small bass string spacing

[mrINFINITY]

I am still working on my 8 string novax ch signature copy. I had a question out there for any guitar techies that may be able to answer it. it's gonna be tuned EAD ADGBE, the lowest 3 strings from a bass, and the highest 5 from a guitar, with seperate pickups for each set of strings. I bought an EMG P bass pickup which is split into two parts that i want to use on the bass side, but I want the string spacing to be quite a bit smaller than normal bass string spacing. So I came up with 2 ideas that i was wondering about.

1. Maybe taking only half the pickup and putting 3 bass strings across the half that only 2 bass strings are normally supposed to go across. (I think this may be what novax does, and what the guy who makes them at wlguitars.com does)
2. Use both halfs and angle them to make the string spacing smaller.

Just curious if anyone had any info on any of these ideas before i start cutting holes in my guitar.

[mrINFINITY]

you got any ideas traktor buddy pal

[lemur821]

I wouldn't use just half of a P-bass style pickup, if that's one of the things you're thinking of. You'd lose the humbucking properties, which are my favorite feature of that pickup style. You could always stick the other half somewhere else, or use it like the other half of a regular humbucker.

[mrINFINITY]

Lemur,

I'm not sure, because each half is designed to pick up 2 strings, and they're usually installed in a staggered position. Would it be ok if i took both halfs and put them side by side and across 3 strings instead of 2?

[lemur821]

You could potentially have problems putting three strings over a pickup designed for two. Three strings wouldn't line up with the pole pieces correctly. It's anybody's guess how it would work out. Uneven string volume seems like a distinct possibility. This would be a potential problem using only one half of the pickup, and with both halves. The difference between using half or both would be the same as the difference between using a single coil or a humbucker; it would be tonal, not technical. I recommend mocking up the situation on a board if you've got a pickup handy. I can theorize all day, but that would give you concrete answers. Unless someone with experience using pickups like that shows up, you may have to do some tests.

[rockola]

Originally posted by mrINFINITY
the lowest 3 strings from a bass, ... I bought an EMG P bass pickup which is split into two parts that i want to use on the bass side, but I want the string spacing to be quite a bit smaller than normal bass string spacing.

The EMG P is a traditional P design, meaning it has 4 pole pieces with the traditional P bass pole spacing. For a different spacing, a blade design would be better, like for instance the EMG-35J (single coil) or the EMG-35DC (humbucker). I suspect you aren't looking for the traditional P sound, so the different design and sound shouldn't matter that much.

I'm going to use one of the EMG DC pickups myself for the one I'm building, but perhaps I should qualify my comment by saying that as I have not actually completed the instrument yet, this is still theoretical speculation (although IMO well founded as such).

[rjgoos]

Sorry for the really, really stupid question, but I am having trouble envisioning all of this...

The P-bass pickup is in two halves, each with four pole pieces visible. The strings line up between the pole pieces.

So, if one were to use a P-bass pickup as an 8-string pickup, one would need to have each string go directly above each pole piece. How would that affect the level of output, and quality of the tone put out by the pickup? Or, would it be totally inappropriate to use a P-bass pickup for an 8-string instrument?

R Jay Goos

[lemur821]

I think that would work well, as long as the pickup had traditional even pole piece spacing. I suspect that some pickups may change that, but I don't have any evidence. Obviously, uneven pole piece spacing in a setup like that would result in a rather unusual string spacing.

For a thinner stringed instrument like a guitar, putting one string over each magnet should work fine. I'm not sure about an instrument with thick bass strings; there may be a reason that almost every bass pickup has two magnets per string.

[mrINFINITY]

Let me try to explain a little better what i'm doing. I'm making a copy of the novax charlie hunter signature www.novaxguitars.com . there is a picture on the site. It will be an 8 string, but only the lowest 3 strings will be going to the bass amplifier, not all 8.

[rjgoos]

The Dimarzio "Split P" pickup looks interesting. It is two-part pickup, like the original P-bass pickups, but has twin blade humbuckers. I've seen them listed for about $70 on various web sites.

I think that if my 8-string homebrew project goes forward this winter, that pickup would be a possibility...although I might use the $12 P-bass knockoff at www.guitarpartsusa.com for the prototype.

R Jay Goos

[mrINFINITY]

hrmmmm.... I just had a thought that might work. Since each half of the pickup has 4 pole pieces on it, 2 for each string like this:
0
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0

0
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0

Might it work just to stick another string inbetween the 2 middle pole pieces? That would be about the spacing I need i would think.

[lemur821]

Yes, that would probably work fine. For some reason, I was thinking that there would be no way to line the strings up correctly. That's what I get for replying before looking at a pickup.