Putting a bridge pickup into the neck spot

[schenr]

Hi all, I did a quick search to see if I could find any similar posts, but had no luck. So here goes:
For my PRS (with trem) I have a wide spacing bridge pickup. I know it is generally possible to put a bridge pickup into the neck position, but would the wide spacing change my ability to swap it over?
The only reason I ask this is because on the FAQ it says that all neck pickups are standard spaced. It seems like there's the same amount of room in both the bridge and neck spot, but I just want to make sure before I do anything stupid.
Thanks

[WezV]

the pickups are the same size - so will physically fit, but the pole pieces will not line up with the strings very well

[schenr]

I've read mixed opinions as to if it makes much difference to the tone if the pole pieces don't line up. Obviously there's aesthetics that come into play, but what will it actually do to my sound? Sorry for the naivety of the question, but I couldn't find an answer anywhere else.

[kevinr]

You should not notice any difference, when you bend a string it is not always centre to the screw/pole!

[Prawnik]

See, I have been wondering what a neck pickup from something like a Nailbomb would sound like in the bridge of a Les Paul.

[HairyChris]

Bridge pickups tend to be a) wound hotter due to less movement from the string and b) voiced differently to the neck models (to create complimentary sets).

There's no issue with putting a bridge pickup in the neck position. The pole spacing pushes the poles of the top & bottom strings 1.5mm each away from the centre. I used a regular spaced brisge pickup on a FR loaded guitar and it was fine, even though the poles were slightly out.

The biggest difference you'll find is with the winding, magnets, etc, not pole spacing.

[Prawnik]

Bridge pickups tend to be a) wound hotter due to less movement from the string and b) voiced differently to the neck models (to create complimentary sets).

There's no issue with putting a bridge pickup in the neck position. The pole spacing pushes the poles of the top & bottom strings 1.5mm each away from the centre. I used a regular spaced brisge pickup on a FR loaded guitar and it was fine, even though the poles were slightly out.

The biggest difference you'll find is with the winding, magnets, etc, not pole spacing.

I know there is no issue with regard to magnets, polepiece spacing, etc. I am just curious what some of the tones would sound like.

Remember, back in Elder Days, Gibson and Fender did not wind "bridge position" pickups. The pickups winders wound until the bobbin was full, (on a machine in the case of Gibson), put the pickups in a box, and handed the box over to whoever installed the pickups in guitars.

[schenr]

I've been wondering what it would sound like too... I may just have to volunteer myself up and get a new bridge pickup as motivation.

[WezV]

well without knowing the pickups being swapped its hard to say what the tonal effect will be.  sure, neck pickups are generally wound different to the bridge models... but within the BKP range there are neck humbuckers ranging from 7-17k, and the bridges range from 7 - 21k, and they use very similar winding techniques, magnets and construction.

Thats a lot of cross over between the available bridge & neck models and absolutely no basic construction reason they cant be swapped

...

apart from pole piece spacing ;)

I agree it is mainly (though not totally) aesthetic - but I have put wide spaced bridge pickups in the neck position before and was not happy with how it looked, i also felt the string balance was off from the dodgy alignment - but reckon that could be sorted with pole piece adjustments

[schenr]

I was planning on putting my cold sweats in the neck and buying some nailbombs for the bridge.
So pretty much, it's just a bit of a hotter pickup goin in the neck (with un-aligned poles)?

[Prawnik]

I've been wondering what it would sound like too... I may just have to volunteer myself up and get a new bridge pickup as motivation.

Well, in my case, I would have to try one of the hotter neck pickups in the bridge of my Les Paul.

[darkbluemurder]

I was planning on putting my cold sweats in the neck and buying some nailbombs for the bridge.
So pretty much, it's just a bit of a hotter pickup goin in the neck (with un-aligned poles)?

A Cold Sweat bridge in the neck position? You would need a quite hefty bridge pickup to keep up with that.

[HairyChris]

I was planning on putting my cold sweats in the neck and buying some nailbombs for the bridge.
So pretty much, it's just a bit of a hotter pickup goin in the neck (with un-aligned poles)?

A Cold Sweat bridge in the neck position? You would need a quite hefty bridge pickup to keep up with that.

Agreed. The CS is pretty hot itself so will almost certainly overpower the Nailbomb bridge. There may be some serious pickup distance fiddling ahead!

[schenr]

I find that the only way I use my neck pickup is by turning the tone knob all the way down, and adjusting the volume knob to get fat fuzz sounds with distortion...So having a hot neck pickup would accentuate this?
However, I think the consensus is generally against putting the CS in the neck.

[darkbluemurder]

However, I think the consensus is generally against putting the CS in the neck.

A CS bridge that is. Personally I also think the voicing of the CS bridge - strong bass and highs and even to slightly scooped mids - is not ideal for the neck position. The bass will be overbearing, the highs will be screaming and the final tone may be lacking midrange to really get it to sing. Of course this also depends on the guitar. Whether the CS bridge in the neck helps to achieve a "fat fuzz tone" - I don't know - my gut feeling is that the tone will be fuzzy, loud but not necessarily fat.

The CS neck of course is a fine pickup for the neck position.

I am still a bit confused about what you want to try to achieve by the proposed change. If you are just curious then there is no harm in trying other than the time involved.

Cheers Stephan