I've wondered about this for a while, but I don't know much about the finer details of electronics other than how to solder up wiring harnesses, for example inductance, capacitance, etc.
On Telecaster style guitars that have the standard bridge plate with the integrated bridge pickup mounting hole (as opposed to ones with short Tele bridges and the bridge pickup mounted separately in its own ring or in the pickguard), what effect does the extra metal around the pickup have electronically on the bridge pickup, and is any effect on it sufficient to be audible in the signal?
I realise that the additional mass or area of metal in contact with the guitar body on a standard Telecaster bridge base plate will impart a slightly different tone than a short "hard tail" bridge, but I am more interested in the effect of the metal bridge base plate on the magnets and wire coils, and the electronic effects I assume it will have.
I have a Telecaster body cut out and decided to rout it for 2 x humbuckers this time, but rather than having the 70s Tele Deluxe layout with 4 pots and massive ugly pickguard with
toggle switch on the upper bout (aesthetically unpleasing to me), I've decided to just use a standard Tele pickguard and a 3-way blade
switch on a Tele control plate. I'm undecided about whether to use one of the bridges shown below or to use a Hipshot style short hard-tail bridge and have the bridge humbucker in its own mounting ring (chromed metal or plastic). I quite like the look of both and I have the parts, but was curious to know whether there would likely be a perceivable difference in the "electronic" sound over and above any physical "vibrational" sound/feel imparted by the different styles of bridge.
Comments
I changed it out for a Fender one (still three saddle) and the clank was gone... and no, it wasn't pickup heights, as I measured them and replicated them.
So yes, it *can* make a big difference.
Much less effect however on a humbucker as you can't place an iron plate at one end of the magnetic field as you can with a single coil baseplate,
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