Hi guys,
I am building a strat , currently buying the parts.
Going for a late 50's replica of sorts, so looking at vintage style tremelo's, which have 56.5mm string spacing.
The pickups I'm after are SSL-1's , descriptions say the bridge pickup is spaced for string spacing of 49.8mm (at the bridge pickup)
I figure (correct me if I'm wrong please) that the 49.8mm spacing at bridge pickup would be with the narrower 52.5mm string spacing.
So would the wider tremelo spacing put the E strings too far out from the bridge pickup pole pieces or would it not really be enough to matter?
Should I be looking for a tremelo with 52.5mm spacings instead?
Thanks!
Comments
There are some import style pickups with different spacing (typically graduated 52/50/50, or 52/50/48) but they are a pain since the vast majority of covers are spaced at 52mm, given that this represents by far and away the largest part of the market.
Be aware that the strings taper from bridge to nut, and together with the angled bridge pickup no single spacing is perfect- but Strats seem to have worked ok for the last 60+ years, so it doesn't really matter. I would base your bridge decision more on personal preference, and whether you like your 'E' strings close to the edge of the fingerboard, or in from the edge a little. Try a few guitars out for reference. Fender reissue Strats are 56-ish mm, Tele's with vintage bridges are 54mm and many modern Strats like Mexican Stds and US Stds/Pro's etc are 52.5mm.
http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/89942/caspercaster#latest
The 49.8mm bit was from Seymour Duncan's description of the california 50's set, but a guy from Seymour just told me now that they are all 52mm spacing, so not quite sure why it was listed as that. Thanks for the info!
Wider vintage string spacing and a full steel block.
http://www.amberguitar.com/fender-hardware/249-vintage-tremolo-for-fender-stratocaster.html
Worth trying out the narrower spaced trems too.