Locating pickup locations on a 25.5 inch scale guitar

[cstar]

So I'm planning on a guitar build and I was wondering if there's some trick to locating the pickups. It would be 25.5 inch scale, with two humbuckers. Is there a method to placing them? I figured there must be. Aren't there sweetspots? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[JoeWPgh]

Start with a guitar youwould like it to sound like. 25.5" is a Strat scale. If you wanted the positions of a 24.75" Les Paul, you would divide 24.75 into 25.5, which gives you 1.03. Measure the locations of the Les Paul's pickups from the 12 fret and multiply by 1.03

 

[Jensby design]

Is there a method to placing them? I figured there must be. Aren't there sweetspots?

I haven't heard much about placement methods, most guys just copy somebody else. I measure by what fret would be there so it carries over to any scale length (so I build a mini for my kids).
As for the sweetspot that's kind of a load of shatner, as soon as you fret my sweetspot its gone I have to take a poop
I saw on one of these threads somebody posted a pic of the old pick-up on top of the strings jig.

 

[pfox14]

A lot depends on how many frets the neck will have. For instance, if you have 21 frets, you don't want the neck pup to be where the 24th fret would be because it will amplify the natural overtones of the strings. I would also recommend copying a Fender since it's the same scale length and Leo figured this out 60 years ago.

 

[Wild Rice Chris]

A lot depends on how many frets the neck will have. For instance, if you have 21 frets, you don't want the neck pup to be where the 24th fret would be because it will amplify the natural overtones of the strings. I would also recommend copying a Fender since it's the same scale length and Leo figured this out 60 years ago.

Most Fender guitars have the neck pickup centered where the 24th fret would be. Most Gibsons have the neck-side coil of the neck pickup at the 24th fret position. Bridge pickup placement varies more.

 

[cstar]

Thanks guys, I thought that most Fender neck pups were where the 24th fret would be.

I'd be using a standard AllParts telecaster neck, so no extra frets on this one...

I'm thinking then, that I'll line the neck side coil of the neck humbucker up with where the 24th fret would be.

As for the bridge pup location, I was figuring this: just line the center of the humbucker up with where the center of the angled single coil would be on a strat. Seemed like it would essentially be in the same spot that way.

Anyone see any problems with that? Thanks, Chris

 

[Arvin]

You could certainly do that. If it were me, though, I'd mount the bridge pickup upside down on a jig that allowed me to suspend the pickup over the top of the strings. Then I'd wire it to a jack, plug it in, and move it up and down the scale until I found the exact location I wanted it -- both individually, and in combination with the neck pickup.

 

[Beej]

A lot depends on how many frets the neck will have. For instance, if you have 21 frets, you don't want the neck pup to be where the 24th fret would be because it will amplify the natural overtones of the strings. I would also recommend copying a Fender since it's the same scale length and Leo figured this out 60 years ago.

This is mistaken, and tantamount to posting opinions about "my version of music theory" in the General Instruction forum. Many guitars with 21 or 22 fret necks place a pickup at the 24th, there is zero risk to amplification of overtones, as relative scale length constantly changes with fretting. Fender is just one manufacturer...