys.

Can anyone give measurements of PU placement for Ibanez GWB1 or 1005? Thanks

SR1005 - 34" scale
Nut to centerline of pickups:
Neck: 28 15/16"
Bridge: 31 15/16"

Anyone got the measurement for a '76 Fretless MMSRay to compare positions to a fretted, or were they the same.
From front of nut to center of pup. Thanks

Kev2007 said:

Great thread, useful data.


Warwick Thumb NT 5 string fretless, 34 1/2" scale
both pups angled and parallel to one onother, measurement from centre of neck (A string)
Neck: 31 1/8"
Bridge: 32 3/4"

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Is that bass custom???
All regular 5 string Thumb NT basses are 34" scale.

I am particularly interested in measurements from a 60's/70's Humbucker Telecaster bass if anybody's got one.

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1977 Fender Telecaster
34" scale length

Nut to PU centre line 25"

Nut to Pole centre lines 24 9/16" & 25 7/16"

tdvt said:

I throw the odd parts bass together every once in a while & decided to search the forums for info regarding P/U placement of a few certain intruments. While there are many threads regarding placement & it's huge effect on sound, I didn't find any hard & fast numbers (maybe they're out there?) for various basses. I myself would find this interesting just for comparison & also useful for building. So I thought I would start up a list that others can add to if they feel inclined.


I chose not to measure from the bridge because of the compensating saddles but measured from the nut since it is a constant point relative to the scale of the instrument. On both basses I measured, I measured from the nut to the center of the pickup (same as the center of the pole on single coils) & also added the pole centers for the humbucker. Numbers in parentheses are the remainder when subtracted from the given scale length.


The two that I can throw out there are:

1976 Music Man Stingray
34" scale length

Nut to PU centerline 30 9/16" (3 7/16")

Nut to Pole centerlines 30 1/8" & 31 1/16" (3 7/8" & 2 15/16")


1998 MIM Fender Jazz
34" scale length

Nut to bridge PU centerline 31 7/16" (2 9/16")

Nut to Neck PU centerline 27 7/8" (6 1/8")

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I'm glad to see you paying close attention to the distances. You know, I've delved into that a bit. I chopped up one cheap plywood body bass in the 90's just to add one EBO style pickup. So this bass had a regular "P pickup" - just to simplify terms for now - and then I added the neck pickup 1/16" back from the neck. Each pickup yielded a good tone when mixed. Then I chopped up a 1975 Precision Bass (gasp, yeah I know) for the same mod that I practiced on the first cheap bass. This time it sounded much better than the first time - I still use the same P-Bass. Then I bought a brand spanking new G&L L-1505 and had a highly skilled tech do the routing to add a second identical pickup from G&L. You see, in the case of G&L all of their L series basses with 2 pickups are spaced less than 1 inch apart from each other. I know Leo Fender had his reasons - maximum respect to Mr. Fender. With two pickups placed so closely there is not enough difference in tone. So, I made my own mod. The third time is charm. And you know man, when the tech and I had the uncut, beautiful L-1505 (still with the tags on the tuner) on the counter at his shop he asked me where I wanted him to put the second G&L pickup and I said, "right here". He measured and we agreed that the distance between the pickups would be 2 1/8". 20 years after I modded the plywood bass and looking at many pictures and measuring basses in stores and writing down the numbers I developed an idea of where the second pickup should be on a G&L bass. And then of course there are the topics of string nodes and harmonics. Enough, I felt that I was ready. After a while you just know when you're ready. I took a $1200.00 risk and I won.

Was I lucky ? No, I learned what I needed to know after a very long time. I owned many stock, run of the mill, ordinary basses before I did the mod for the third time. I'm a slow learner. Right before, I mean 1 month before, I bought the G&L L-1505 I bought a G&L L-2000 brand new because I wanted to give it a fair shot through my rig. I did not appreciate the sound of the pickups at 50/50 blend because they are too close to each other - again I say < 1". I returned the L-2000 and put ordered the L-1505. I promise you that this mod was the best mod I could have made to an already great bass. Now, in my case I always blend my pickups at 50/50. I adjust most of my tone on the amp.

I wish you well in your pickup placement projects.

Here's Leo's designs:
you can see some overlapping sweet spots, yet each is a bit different. Interesting that the MM and P which have a similar classic tone share no "sweet spot."

fnord!

lindseyp said:

.....

My MTD 535, 35-inch scale, measured from the nut (ignored the '0' fret):
Neck pickup centerline, 29 1/2;
Rear pickup centerline, 32 15/16.

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The zero fret is what matters. It is where the scale starts (intonation point). The nut is there just to hold the strings in place....

fnordlyone said:

Here's Leo's designs:
you can see some overlapping sweet spots, yet each is a bit different. Interesting that the MM and P which have a similar classic tone share no "sweet spot."

fnord!

Click to expand...

great pic. is it possible to add the L-2000 to this comparison picture?

Stealth said:

This is a very good idea as having such standardized tables may finally give some people an answer why particular pickups at particular positions create particular sounds.

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Honestly, I think it will cause more confusion than it alleviates. What happens when, hypothetically, there are 5 or 6 basses with pickups in identical spots having sounds that are distinct from one another?

I think compiling a chart/table like this would be interesting, but I don't think it will be useful.

From my personal notes. Let me know is something is too obscure to understand:

djm150 said:

great pic. is it possible to add the L-2000 to this comparison picture?

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I lifted that pic from another tb member from a long ago thread. Cannot remember original poster of pic, but maybe he could do a new comparison. Afraid I don't own the basses or tech to post an update
fnord!

Can someone please post the pickup measurements from the 12th fret for a Spector Euro 5lx and a Ken Smith 5 neckthru?

Interesting thread this!! Anybody know the measurements for a Les Paul bass?