Chasing Pickups For project Build

[robert spencer]

Anyone know if this PU will fit the Tele route for neck PU:
Fender Vintage 51 Single Coil P Bass PICKUP Bridge Pickup Precision

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Fender-V...item2c64a11e6d


http://northland.smugmug.com/Music/T...L/021-1-XL.jpg
Its all about the sound/cost/guard combinations that keeps my mind busy seeking the solution that will give the green light to proceed forward.

I pretty well have it planned out to use this PU in the Tele bridge route with a Tele PG but thought it might be even simpler to use the neck route since I tend to play there. Thanks & take care. Bob

[Dave W]

No, too big for either position (see attached).

I haven't followed your project so I don't know exactly what you're planning, but keep in mind that this pickup as well as the other pickups on long scale Fenders are meant for the wider neck and bridge spacing, and their polepieces are spaced further apart than you would find on a guitar-width neck like the Mustang or Musicmaster.

[robert spencer]

Thanks Dave. There seems to be an unlimited variety of P & Jbass pickups available but not a lot of anything else. As mentioned previously I have been thinking of using a Telecaster bridge plate to cover the route then installing a PU into it. This is an example by Gunny here on this forum:

He says it a Musicmaster PU from the UK. Can you recomend a PU for this application being used with the Tele gituar bridge plate. (Meaning it woukd require the same dimensions as the stock guitar PU. I think I could do a bit of route expanding if needed but the PU should be one to fit within the opening of the plate. Any help you are able to offer will be appreciated. I have considered string spacing & felt that I could compensate to the required spacing by working on the nut & saddles enough to get by.

This is a thread from Tele Tech. I was asking some questions about this same thing there recently :
http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-tech...nt-photos.html


Take care. Bob.

[robert spencer]

I think I found out how to do it here on page 1 & 2 here:

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/bass-plac...ass-build.html
Strings & poles line up pretty well because the PU is canted.




Rotor from this forum built this one. So nice! Take care. Bob

[Dave W]

Originally Posted by robert spencer

I think I found out how to do it here on page 1 & 2 here:

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/bass-plac...ass-build.html
Strings & poles line up pretty well because the PU is canted.

Canting it will work for string/polepiece alignment but I think you'll have to enlarge the stock opening to accomplish that. Good luck.

[robert spencer]

Thanks Dave. I have pretty well settled into using this pickup now and fabricating a pickguard around it to cover the route. The concept of this bass is meant to imply simplicity. The kind of simplicity I see when I look at an original Fender Tele bass like Dusty Hill or Sting & guys like our moderator Tim with homebrewed tele bodied short scaled basses.




I think a tele shaped body & short scale with one PU says that. Take care. Bob

[Gunny]

It was Rotor that first demonstrated that the bass PUPs are all longer than the bridge route in a Tele body. I used a Dremel tool drum sanding attachment to take out a tiny bit of wood from each end of the route. Easy as can be to do that and it was done in about 30 seconds.

[Dave W]

Originally Posted by Gunny

It was Rotor that first demonstrated that the bass PUPs are all longer than the bridge route in a Tele body. ...

LOL! I'd say it was demonstrated almost 60 years ago.

[robert spencer]

-gunny at the angle shown mounted here did your bridge plate line up as we see it in the photo above? Thanks & take care. Bob

[Gunny]

Rob: yes, it did. As long as the bridge is mounted correctly the PUP sits in proportion to the cutout of the PUP "guitar" bridge plate.
If you use a 4 saddle bass bridge you can achieve perfect alignment of strings over pole pieces.
As far as any PUP goes, the angle in a Tele body is pre-determined and other than extending the overall length at each end of the route, the canting will be fine.
As Rotor or someone else demonstrated in this forum you can align the bridge to the rest of the instrument by using string on the outer two positions. You ensure that a bass guitar string will never fall off the fingerboard during normal use and that's the time to check that the strings are "optimally" positioned with respect to PUP pole pieces.
For mine, I can shift the E string - any of them actually - a bit to one side or the other on my brass barrels if I want perfect alignment of string over pole pieces. In practice, close is good enough. I get good string definition and equal volume from the setup you see in some of my photos. I did mention that my project certainly isn't a clinic in fine workmanship. I did have fun with it.

[robert spencer]

Thanks Gunny. Your example is most helpful in determining what I want to do with my project. I intend to use the same PU ( + perhaps a Lil Puncher in the neck to fill the PG hole there). The Tele bridge plate like yours is also in my plans. To this point ( knowing very little as I do ) selection becomes a huge challenge. Better to get it planned out than find out later that something is not going to work & be forced to change horses mid stream. I have a Bronco bridge that will be used & perhaps a Telecaster bridge cover opened at the rear to allow strings to pass through will be used as it is on a guitar but it would be a PU cover attaching to the Tele bridge plate (we`ll see about that when everything else is up & going though. Thanks again for your replying with such good information. Take care. Bob.