Mm String Spacing

[Southbound]

Hey Fellas,

I'm designing a bass and Iwant to use a Nordstrand MM4.2 pickup at the bridge.

I'm wondering how much string spacing will effect the performance of the pickup. In other words, how accurately to the strings need to sit over the poles?

I'm trying to work out what bridge would be best suited for the job.

I'm thinking something like a Badass which I believe has spacing like a Pbass (19mm) which is different to the Stingray (which I I haven't eben able to find out the spacing for! If anyone can enlighten me it would be much appreciated) but I don't know if the difference in spacing will effect the pickups performance.

I don't want to use a bridge with variable spacing if I can help it.

Can anyone give me any help on this one?

Should have said before: incase you didn't know Nordstrand MM4.2's are based on the pre EB MusicMan pickups in a Stingray

Edited December 24, 2008 by Southbound

[Jon]

With MM style pickups, you can be a fair amount away from the pole pieces before the sound is altered. If you do want to stick with a Badass bridge, I believe there are slotted and unslotted types to accommodate a good variance of string spacing. www.bestbassgear.com has everything you need, even custom routing templates.

[low end fuzz]

what about using the ceramic rectangular pickup without exposed poles?

i mean if your that worried about it; i installed one where the 2 middle strings were completly off (weird spacing and i only accounted for my outside strings); and there is no difference in sound that i can hear from string to string.

[Bmth Builder]

I read something somewhere (lol vague I know) where some one had installed a 6 string pup into a 7 string to see what would happen, and basically even though the 7th string wasnt any where near the pole peice, it could still be picked up quite easily. I imagine the quality wasnt near that of a dedicated 7 string pup but it just goes to show that the pole peices dont need to be exactly over the strings at all.

[Southbound]

Well guys,

I just found the answer to all my problems!

I did sooo many google searches for MusicMan string spacings and the answer was on the EB FAQ page all the time!

Don't you hate that!

So, in case you're interested...

The string spacing for a 4string Stingray is 3/4" which is the same as the the Fender bridges and heaps of others (or maybe they are 19mm which is 0.05mm different...eh? close enough to the same for this discussion anyway)

soooo, that means it's pretty much standard string spacing anyway. Therefore my options are greatly increased from what I was thinking.

Apparently it's the 5string which has a less coventional spacing so no worries until I start the 5 string version in a few months.

Thanks guys..Jon, I hadn't considered the unslotted option...it will be something to consider for the future

cheers,

SB

[Jon]

I read something somewhere (lol vague I know) where some one had installed a 6 string pup into a 7 string to see what would happen, and basically even though the 7th string wasnt any where near the pole peice, it could still be picked up quite easily. I imagine the quality wasnt near that of a dedicated 7 string pup but it just goes to show that the pole peices dont need to be exactly over the strings at all.

The guitarist in my band had both of his E strings 1/8th" off from the pole pieces and there was no noticeable sound difference. That guitar has been used to record lots of stuff, too.

Keep us up to date Soutbound, this kind of knowledge is always helpful!