EMG MM5CS Music Man Active 5 String Bass Pickup

[AbraBASS42069]

Hello! Does anyone have experience installing the pickup in the title into a ray5?
If so, how is it? I saw a YouTube video of a guy installing an AG 5M pickup into a ray5 and he had to change out the bridge because the strings didn't align. Is there a similar problem with the EMG version?
TIA

 

[Snert]

They're bar magnets internally.

 

[Geri O]

I don’t have any experience at all with any of gtr aftermarket MM pickups.

But I cannot see enough benefit from any aftermarket replacement pickup that requires going through the trouble of changing the bridge to accommodate string spacing.

 

[eastcoasteddie]

I saw a YouTube video of a guy installing an AG 5M pickup into a ray5 and he had to change out the bridge because the strings didn't align.

Had he chosen a different pickup, he wouldn’t have had to change the bridge. I’m also willing to bet that the strings still didn’t align with the pole pieces properly even after the bridge replacement.
Why?
Because the Aguilar AG5M is designed with 19mm pole spacing. The Ray 5 has 16mm spacing. The Ray5 neck will allow up to 17.5mm string spacing. Aguilar doesn’t make a 5-string MM pickup with exposed poles for 17.5mm spacing like the other manufacturers do (Duncan, Nordstrand, Delano, etc). The Aguilar DCB 5M is much like the EMG with ceramic bar magnets and will accommodate a wide range of string spacing.

It’s all about doing your research rather than picking parts willy-nilly…

 

[Geri O]

Had he chosen a different pickup, he wouldn’t have had to change the bridge. I’m also willing to bet that the strings still didn’t align with the pole pieces properly even after the bridge replacement.
Why?
Because the Aguilar AG5M is designed with 19mm pole spacing. The Ray 5 has 16mm spacing. The Ray5 neck will allow up to 17.5mm string spacing. Aguilar doesn’t make a 5-string MM pickup with exposed poles for 17.5mm spacing like the other manufacturers do (Duncan, Nordstrand, Delano, etc).

It’s all about doing your research rather than picking parts willy-nilly…

…and I’m trying to understand why someone would build an MM pickup that wasn’t geared toward the standard MM spacing. Yeah, yeah, I know folks can build a custom instrument with that spacing, but how many MM pickups with that spacing can they reasonably expect to sell?

(this comment is to no one in particular…,)

 

[eastcoasteddie]

…and I’m trying to understand why someone would build an MM pickup that wasn’t geared toward the standard MM spacing. Yeah, yeah, I know folks can build a custom instrument with that spacing, but how many MM pickups with that spacing can they reasonably expect to sell?

(this comment is to no one in particular…,)

I wonder the same thing. Maybe they just don’t want to join the herd…