How much would custom build strat pickups made to fit a 5/6 string cost

[JJ08]

I plan on building a monstrosity of a bass that includes, among other things, 2 strat pickups. I mainly play 5 and 6 strings, but the poles obviously wouldn't line up so I'd have to have the pickups custom made.

Considering the fact that they wouldn't be able to use any existing templates or anything because of the weird size & shape, how much would a luthier charge for this crime against humanity?

P.s. ignore costs of installing the pickups and stuff like that, I'd do it myself. I mean just making the pickups

 

[rudy4444]

Just use bar / rail pickups... no pole spacing to worry about. Search Seymour Duncan Hot Rails as a typical example of rail type pickups.

 

[Bruce Johnson]

I plan on building a monstrosity of a bass that includes, among other things, 2 strat pickups. I mainly play 5 and 6 strings, but the poles obviously wouldn't line up so I'd have to have the pickups custom made.

Considering the fact that they wouldn't be able to use any existing templates or anything because of the weird size & shape, how much would a luthier charge for this crime against humanity?

P.s. ignore costs of installing the pickups and stuff like that, I'd do it myself. I mean just making the pickups

When you say you want "Strat" pickups, what particular characteristics do you want? There are a lot of single coil bass pickups out there which are similar in design and construction, with the rod magnet poles spaced for basses. One of those should be able to get you the sound that you want. Or, are you looking for the visual appearance of a Strat-style cover?

 

[JJ08]

When you say you want "Strat" pickups, what particular characteristics do you want? There are a lot of single coil bass pickups out there which are similar in design and construction, with the rod magnet poles spaced for basses. One of those should be able to get you the sound that you want. Or, are you looking for the visual appearance of a Strat-style cover?

I mean a literal stratocaster guitar pickup, or as close to one as i can get.

 

[ardgedee]

Would a '51-era Precision bass pickup design do the trick? It's literally a Strat-style pickup with poles spaced for bass. Not as common as the later 2-piece Precision pickup. The 4-string version is not particularly rare. 5-string is less common but easy to find once you start looking.

Here's one example, there are others:

5 String 51 Precision Bass Pickups

nordstrandaudio.com

 

[JJ08]

Would a '51-era Precision bass pickup design do the trick? It's literally a Strat-style pickup with poles spaced for bass. Not as common as the later 2-piece Precision pickup. The 4-string version is not particularly rare. 5-string is less common but easy to find once you start looking.

Here's one example, there are others:

5 String 51 Precision Bass Pickups

nordstrandaudio.com

That's certainly better than nothing, and closer to a guitar sound than just tone shaping a jazz or something like that

 

[ardgedee]

That's certainly better than nothing, and closer to a guitar sound than just tone shaping a jazz or something like that

The problem you're going to run into with using guitar pickups is that, setting aside positions of the poles, it might be tricky to find a guitar pickup wide enough to cover all the strings when you have 5 or more.

 

[JJ08]

The problem you're going to run into with using guitar pickups is that, setting aside positions of the poles, it might be tricky to find a guitar pickup wide enough to cover all the strings when you have 5 or more.

I know. I just checked the hot rail pickups rudy4444 suggested in this thread, and they're literally 2 MOTHER FLIPPING MILLIMETRES too small for a 5 string. I'd probably need to find some 7 or 8 string guitar models of the hot rails, or bite the bullet and get them custom made

 

[ardgedee]

iirc the original single-coil Precision pickups Fender made were literally Telecaster pickups with different poles. I wouldn't worry about it too much -- the positions of the pickups and how they interact (if you have more than one) are going to have at least as much to do with your sound as their form factor.

 

[Matt Liebenau]

As far as custom pickups, per the terms of service the builders on here aren't supposed to solicit business through the forum. There is a pickup building thread and you could look through that and message anyone who's work you like. Be aware that many folks making pickups are set up to make their products and may not want to go through the R&D for something different. Don't take it personally.

Thread 'Magnets & Copper Wire: A Pickup Building Thread'

Nov 24, 2018

Since starting my own pickup-making project, it has been suggested by a few folks that it would be a good idea to start a thread here in The Luthier's Corner dedicated to building pickups. The intent is to have a thread for all the pickup builders here in LC to contribute, share projects and information about their processes of pickup building.

My most current pickup project has been exhaustively documented in another thread:

Build #3: La Charra: the Semi-Hollow Adventure Continues

but I will post here a video of my winder and the initial stages of a new pickup project.

Here's...

• Freekmagnet
• pickup building pickup winding pickups
• Replies: 1,906
• Forum: Luthier's Corner

• 

Or you may even find you want to make your own!

 

[Dirk Diggler]

If you want Barts, they show their pole arrangements for all their pickups, as stated above you want the blade style not individual poles.
However most of these are custom built with long lead time.

https://bartolini.net/product-category/guitar-pickups/strat/

Perhaps consider using Candy bar style bass pickups?

https://bartolini.net/product-category/bass-pickups/bass-candybars/

 

[BarfanyShart]

I just got a set of Nordstrand Big Blades, and they are pretty cool.

 

[JJ08]

As far as custom pickups, per the terms of service the builders on here aren't supposed to solicit business through the forum. There is a pickup building thread and you could look through that and message anyone who's work you like. Be aware that many folks making pickups are set up to make their products and may not want to go through the R&D for something different. Don't take it personally.

Thread 'Magnets & Copper Wire: A Pickup Building Thread'

Nov 24, 2018

Since starting my own pickup-making project, it has been suggested by a few folks that it would be a good idea to start a thread here in The Luthier's Corner dedicated to building pickups. The intent is to have a thread for all the pickup builders here in LC to contribute, share projects and information about their processes of pickup building.

My most current pickup project has been exhaustively documented in another thread:

Build #3: La Charra: the Semi-Hollow Adventure Continues

but I will post here a video of my winder and the initial stages of a new pickup project.

Here's...

• Freekmagnet
• pickup building pickup winding pickups
• Replies: 1,906
• Forum: Luthier's Corner

• 

Or you may even find you want to make your own!

Thank you. I'm considering getting them made by a guy in my area if i don't find anything that works online. And for the last part, i am simply not smart enough to make my own pickups

 

[iiipopes]

The standard Strat-style pickup to retrofit into a bass (I'm thinking most MusicMasters, Broncos, and such) are rails-style Strat humbucker pickups. The string spacing is obviated, and you get humbucking as a bonus.

 

[groooooove]

I plan on building a monstrosity of a bass that includes, among other things, 2 strat pickups. I mainly play 5 and 6 strings, but the poles obviously wouldn't line up so I'd have to have the pickups custom made.

Considering the fact that they wouldn't be able to use any existing templates or anything because of the weird size & shape, how much would a luthier charge for this crime against humanity?

P.s. ignore costs of installing the pickups and stuff like that, I'd do it myself. I mean just making the pickups

try MJS pickups. He made me two sets of pickups, one highly customized, the other very standard.

his work is beyond reproach, completely customizable, and reasonably priced.

 

[Matt Kustom]

Thank you. I'm considering getting them made by a guy in my area if i don't find anything that works online. And for the last part, i am simply not smart enough to make my own pickups

Do you know the string spacing for each pickup position? That's the main issue. If you know the string spacing it's no problem to laser cut what your looking for

 

[KidAmnesia]

That's certainly better than nothing, and closer to a guitar sound than just tone shaping a jazz or something like that

What is it exactly you are looking for in a "strat pickup"?

Because strat pickups are not that different from a jazz pickup, the main difference is that most j pickups have two poles per string while strats use just one. But the coils are essentially a tallish single coil with a fairly low to medium winding count wound stright over the magnets. I don't think a strat pu long enough to cover a 5 or 6 string bass will sound radically different from any 5 or 6 string j.

 

[kodiakblair]

Considering the fact that they wouldn't be able to use any existing templates or anything because of the weird size & shape, how much would a luthier charge for this crime against humanity?

I have a thing for building 51-54 P/Tele-basses.

Last year I fancied doing a 51 slab body jazz bass. Different string spacing at bridge and neck positions meant I could just grab 2 single coils from the drawer, had to go the custom route. Quick message to a lad in England explaining my needs, 2 x 51 single coils with alnico 5 slugs. 54mm spacing for neck, 58mm spacing for bridge. Bridge to be slightly hotter than neck and RWRP.

Few days passed then I got an email with a flatwork PDF to print and check the pole spacings matched those on the bass. Confirmed the spacing was correct and 6 days later my pickups arrived.

Total cost for this was £120 inc the shipping.

 

[Jazz Ad]

I think it was the idea behind Wilde J-45 pickups

 

[iiipopes]

I have a thing for building 51-54 P/Tele-basses.

Last year I fancied doing a 51 slab body jazz bass. Different string spacing at bridge and neck positions meant I could just grab 2 single coils from the drawer, had to go the custom route. Quick message to a lad in England explaining my needs, 2 x 51 single coils with alnico 5 slugs. 54mm spacing for neck, 58mm spacing for bridge. Bridge to be slightly hotter than neck and RWRP.

Few days passed then I got an email with a flatwork PDF to print and check the pole spacings matched those on the bass. Confirmed the spacing was correct and 6 days later my pickups arrived.

Total cost for this was £120 inc the shipping.

Please see my PM asking for more information about these pickups.