How Would A Neck Pickup Sound In The Bridge?

[Vultite]

Like what if you put an EMG 85 or a 60 in the bridge?I heard some metal guitarist does this, but im not sure which one.

Just wondering what kinda results that would put out.

[GregP]

They're just pickups. It'll work fine.

Bridge pickups are usually optimized for the bridge position by producing higher output to make up for the lower output generated by that position. If you put a bridge pickup in the neck position, it'll have even hotter output. That's about it. Also, avoid using an f-spaced bridge pickup for the neck position or the polepieces will be out of whack.

[Vultite]

They're just pickups.  It'll work fine.

Bridge pickups are usually optimized for the bridge position by producing higher output to make up for the lower output generated by that position.  If you put a bridge pickup in the neck position, it'll have even hotter output.  That's about it.  Also, avoid using an f-spaced bridge pickup for the neck position or the polepieces will be out of whack.

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So would a neck pickup be less hot in the bridge?

[MasterMinds]

I think GregP's first statement is all the info needed.

I have tried "neck" pickups in the bridges, and mid in the neck etc.. - and they all produce a sound just the same as many other positioned pickups.

Ultimately hearing it is the only way you'll know, but on makes websites you can usually find a "bass mid treble" read out that gives you the general idea of it. Figure that into the fact that the bridge has higher overtones etc.. - this will give you an idea.

for instance a pickup with high treble might be nice in the neck if you don't like boomyness - and a deep one might be nice in the bridge if it's your only pickup.

So, like he said - don't follow the names, it'll all sound nice.

I have tried all these and get tones that sound as good as anything! It's all about the bass/mid/treble read-outs.

[thedoctor]

Hmmmm. What ever happened to pole-spacing? Unless it be a rail (my favorite) don't the poles need to be spaced for slant, bridge and neck? I have to keep three different covers in stock. Maybe for no reason.

[jnewman]

What I've always heard:

The standard spacings are 50mm and 52mm. Generally you use 50mm in neck position. With a tremolo, you use 52 mm spacing in the bridge position, without a tremolo, you use 50mm spacing the bridge position.

[GregP]

Vulite - the bridge area physically produces less output because the vibration of the strings is less wide. So yes, if you take a neck pickup and put it in the bridge position, it'll be measureably lower in output. Or more accurately, the pickup stays the same, but the string vibration at the bridge contribute to generating less output.

thedoctor - not all pickups are f-spaced, but some are. In many cases, a bridge pickup and a neck pickup will have identical spacing. In some cases, companies make more accurately spaced polepieces.

To be honest with you, although I'm sure there IS a tonal difference between spaced and unspaced pickups, I've always wondered if, given the size of the overall magnetic field generated, it's as substantial as some people might think.

However, for tone junkies, even the smallest change is noticeable, hence there's still definitely a market for it.

Greg

[thedoctor]

GregP I am with you on how important(or not) the need for different spacings is but we gots all different spacings. That's why I like Rails.

[Sethmetal]

Spacing can be a bit important. I have noticed that non-fspaced pickups put where an f-spaced pickup should be will produce un wanted effects.

When the string is merely plucked, things will work ok, but especially on bending, you can experience slight dropouts in the out put. Nothing major, but it is a little noticable.

More important than a weak neck pickup in the bridge is a hot bridge pickup in the neck.

A neck in the bridge may yield a cleaner sound, but is still useable.

A bridge in the neck often yields a muddy ugly sound which is nasty as a clean tone and unclear as a dirty tone.

Just my observations.

[GregP]

I'm sure you experienced dropouts, but no more or less than any other guitar with polepieces rather than rails. The f-spacing won't affect the bends, and actually bending should bring the string more INTO line with the polepieces on a regular pickup rather than out of line, making them more efficient than an f-spaced pickup for bending, but less efficient for chording.

I suspect you're right about the output/tone, though. I've never tried swapping them myself, but I imagine that the hot bridge pickup in the physically 'hotter' neck position could end up being ugly, as you say. I'd personally rather just use the pickups in the positions for which they were engineered, but I'm not reknowned as an innovator or groundbreaker, that's for sure. Tested and true is good enough for me when it comes to pickups.

Greg

[Sethmetal]

I've found that if I want to use a really hot pickup in the neck, wiring it in parallel makes a more desirabel sound. Just a suggestion.

[JoJo T. Magnifficent]

I use the Neck pu of my squier in the bridge. sounds quite alot better to my ears, no were near as thin sounding as it used to be. Its still only a squier though .

[Sethmetal]

I think most of us have been generalizing our comments about humbuckers. Single coils are usually not very hot, and therefore the winding difference between a neck and bridge single coil is very little. I'm also willing to bet that for production costs, the singles on a squier or similarly price guitar uses the same exact pickup in all 3 positions. I wouldn't expect to much of a change when switching positions.

Except of course for the fact that the middle pickup is reverse wound usually.

[Vultite]

Thanks guys. As usual, you've all been very informative.

I think I will just stick with putting a neck in the neck and a bridge in the bridge.

[JoJo T. Magnifficent]

I think most of us have been generalizing our comments about humbuckers. Single coils are usually not very hot, and therefore the winding difference between a neck and bridge single coil is very little. I'm also willing to bet that for production costs, the singles on a squier or similarly price guitar uses the same exact pickup in all 3 positions. I wouldn't expect to much of a change when switching positions.

Except of course for the fact that the middle pickup is reverse wound usually.

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Yea, the thought that the pickups might all be the same crossed my mind aswell, but i tried it when i was bored one day to see if it made a difference, and found the bridge had a much deeper sound to it afterwards, so it doesnt sound anywere near as thin or brittle as it used to. It could just be my imagination, but it took all of 30 seconds to do while i was changing the strings, no soldiering or re wiring involved, and it sounds better to me so who cares .

[Sethmetal]

I think most of us have been generalizing our comments about humbuckers. Single coils are usually not very hot, and therefore the winding difference between a neck and bridge single coil is very little. I'm also willing to bet that for production costs, the singles on a squier or similarly price guitar uses the same exact pickup in all 3 positions. I wouldn't expect to much of a change when switching positions.

Except of course for the fact that the middle pickup is reverse wound usually.

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Yea, the thought that the pickups might all be the same crossed my mind aswell, but i tried it when i was bored one day to see if it made a difference, and found the bridge had a much deeper sound to it afterwards, so it doesnt sound anywere near as thin or brittle as it used to. It could just be my imagination, but it took all of 30 seconds to do while i was changing the strings, no soldiering or re wiring involved, and it sounds better to me so who cares .

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Ok, you would no better. Like I said I wasn't sure if they'd be all the same. But, it's good to know that they are wound differently, that is cool. So now the neck sounds thinner and the bridge is fatter? just curious

[JoJo T. Magnifficent]

Ok, you would no better. Like I said I wasn't sure if they'd be all the same. But, it's good to know that they are wound differently, that is cool. So now the neck sounds thinner and the bridge is fatter? just curious

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To be honest, i didnt notice any difference in the neck position, but then again, i barely ever used to play the neck pickup.

The bridge used to sound thin and generally pretty bad, so to remedy this i used to turn the tone down and used the bridge/mid pos. while this still didnt sound great, the lack of highs made it sound a bit fatter, and i didint have to put up with as much noise (i live out in the country, so eletric fences etc. have a big impact). However, since changing them, i found the bridge to be much better sounding cause of the increased bottom end, even with the tone up and the bridge only selected. So now im willing to put up with the annoying interference and 50's cycle hum (casue its 50Hz AC power here, not 60) simply casue it sounds so much better now. unfortunately its still a bit thin at the really higher frequencies like during solos.

considering its difficulty (or lack of) , i think it is an amazing mod for the squier, it gave me enough extra out of it to keep me tolerant for another 6th months (Scheter C-1 Classic comin soon :D )