Generic humbucker spacing question

Pens · Post by **Pens** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 12:48 am

I wasn't sure where to ask this one, but figured projects would be best since this is where these kinds of issues come up most.

I am having a guitar body made right now, and the question of which pickup I'm putting in came up so we get the dimensions right.

I want a Duncan JB in there. There is only going to be a bridge pickup, so I was looking at the dimensions, and now I'm unsure if I need the SH-4 or the "trembucker" version. I recall there being some "f-spacing" thing for Fender guitars, since this is going to be using the Musicmaster reissue bridge, do I need a TB-4 rather than the SH-4? Does anyone know for sure?

This is the bridge I'm going with.

Halp?

SKC Willie · Post by **SKC Willie** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 1:23 am

if they know what they're doing, I don't see why you couldn't just tell them, "I'm going to put a Duncan JB in there" and them not get it right.

also, if you have the pickup, couldn't you just send it to them?

Pens · Post by **Pens** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 1:30 am

I don't have the pickup yet, I need to order one as well. I just want to make sure I get this right. I'm just confused as to what is "supposed" to go in the bridge of a Fender guitar.

SKC Willie · Post by **SKC Willie** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 2:41 am

I really don't know. But if you're buying a warmoth guitar the Fender Humbucker is what they refer to the pickup/pickguard routes for the wide range humbuckers, as those are quite a bit bigger than the standard bucker.

so, if you tell them, I think they should know.

Pens · Post by **Pens** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 3:11 am

Cooterfinger is making the body for me. It looks great so far, but I wasn't sure which type of pickup to tell him to route for and make the pickguard for, and I'm not certain which one to buy now.

Fucking stupid things have to be all different and confusing and shit.

iCEByTes · Post by **iCEByTes** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 3:28 am

maybe helps

if not , call bullit.

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Grant · Post by **Grant** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 8:36 am

Trembuckers aren't any wider than an ordinary humbucker, but the poles are spaced a little wider. Same overall dimensions.

Seymour Duncan FAQ: What does Trembucker mean and how is it different from Humbucker?

Trembuckers are designed for wider string most commonly associated with Floyd Rose or vintage vibrato bridges (often called Tremolos) with a string spacing of 2.070" or 52.6mm, measured center of high string to center of low string over the bridge pickup. Humbuckers are designed for bridges with traditional Gibson humbucker string spacing of 1.930" or 49mm, measured center of high string to center of low string over the bridge pickup.

I'd go with the Trembucker.

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 8:45 am

Hmmm I can certainly say that an f-spaced trembucker HB fit the strings better on my Jag Stang than a gibson spaced one - not the best advice but I think if you had to take a shot most evidence says trem/f-spaced.

cooter · Post by **cooter** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 10:29 am

Pens wrote:I want a Duncan JB in there. do I need a TB-4 rather than the SH-4? Halp?

Don't sweat it. I'll print out both to scale from the SD website and I'll do a mockup and let you know which would work better.

Do you have a lefty control plate?

robroe · Post by **robroe** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 1:39 pm

after 20 years of using both trembuckers and regular humbuckers i have come to the conclusion that its all fucking nonsense as far as what you hear coming out of your amp.

it all sounds the same to me. your tone knob has infinite options from all the way off to all the way on. if some one was playing a guitar with a trembucker in it, and then played one with a humbucker with the tone knob moved a little bit i couldn't tell you shit about which pickup was which one if no one told me.

now a days you can make a shit pickup sound good and a good pickup sound like shit no matter what it is.

Pens · Post by **Pens** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 2:09 pm

cooterfinger wrote:
Pens wrote:I want a Duncan JB in there. do I need a TB-4 rather than the SH-4? Halp?
Don't sweat it. I'll print out both to scale from the SD website and I'll do a mockup and let you know which would work better.

Do you have a lefty control plate?

I do not have the control plate. I assumed they are the same lefty/righty just flipped over, as I've not found any specific lefty plate. I was going to order one from allparts along with lefty Klusons, but then I found the Klusons for cheaper and cancelled that order. If you need that to continue the routing, I'll order one and ship it direct to you, and you can just ship it back to me. Lemme know.

robroe wrote:after 20 years of using both trembuckers and regular humbuckers i have come to the conclusion that its all fucking nonsense as far as what you hear coming out of your amp.

it all sounds the same to me. your tone knob has infinite options from all the way off to all the way on. if some one was playing a guitar with a trembucker in it, and then played one with a humbucker with the tone knob moved a little bit i couldn't tell you shit about which pickup was which one if no one told me.

now a days you can make a shit pickup sound good and a good pickup sound like shit no matter what it is.

There is no tone control on this guitar. I never change it from the full bright setting in my years of playing, and my Supersonic does not have one either anymore, so I left it out of this build. That hole in the plate will have a series/parallel switch for the humbucker instead.

Thomas · Post by **Thomas** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 6:44 pm

I have an SD distortion trembucker in my Musicmaster, the strings pass directly over the very centre of the polepieces. Fits perfecto.

Grant · Post by **Grant** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 8:55 pm

robroe wrote:it all sounds the same to me. your tone knob has infinite options from all the way off to all the way on. if some one was playing a guitar with a trembucker in it, and then played one with a humbucker with the tone knob moved a little bit i couldn't tell you shit about which pickup was which one if no one told me.

What does lining up the strings with the pole pieces have to do with the tone knob?

honeyiscool · Post by **honeyiscool** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 9:54 pm

These days, a trembucker/f-spaced humbucker is preferable for all guitars, including Gibson guitars. That is, if you care about cosmetics. Really, in terms of performance, it doesn't matter.

Pens · Post by **Pens** » Mon Oct 10, 2011 11:54 pm

We have concluded we are going with a TB-4.

I still cannot find a lefty Mustang control plate anywhere. I thought they were all the same and just flipped over for lefty, but then the bevels for the screws don't work. What the fuck why are there zero left handed Mustang control plates out there for sale???

Thom · Post by **Thom** » Tue Oct 11, 2011 9:30 pm

Stereordinary on Offset is taking orders for another round of custom plates, he can make you lefty ones, $45 though.
LANK

Pens · Post by **Pens** » Wed Oct 12, 2011 4:42 pm

Thanks for the lank. That's really, really damn expensive for a plate, though. I'm gonna just use a flipped over right handed one for now with flat screws until one day I can manage to snag a true lefty one.

weeping_moon · Post by **weeping_moon** » Wed Oct 12, 2011 5:28 pm

Pens wrote:I wasn't sure where to ask this one, but figured projects would be best since this is where these kinds of issues come up most.

I am having a guitar body made right now, and the question of which pickup I'm putting in came up so we get the dimensions right.

I want a Duncan JB in there. There is only going to be a bridge pickup, so I was looking at the dimensions, and now I'm unsure if I need the SH-4 or the "trembucker" version. I recall there being some "f-spacing" thing for Fender guitars, since this is going to be using the Musicmaster reissue bridge, do I need a TB-4 rather than the SH-4? Does anyone know for sure?

This is the bridge I'm going with.

Halp?

The F-spaced stands for Fender guitars with tremolo. So if you have the vibrato you should take f-spaced!

Pens · Post by **Pens** » Wed Oct 12, 2011 5:31 pm

It's not a vibrato bridge, though. That's why I was confused. However, we did some measurements with both and F-spaced is correct.

Generic humbucker spacing question

Generic humbucker spacing question

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Re: Generic humbucker spacing question

Re: Generic humbucker spacing question