Wrong pickup spacing?

[simonp]

I have just installed my new Mules in my 1996 Les Paul Standard. They are 50mm spacing as recommended by BKP, however whilst the neck pickup lines up fine, the bridge one sits inside the strings a little. Having looked at the old Gibson pickups, the spacing was different on the bridge an to the neck. The question is, does it matter really, or should I swap it for the wider spacing option. I have not had chance to measure the old bridge pup, but it definitely has wider spacing than the new Mule.

[Antag]

IMO no, it doesn't matter.  You'll probably find that the 52mm sits a shade outside the strings :)

FWIW, my post on page 1 of the pics thread shows my Les Pauls (both with 50mm spacing) & Flying V (with 52mm spacing).  Is this the kind of alignment you have?

[simonp]

Yeah, similar, possibly slightly more on mine though, but I'll compare when I get home.

[Richie Zero]

When ordering my pickups I measured the string spacing at the bridge and it was a shade more than 51mm.
I ordered 52mm in the end but I wouldn't worry. It's ceratinly not an exact science.

[mikeluke]

I've found that it does make a difference on my Greco PRS-alike - got a Crawler in the bridge which is 50mm spaced ('Gibson') and it lines up fine for the bass strings but not for the treble - consequence is that guitar is very bassy - definite volume difference between bass strings and high B & E. Will be swapping it for a 'Fender' spaced-one....

[Philly Q]

I agree with Antag and Richie - with 50mm the strings sit towards the outside of the poles, with 52mm they sit towards the inside.  The perfect spacing for a new Gibson would really be 51mm!

Personally, I prefer 52mm.  I don't think it makes an enormous difference, but if the strings don't actually align properly over the pickup (as seems to be the case with Mikeluke's Greco) they're more likely to all fit "inside" the wider spacing.

[broken cord]

On the older Gibson's and on the reissues the neck is 50mm and the bridge is 50mm; however, on the newer models they are 50mm in the neck & 52mm in the bridge. Aside from measuring mine I did some Google research to make sure before I ordered mine.

[fps_dean]

It may or may not make a difference.  I believe LP Standards always used 50mms where the Classics and other Gibsons that used the thinner bridge for a while in the 90s had 52mm, although I have 50mm spacing pickups and it lines up pretty good, and 52mm spacing would certainly be too wide.

As far as I've seen, it never lines up perfectly.  The A-B strings line up perfectly for me on my Les Paul, but both Es sit a little to the outside but still over the pole piece just not centered.

I measured the string spacing on my Les Paul to 51mm as well.  Then I measured it on my Jem which uses 52mm spaced pickups to 53mm, so I think you're fine.

[mikeluke]

Greco is dead on 50mm at the neck and 52mm at the bridge

[mikeluke]

On the same topic - and perhaps someone from BKP can chip in here - if I order a 'matched' set - can I get the bridge at 52mm spacing and the neck at 50mm spacing? Is this the default when you click '52mm' on the order form or do you have to ring and specifically request this option?

Thanks

Mike

[Richie Zero]

On the same topic - and perhaps someone from BKP can chip in here - if I order a 'matched' set - can I get the bridge at 52mm spacing and the neck at 50mm spacing? Is this the default when you click '52mm' on the order form or do you have to ring and specifically request this option?

Thanks

Mike

Hi Mike,

I ordered a matched set of Riff Raffs and specified a spacing of 52 mm. The spacing on the bridge pickup is 52 mm and the spacing on the neck pickup is 50 mm.
I presume that it also follows that anyone ordering a matched set with a spacing of 50 mm would receive a bridge pickup with 50 mm spacing and a neck pickup with around 48 mm spacing.

Cheers

Richie

[Antag]

No, all neck pickups are 50mm.

If you order a 52mm set, you'll get a 52mm bridge & 50mm neck
If you order a 50mm set, you'll get a 50mm bridge & 50mm neck

[Richie Zero]

No, all neck pickups are 50mm.

If you order a 52mm set, you'll get a 52mm bridge & 50mm neck
If you order a 50mm set, you'll get a 50mm bridge & 50mm neck

Actually that makes perfect sense. Otherwise the string spacing would get progressively closer and by the nut, it would be incredibly narrow ...


... like a Rickenbacker!  :lol:

[simonp]

I finally got around to measuring the original Gibson bridge pickup last night, and the pole spacing is a touch over 52mm, so maybe I should contact BKP about swapping for a 52mm spacing one?

[Tim]

As a general rule Gibson always used a 49.2mm spacing-over the past 10 years Gibson have on occasion used a wide speaced bridge, the Gothic series for example and at times on LPs, however the usual spec is for a standard spaced bridge pickup.
Having a standard spaced pickup where the strings are sitting wide isn't a problem and likewise a wide spaced pickup where the strings are narrow spaced-it is better for performance and looks if they line up but sometimes if the bridge slots have been cut a certain way neither standard or wide space line up.
As a rule we always use 50mm for necks-always-and bridge pickups come in either 50mm or 52mm/wide spacing.
When ordering always check your spacing yourself-with the best will in the world I don't know every guitars bridge spacing and can only go on what would usually be fitted when I give advice.
As an aside, some players believe a standard spaced humbucker actually sounds tighter in a widespaced application............in my experience correct spacing does sound better when it's correct but it's not a huge difference.