A question for 7 string bass builders

I've never built a 7, but 19mm * 6 gaps = 114mm - I think you're fine with that pup. On EMGs at least, the ends of the rails are almost even with the screw holes. If you call Bartolini they may be able to get you the exact lengths of the rails.

 

Villex pickups can make you custom pickups as well. I really love their tone and I've virtually tried most of what is out there in terms of pickups

www.villex.com

 

Never hurts to ask though

 

Wow - that max spacing is a bit more narrow than I would have thought.

I just drew the taper out in CAD, and your outer strings will fall just at the edges of the poles if you're using a 34" scale - so you run the risk of losing a little volume on the outer strings. 18mm bridge spacing and you'd be fine.

Equivalently, you'd have to move the pickup 4" from the bridge to achieve the same thing.

 

You won't find any covers for that it'll have to be wooden covers made by you

That's why I make my own covers (and pickups), most commissioned work I had yet always needs strange pickup spacings not available as standard and custom pickups are very $$$.

 

I am NOT a builder but I had Stambaugh build me a 19mm-spaced fretless 7 a couple of years ago; it had a single custom(IIRC)Aero humbucker w/a mac ebony cover. Sounded huge. Ther's a pic or two in Big O's Stambaugh gallery, also one or two on the Luthier's Access Group site.

 

I have David Schwab's first 6 strings pickup and it sounds fantastic (for not much $$$$).

PM him (SGD lutherie), I did it and I'll do it again (if I ever build something else...)

From the e-mail exchange I had with him, he can do almost any width of pickup you want.