xafier Posted August 5, 2004 Report Share Posted August 5, 2004 OK, I've read a book, I've searched online, I've searched the forums... and I cant find much at all on this topic so... Where are those lovely sweet spots to put pick-ups? I know there a good one where 24th fret should be... according to Melvyn Hiscock's book... but I'm having a 24 fret neck so that's out of the question... How do I calculate the nice places for pickups? and with humbuckers do you put one coil on that spot? or put them perfectly either side of that spot? thanks you guys rock for help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
68 lost souls Posted August 5, 2004 Report Share Posted August 5, 2004 Whenever this question is asked people always just say "diffeent pickups require different placing." Maybe a better answer would be nice for once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curtis P Posted August 5, 2004 Report Share Posted August 5, 2004 here you go Curtis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xafier Posted August 5, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2004 I'm not retarded, I do know how to use a search function but you'll find there isn't much in any of those links thats any use... apart from the 24th fret placement, which I cant do... and the 3rd fret harmonic distance for the bridge... all the rest is basically, put it where you like it changes the tone differently... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank falbo Posted August 5, 2004 Report Share Posted August 5, 2004 Locations of harmonics is totally bunk. Harmonic locations change with every fret. The one thing that holds true is that the farther you get from the bridge, the more "tubey" bassy, and smooth it sounds. The closer to the bridge, the brighter, sharper, treblier it is, with lower output. On all my guitars, whenever possible, the neck pickup is pushed as far as it can go towards the fretboard. If there's no mounting ring, I will get it to butt right against the fretboard, like an Ibanez RG. Strat single coils are usually around the phantom "24th fret" location. But I think they sound even better butted agains the 22nd fret (putting the magnets around the 23rd position). I made a 20 fret guitar once and the neck pickup was up against that fretboard and it was fantastic. So you're already at a slight disadvantage with 24 frets. That's why I don't like 24 frets personally. It's a harder, more compressed tone. I have a couple 24 fret guitars and they do a good Santana sound, plus the in-between sounds are great. But individually the neck pickup just isn't the same. As for the bridge, too close and you're losing a lot of output and low end. Even the strongest humbucker can sound "tele-like" if it's too close, because those lower frequencies just aren't there. I like the Ibanez position or a little farther away. I have some guitars that are "screamers" and the pickup is closer to the bridge, but you can always get a "brighter" bridge pickup. It's that warmth and power that's elusive. Sometimes 1/8" movement is all it takes. The middle pickup can be centered between the two, although you have to think about what kind of tonal variance you want when its combined with the neck or bridge. If you want the 2 and 4 positions to be real bright and glassy, move it back toward the bridge a little. If you want 2 and 4 to be more agressive and meaty then move it forward. If you're using coil cuts, you have to determine which coil you want active. That makes a big difference, too. Since the location is totally different. There's no rule that I've found that wasn't just an extension of someone's preference or opinion. At least here I'm stating it as opinion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Jabsco Posted August 5, 2004 Report Share Posted August 5, 2004 thanks. and im assuming its the same for bass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank falbo Posted August 5, 2004 Report Share Posted August 5, 2004 Yeah but on a bass there is far too much room between the bridge and the fretboard. A pickup set right up against the fretboard would be too muddy IMO. Billy Sheehan did it and so did the short scale Gibson EBO basses. Rickenbackers are close up there too. They never sounded very good to me. I don't think its good to go much past the half way point on a bass. But that's totally my opinion and everyone likes different sounds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xafier Posted August 5, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2004 wow, nice explanation frank I just was wanting to see whether there was any specifically really good spots that everyone wants to get... obviously theres no real good and bad spots... hmm, well I'm going for two buckers on this guitar, bridge and neck... going for a really nice metal tone for bridge, and if I can get it a nice bluesy tone for the neck area, for those Metallica intro's or bit of pink floyd or zepplin... think I'm off to test different pick-ups sometime next week, as I have no clue where to start, lol, I've never tried with changing pick-ups or anything, but I hear a lot about Diazzario and Seymour Duncans for metal... not sure whats good for blue's tones... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krazyderek Posted August 5, 2004 Report Share Posted August 5, 2004 southpa posted this link in another thread, thought i'd post a direct link to the chart shows where to put pickups , % of scale length if your after a certain guitar's sound (pickup location http://www5.ocn.ne.jp/~dgb/G_PU_POS_e.htm good explination franko, most of that was on the tip of my tongue just hadn't put it together till now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted August 5, 2004 Report Share Posted August 5, 2004 On all my guitars, whenever possible, the neck pickup is pushed as far as it can go towards the fretboard. If there's no mounting ring, I will get it to butt right against the fretboard, like an Ibanez RG. Strat single coils are usually around the phantom "24th fret" location. But I think they sound even better butted agains the 22nd fret (putting the magnets around the 23rd position). I made a 20 fret guitar once and the neck pickup was up against that fretboard and it was fantastic. So you're already at a slight disadvantage with 24 frets. That's why I don't like 24 frets personally. It's a harder, more compressed tone. I have a couple 24 fret guitars and they do a good Santana sound, plus the in-between sounds are great. But individually the neck pickup just isn't the same. As for the bridge, too close and you're losing a lot of output and low end. Even the strongest humbucker can sound "tele-like" if it's too close, because those lower frequencies just aren't there. I like the Ibanez position or a little farther away. I have some guitars that are "screamers" and the pickup is closer to the bridge, but you can always get a "brighter" bridge pickup. It's that warmth and power that's elusive. Sometimes 1/8" movement is all it takes. i completely agree with this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xafier Posted August 5, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2004 shows where to put pickups , % of scale length if your after a certain guitar's sound (pickup location) Hmm... just a little clarification here: for example: Ibanez RG7(HSH) 79.23% 86.15% 92.31% 79.23%... so if its a 648mm scale that would be 513.41mm from the nut correct? Now because its a humbucker what part of the humbucker would I be lining up with this position? the middle of the two coils? so its perfectly either side of this position? Or put one pole, say north, on this line?... and thanks for that link, its now bookmarked Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truerussian558 Posted August 5, 2004 Report Share Posted August 5, 2004 Melvyn Hiscock talks about placing it on harmonic locations Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAI6 Posted August 6, 2004 Report Share Posted August 6, 2004 I still don't quite understand the concept of placing a pickup in a "harmonic" position... I understand that you have the octave harmonic at the 24th fret, but as soon as you fret a note, that harmonic has now moved. So, unless you only play open strings, I don't see how it could make a difference. Someone enlighten me, please...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truerussian558 Posted August 6, 2004 Report Share Posted August 6, 2004 I beleive thats because if you place it a few inches away from the bridge (the bridge pickup), if you fret it at the 24th fret, the overtone will 3 times closer to the bridge (if its 3 inches away it will be one inch away), but this distance is greater then the distance between one node and the next (since it is a very high overtone the wavelength is smaller) in the overtone so the sqame overtone will still be above the pickup (just a different node), as for the neck pickup (the second overtone) its the same principle, except that instead of changing nodes (it cant since there is only one in the first overtone), it actually changes overtones, because the movement of the lengths, causes a different overtone to be over the pickup. Also this randomness of the apearance of overtones, also causese some notes to sound dead, because by chance the overtone doesnt fall above the pickup (or even an antinode which makes it worse) in summary that even if you fret the string higher up, the wavelength in the higher overtones makes it so, that generally a node of the overtone falls above the pickup anyway hope it makes sence its just my take on it, but it is mathematically provable\ let the specualtion begin! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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