• Guys, we've spent considerable money converting the Les Paul Forum to this new XenForo platform, and we have ongoing monthly operating expenses. THE "DONATIONS" TAB IS NOW WORKING, AND WE WOULD APPRECIATE ANY DONATIONS YOU CAN MAKE TO KEEP THE LES PAUL FORUM GOING! Thank you!

Pole spacing on pickups

CoOlcat

New member
Joined
Apr 8, 2016
Messages
14
i'm sure this has been answered, I looked all over...I bought an '89 Les Paul Standard a while back and I want to try another pickup in the bridge position, my question is what is the pole spacing?
 

renderit

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 19, 2009
Messages
10,951
There are 2 spacings I am aware of that are commonly used. One is called F-spaced which would be a bridge position pickup which the poles end up centered directly under the strings. The other is just the common pickup spacing. Gibson and most others just use one spacing for both and the poles are not directly under the bridge strings but skewed a bit to the outsides of the poles. Lollar has some F-Spaced and I am sure others do as well. I have several Collings with the F-spaced. No noticeable difference to my ears.
 

Yelly

Active member
Joined
Aug 29, 2001
Messages
1,534
Not all Gibsons are the same. 498 bridge version are wider spaced than a 490 neck version. Both sit perfectly under a string. One of the few improvements that actually achieve something useful.....except I hate the 498 anyway!
 

CoOlcat

New member
Joined
Apr 8, 2016
Messages
14
I never liked the 490 series pups either, too muddy, but I was wanting to know the spacing in mm, do I get 52mm? And this is for the bridge for a 1989 les paul standard
Not all Gibsons are the same. 498 bridge version are wider spaced than a 490 neck version. Both sit perfectly under a string. One of the few improvements that actually achieve something useful.....except I hate the 498 anyway!
 

CoOlcat

New member
Joined
Apr 8, 2016
Messages
14
Not every brand lists their pups in 'f' spacing, I need the mm, I'm thinking 52mm?
 

CoOlcat

New member
Joined
Apr 8, 2016
Messages
14
In mm please
There are 2 spacings I am aware of that are commonly used. One is called F-spaced which would be a bridge position pickup which the poles end up centered directly under the strings. The other is just the common pickup spacing. Gibson and most others just use one spacing for both and the poles are not directly under the bridge strings but skewed a bit to the outsides of the poles. Lollar has some F-Spaced and I am sure others do as well. I have several Collings with the F-spaced. No noticeable difference to my ears.
 

Kris Ford

New member
Joined
Jan 6, 2007
Messages
4,003
'89 could still be both pickups spaced the same.

Would either be the PU490 (80's T Top basically), or the HB-L and HB-R, (circuit board) which I'm not sure if the pole spacing is wider on the bridge variant.
 

Zentar

New member
Joined
Oct 1, 2011
Messages
830
Humbuckers started being made different widths long ago because they tend to sense vertically. It has only been recently that P90s started being made different widths for neck and bridge because they are more sensitive horizontally. It isn't so important if P90 widths are the same for neck nd bridge. Humbuckers and P90s have different shaped magnetic fields.

Typically humbucker neck and bridge pickup pole widths differ 2mm.
 

Dave71

Member
Joined
May 8, 2005
Messages
290
You could always measure the width at the poles on both pickups and see if they're the same. :hmm
 

CoOlcat

New member
Joined
Apr 8, 2016
Messages
14
Thanks guys, all my guitars to present have been fitted with EMG's, I started using them when they came out in the early 80's so I never had to measure, now lately I have been going with passive for tonal differences, but this Gibson Les Paul 89 standard, which I loooove, i just wanted to get a different tone from the bridge as I have a 94 SG i have used forever, and I want to get a little clearer, but i'm also afraid to get ceramic, for a too shrill tone or even alnico for a too muddy tone... I know I sound crazy, it's just as I stated i have used EMG's forever 30+ years, and now I want to venture from active pups. but mainly I want to change up my bridge first, a well balanced clear pup thats not shrill.
I play a lot of basic Detroit garage style rock like Wayne Kramer from the MC5, Alice Cooper, I also kind of write in this style which is what drew me to it, I play a lot of 4-5 string open chords i apregiate through, so I want a brigde pup that can cut through all that. Any suggestions would be helpful.
 
Last edited:

CoOlcat

New member
Joined
Apr 8, 2016
Messages
14
no circuit board, but it has a push/pull tone pot for the neck pup. So i don't know what's original, unless an 89 standard would have had a p/p tone pot. ) i assume it's for reverse phase.

'89 could still be both pickups spaced the same.

Would either be the PU490 (80's T Top basically), or the HB-L and HB-R, (circuit board) which I'm not sure if the pole spacing is wider on the bridge variant.
 

Big Al

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 24, 2002
Messages
14,537
Humbuckers started being made different widths long ago because they tend to sense vertically. It has only been recently that P90s started being made different widths for neck and bridge because they are more sensitive horizontally. It isn't so important if P90 widths are the same for neck nd bridge. Humbuckers and P90s have different shaped magnetic fields.

Typically humbucker neck and bridge pickup pole widths differ 2mm.

WTF! No that is wrong and shows a complete misunderstanding of pickup design and magnrtic field/string interaction. Throw you book away. The very simple reason for pole piece width change was to place the poles under the strings. The pickups are the same width, regardless.
 

Zentar

New member
Joined
Oct 1, 2011
Messages
830
WTF! No that is wrong and shows a complete misunderstanding of pickup design and magnrtic field/string interaction. Throw you book away. The very simple reason for pole piece width change was to place the poles under the strings. The pickups are the same width, regardless.


Picture an egg standing up vs an egg laying on its side. That is what their mag field looks like when you compare P90 to humbucker. They have different shaped fields.
 
Top