Dugz Ink Posted October 26, 2004 Report Share Posted October 26, 2004 Somebody in one of the posts mentioned putting their neck pickups "right against the neck." I don't know if they were talking about the pup's ring being right against the neck, or the pup. Here's what I would like to do with mine: (Yes, I'm making the rings for this guitar.) Is it too tight? This is being mounted on a Poplar body, so I don't see where I would get any real strength from leaving 1/4" of wood between the pup and the neck (the Poplar would just split and crack under heavy compression)... but will it make a big difference in tone? Your opinions are welcome. D~s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted October 26, 2004 Report Share Posted October 26, 2004 there is no such thing as too close...butt it right up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted October 26, 2004 Report Share Posted October 26, 2004 Yes, it's usually considered best to move the pkp as completely near the neck as you can get it. You may have been reading the P-90 thread where I mentioned Gibson had problems with their pkps being close to the neck and it weakening their neck tenons, which was true indeed, but that was idiosyncratic of Gibson's construction techniques at that time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setch Posted October 26, 2004 Report Share Posted October 26, 2004 That'll be fine provided the neck pocket is deeper than the pickup route. You still want the heel to push against end grain under string tension, rather than being supported purely by the pickup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dugz Ink Posted October 27, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2004 That'll be fine provided the neck pocket is deeper than the pickup route. I can do that... no problem at all. Thanks for your answers! D~s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southpa Posted October 27, 2004 Report Share Posted October 27, 2004 I'd be wary if you are making a double cutaway w/ set neck. Make sure you have at least 3 frets covering the body. Early Gibson SG's had cracking problems w/ that setup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dugz Ink Posted October 27, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2004 Make sure you have at least 3 frets covering the body. That's not a problem here; it's a Fender-style bolt-on neck. But I really appreciate the heads-up! D~s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sepultura999 Posted October 30, 2004 Report Share Posted October 30, 2004 I am guessing you can do the same with the bridge, seeing as wes said " there is no such thing as too close"...excellent. -Jamie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted October 30, 2004 Report Share Posted October 30, 2004 I am guessing you can do the same with the bridge, seeing as wes said " there is no such thing as too close"...excellent. -Jamie no...don't do that...the bridge pickup is different.the closer you move it to the bridge,the sharper and more crisp the sound will be Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarMaestro Posted October 30, 2004 Report Share Posted October 30, 2004 Nobody mentioned that putting the neck PU closer to the neck alters the tone as well. It makes a difference where you place the pickup in terms off sound. For example on a Strat the neck PU is placed under a harmonic node which makes it hard to get any overtones out of the neck PU but also gives a characteristic sound. If you are looking for the sound of a certain guitar place the PU at the same place in the sclae length. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dugz Ink Posted October 31, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2004 For example on a Strat the neck PU is placed under a harmonic node which makes it hard to get any overtones out of the neck PU but also gives a characteristic sound. I knew it would change the tone, but I didn't realize that little tidbit of information. Thanks. D~s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank falbo Posted October 31, 2004 Report Share Posted October 31, 2004 That's because the harmonic node theories are a load of crap. No I'm just kidding, that was my Drak impression. But the location of the pickup has nothing to do with the harmonic nodes in a sense, because the moment you fret a string you've moved the harmonic location. For every fret you travel, the harmonic position advances one more fret on the front end. So taking the "under where the 24th fret would be" idea is just to reference the way it sounds there. Moving it forward or backwards changes the sound because the string just sounds different all over, irrelevant to the harmonic positions. My opinion is that the closer to the neck it is, the "better" it sounds to me. I put my pickups as close as I can. I also think the back wall of the neck pocket is irrelevant, too. The body maintains stability from the side walls, and the back half of the guitar, underneath the neck pocket. Although I like a back to my neck pockets, it's not a source of pressure relief. The tension is indeed still all on the screws. Dan Erlewine's surrogate body doesn't even have a neck pocket. Ibanez RGs and Jems with the AANJ don't have a back wall either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dugz Ink Posted October 31, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2004 (edited) ...because the moment you fret a string you've moved the harmonic location. Well... that makes sense... now that you mention it. Dan Erlewine's surrogate body doesn't even have a neck pocket. Ibanez RGs and Jems with the AANJ don't have a back wall either. That's good info, but I think I will keep as much wood as possible... just to provide as much strength as possible to the body. I can leave and extra ¼" of body (wood) under the neck pickup, and still have air-space under the pickup. EDIT: I know that last comment seems to contradict my very first post, but in this instance I'm talking about leaving more thickness. In the first post, I was just talking about how a ¼" section sticking straight up (not with the grain) wouldn't help. D~s Edited October 31, 2004 by Dugz Ink Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jefm Posted November 5, 2004 Report Share Posted November 5, 2004 Put it in the neck and fret the pickup...although playing those frets would be useless it'd be a neat gimmick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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