Pickups and string spacing

[Saxn]

Ok, I have been looking at replacing pickups on my Yamaha, and after mucho research and a couple of other threads on the pickups forum it looks like I am going to have to go with a completely different pickup variant than stock since Yamaha - of course - makes some sort of oddball form factor that nobody has a drop-in replacement for Good news is that the pup cavities are friggin' caves and I will have no problem fitting standard J bass pickups into them.

What I am wondering NOW is whether or not I might have a problem with the string spacing ALSO being 'non-standard'. I would hate to go through all this comparing of tone, output, yadda yadda just to find out that the pickups I chose don't line up with the strings and I am getting uneven output from string to string. Could this possibly happen? And if so, would eliminating all of the pups with the separate poles and going for one with a rail eliminate the problem?

Thanks for reading...

 

[walterw]

the polepiece spacing thing makes a subtle difference at best.

 

[96tbird]

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Bill Lawrence knows your pain. Designer of the first ever replacement pickups. Ever.

 

[Jamie_Funk]

Howdy - of all the replacement issues for the Yamaha you have, pole piece spacing is likely the easiest to resolve.

1. Find out what the spacing is on your bass - think it is 19mm, might be 18mm.

2. Chose a pickup with that spacing

3. Done

The routes for the Yamaha pickups are non-standard, but the string spacing is not. Many companies offer pickups in multiple pole piece spacings.

Some offer blades instead of pole pieces - EMG, SGD, etc. As long as the blade covers the outer strings well, then your spacing doesn't matter at all. I have an EMG 40DC in my Yamaha 5 (19mm, replacement bridge though) and there are no isses.

J

 

[Saxn]

Thanks again for helping a rook get it right the first time, guys. I would normally just charge in and do this - consequences be damned - but right now my employment future is a little 'uncertain' and I am wanting to do this once and do it right so I have a giggable rig if and when the **** hits the fan.

Just so you see why I am fretting about the process so much