Exact MM pickup position for a fretless?

[pilotjones]

From Bruce's spreadsheet, his distances for both 4 + 5 string SRs:

From tuner side of 12th fret:
12.5625" to neck side pickup edge
13.125 center of neck side magnet
14.0625 center of bridge side magnet

 

[DaveCustomMade]

Hi,

I started this thread 6 months ago and my bass is still heavily "under construction". I have not routed the cavity for my Bartolini 5-string-Musicman pickup (I guess the same type as you have) and I can still select the position.

You have a good looking fretless and I believe it sounds also great. Would you be so kind to measure the pickup position from the nut? In this case measuring from the "bridge side" edge of the nut to the "neck side" edge of the pickup would be the easiest (since the pickup dimensions are probably identical).

By the way, is your bass 34" scale? Mine is.

-T-

You know, I have to apologize for that, . . I missed that you have a 34" scale bass. Mine is 35", so it may not give you a precise placement, unless someone on this board happens to know what the "conversion" would be. Would it be 1/2",. . . .would that be "too simple"?

Anyway, I can still measure this distance tonight and reply tomorrow.

 

[erikbojerik]

Would it be 1/2",. . . .would that be "too simple"?

Too simple. Just measure the nut-pickup (or bridge-pickup distance, which is easier to get precise with a caliper) and divide by the scale length to get your "MM placement factor"...it is the fraction of the scale length.

Then take that factor and multiply it by your own custom scale length to get the placement in real-life dimensions (in or mm). I did this for the 36"-scale axe in my avatar, and I love the result.

 

[DaveCustomMade]

Yes, I keep forgetting to measure. I'll write myself a note.

 

[deaf pea]

"Just measure the nut-pickup (or bridge-pickup distance, which is easier to get precise with a caliper)"

But the bridge saddle is movable!! You MUST measure from the pick-up side of the nut.

 

[DaveCustomMade]

My scale is 35".

The MM pickup is nearly 2" wide.

From the pickup side of the nut to the fingerboard side of the pickup was 31 1/8th inches. So, it's pretty close to the bridge.

 

[teppotyrvainen]

From the pickup side of the nut to the fingerboard side of the pickup was 31 1/8th inches.

Thanks!

My pickup is 1.93" wide. Assuming yours is the same the measure would be for 34" scale 34/35*(31 1/8"+1.93"/2)-1.93/2=30.2"=767mm.

I will test this position soon with my "prototype".

-T-

 

[DaveCustomMade]

Thanks!

My pickup is 1.93" wide. Assuming yours is the same the measure would be for 34" scale 34/35*(31 1/8"+1.93"/2)-1.93/2=30.2"=767mm.

I will test this position soon with my "prototype".

-T-

Yes, that 1.93" sounds about right. And you are welcome for the information. I hope it works for you!

 

[erikbojerik]

"Just measure the nut-pickup (or bridge-pickup distance, which is easier to get precise with a caliper)"

But the bridge saddle is movable!! You MUST measure from the pick-up side of the nut.

Eh...the bass was intontated. So you'd only move the saddle if you wanted to play out of tune.

If you are shooting for a specific "sweet spot" along the (intontated) string (i.e. harmonics), then you don't want to measure from the nut, you want to measure from the saddle....after finding the intonation. But really, a 16th or an 8th here or there is not going to make that much difference with a double-coil humbucker.

But if the bass you're working off of has a different scale length than the one you're building, yeah...that's a problem.

 

[pilotjones]

I was just emailed a request for Bruce Gavin's spreadsheet. Rather than send it to that person, I'll just post a version stripped down to the basses page here.

This version was downloaded sometime last year.