Esquire-esque

[fender3x]

Gibson spacing is around 50mm. So yours bridge is definitely Fender spacing which can be anywhere from 52-55. Here's a blog post about it from Lollar Pickups:

https://www.lollarguitars.com/blog/2...piece-spacing/

On bridges you sometimes see measurements from center-string to center string (as you used: 10.5mm). On pickups I generally see it from the center of the E string pole pieces. On "standard" AKA "Gibson" style humbuckers, if they don't tell you the width the way to bet is that they'll be 50mm. On single-coils the way to bet is F-spacing.

On Filtertron-style pickups, you'd actually expect the spacing to be wider than G-style. I couldn't find the spacing for actual Gretch Filtertrons. It may not actually matter since their "space control" bridges allow you to adjust the string spacing. TV-Jones makes the most famous clones, and their spacing for the bridge pickup is a little wider than Gibson (51.6), but not as wide as Fender. Fender's Cabronitas (52.5).

I suspect, you may actually have a G-style mini humbucker in a filtertron style case. Most mini-HBs have 50mm spaciing. That's not necessarily a bad thing since mini's are a great sounding pickup that's really similar to a Filtertron. Here's a kinda-sorta AB of the two.



To my ears the Filtertron and the mini-HB sound pretty close. Darrell hears more nuance than I do, but I don't think there is any difference that some minor EQ couldn't take care of--and both sound really good.

I suspect that many mass producers use just the most common bobbin sizes. I haven't cracked open an Asian Filtertron, but I have cracked open a number cheap pickups (like Firebird pickups) only to find more mass produced guts rather than historically accurate magnets and bobbins. I am not knocking this approach. My lipstick tube pickups have Gibson Firebird guts rather than the OEM Dano guts--and they sound great ;-) I did take a look at the Artec Catalog, and their "neo traditional" HB pickups that look like Filtertrons have 50mm string spacing. They are similar in size to the mini-HB's on the next page, and I'd be willing to bet the bobbins are the same if we cracked them both open. Artec's a pretty good Korean pickup maker--and makes a huge number of OEM pickups. I suspect that other mass produced "filtertron" clones do the same.

All just speculation, but you got my curiosity going ;-)

[EsquireEsque]

Gibson spacing is around 50mm. So yours bridge is definitely Fender spacing which can be anywhere from 52-55. Here's a blog post about it from Lollar Pickups:

https://www.lollarguitars.com/blog/2...piece-spacing/

On bridges you sometimes see measurements from center-string to center string (as you used: 10.5mm). On pickups I generally see it from the center of the E string pole pieces. On "standard" AKA "Gibson" style humbuckers, if they don't tell you the width the way to bet is that they'll be 50mm. On single-coils the way to bet is F-spacing.

On Filtertron-style pickups, you'd actually expect the spacing to be wider than G-style. I couldn't find the spacing for actual Gretch Filtertrons. It may not actually matter since their "space control" bridges allow you to adjust the string spacing. TV-Jones makes the most famous clones, and their spacing for the bridge pickup is a little wider than Gibson (51.6), but not as wide as Fender. Fender's Cabronitas (52.5).

I suspect, you may actually have a G-style mini humbucker in a filtertron style case. Most mini-HBs have 50mm spaciing. That's not necessarily a bad thing since mini's are a great sounding pickup that's really similar to a Filtertron. Here's a kinda-sorta AB of the two.



To my ears the Filtertron and the mini-HB sound pretty close. Darrell hears more nuance than I do, but I don't think there is any difference that some minor EQ couldn't take care of--and both sound really good.

I suspect that many mass producers use just the most common bobbin sizes. I haven't cracked open an Asian Filtertron, but I have cracked open a number cheap pickups (like Firebird pickups) only to find more mass produced guts rather than historically accurate magnets and bobbins. I am not knocking this approach. My lipstick tube pickups have Gibson Firebird guts rather than the OEM Dano guts--and they sound great ;-) I did take a look at the Artec Catalog, and their "neo traditional" HB pickups that look like Filtertrons have 50mm string spacing. They are similar in size to the mini-HB's on the next page, and I'd be willing to bet the bobbins are the same if we cracked them both open. Artec's a pretty good Korean pickup maker--and makes a huge number of OEM pickups. I suspect that other mass produced "filtertron" clones do the same.

All just speculation, but you got my curiosity going ;-)

I see. Thanks very much for the information....

I chose the Artec obviously to save money (not knowing if it would be worth it to get a TV Jones, being a first time build).... however it's been a learning process, which makes it a good day.

Conceivably - a TV Jones pickup will "fit better" to a standard Hardtail bridge than the Artec pickup (and it would bring the pickup a centimetre closer to the bridge than what i've done here) so that's good to know. I had thought to get TV Jones once I was sure I'd got things right.

The "plan" evolved to a 3 stage build as it became apparent how much there was to learn the further I got.

I'm happy with the guitar I've just made - There's a couple of things I've learned from it ....
my strumming hand's a bit too close to the output jack (it should be moved "down" a bit)
the contour/shape could be a little refined to improve comfort or "fit", but there's very little in it.
a slight aesthetic change to the body shape (upper bout)
the staining - (as well as using the stain correctly next time... I thought to stain or dye the neck a rich brown colour .... and to perhaps dye the body the same brown, sand it back and then use the white stain over it... on a different wood, perhaps Spanish Cedar)
.... and now the string spacing differences between the bridge and pickup.

I'll do it again - to finish the process and have a guitar very "customised" to myself, but until then this will do very nicely.

[Trevor Davies]

But it has been shielded, a backing plate made from some pickguard material and has a very bad finish (forgot a basic thing that I worked out on a sample - raise the grain first, stain, light sand and then stain again.....)

As a result the "white" finish is a bit blotchy and uneven (particularly on the sides).

However the wiring works and it actually sounds "cool" according to my daughter... is is a single coil with a touch more depth.... or a "light" humbucker with a bit more crunch.

For a first build with a scratch body - I'mm rather chuffed..... But the third instalment of this build is already in the planning stages......



Anyway - here's a few photos.....

Attachment 45803 Attachment 45804
Attachment 45805 Attachment 45806
Attachment 45807

Looks great. You should be very pleased with this build, especially since it was a scratchy.

[EsquireEsque]

Looks great. You should be very pleased with this build, especially since it was a scratchy.

Thanks, I am.

[fender3x]

+1 on the way it turned out.

I don't mean to cast aspersions at Artec. Quite the contrary, everything I have heard/read about them suggests that they are quite good pickups. I have a set of GFS pickups that I put in a build, because they were cheap and sounded good on YouTube. I figured I could swap them out if I didn't like them...but I really do like them and wouldn't change them now. I think that GFS is one of the OEMs that Artec builds pickups for. They also are reputed to build for Dragonfire pickups, a set of which I am putting in my next build. I have seen speculation that they build for Tonerider as well. For obvious reasons Artec'll tell you they build for OEMs but won't tell you which ones.

I just used Artec and TV Jones as an examples because their catalogs provides pretty good size specs. Also Artec makes just about every kind of pickup. If you like the sound of them, I wouldn't change them on this guitar. Also, I doubt that putting the pickup 1 cm close to the bridge would make that much difference in sound.

[fender3x]

...I have cracked open a number cheap pickups (like Firebird pickups) only to find more mass produced guts rather than historically accurate magnets and bobbins. I am not knocking this approach. My lipstick tube pickups have Gibson Firebird guts rather than the OEM Dano guts--and they sound great...

I think I did not make it clear here that I was talking about really cheap pickups that can have quite surprising things under the covers. Artec actually provides really good specs about what's inside theirs.

[EsquireEsque]

+1 on the way it turned out.

I don't mean to cast aspersions at Artec. Quite the contrary, everything I have heard/read about them suggests that they are quite good pickups. I have a set of GFS pickups that I put in a build, because they were cheap and sounded good on YouTube. I figured I could swap them out if I didn't like them...but I really do like them and wouldn't change them now. I think that GFS is one of the OEMs that Artec builds pickups for. They also are reputed to build for Dragonfire pickups, a set of which I am putting in my next build. I have seen speculation that they build for Tonerider as well. For obvious reasons Artec'll tell you they build for OEMs but won't tell you which ones.

I just used Artec and TV Jones as an examples because their catalogs provides pretty good size specs. Also Artec makes just about every kind of pickup. If you like the sound of them, I wouldn't change them on this guitar. Also, I doubt that putting the pickup 1 cm close to the bridge would make that much difference in sound.

Moving the pickup closer to the bridge is more an aesthetic thing... although I do dislike picking right above the poles - I don't like the idea of "picking the pickup", so to speak.

While I haven't done the research you obviously have I reached the same conclusion... Artec is basically a "good brand".

If not for a desire to have the pickup closer to the bridge I'd think it a "keeper" (getting a 50mm hardtail bridge is the other option but they seem not to exist).

[neverwas]

First off, nice work on your build.
To add my 2 cents worth to the pole spacing, on my TL build I used filtertrons, basic Fender made ones and the pole spacing is 48mm.


I also used a Fender type bridge and the strings over the bridge pickup look about the same as yours. The pickup is about 16mm from the bridge base plate.
https://www.buildyourownguitar.com.a...t=11390&page=3

Grant

[fender3x]

That is also a great looking build, Grant!

With regard to the 50mm bridge conundrum, they are indeed difficult to find in an F-style bridge. I found exactly one:

https://www.stewmac.com/parts-and-ha...AaArolEALw_wcB

Seems like a lot of $$$. So cheapskate that I am, the way I'd be tempted to do it would be to get a set of pressed saddles...



...and cut a small notch with a file where I want the spacing to be.

Meanwhile, the lazy part of me would remind the cheapskate that it sounds good and has a nice clean look just as it is and it ain't broke... ;-)

[EsquireEsque]

That is also a great looking build, Grant!

With regard to the 50mm bridge conundrum, they are indeed difficult to find in an F-style bridge. I found exactly one:

https://www.stewmac.com/parts-and-ha...AaArolEALw_wcB

Seems like a lot of $$$. So cheapskate that I am, the way I'd be tempted to do it would be to get a set of pressed saddles...



...and cut a small notch with a file where I want the spacing to be.

Meanwhile, the lazy part of me would remind the cheapskate that it sounds good and has a nice clean look just as it is and it ain't broke... ;-)

I looked at the "Golden Age" bridge a while ago when I was considering only top loaders - they were very hard to get at the time .... and to get something posted from the US will probably double the price in postage - so it'd end up costing way more than it's worth.... and if I needed to replace a saddle I'd be locked into that.

I would suspect that it'd be only a little more expensive to simply buy a TV Jones pickup.

....and I do like the white/gold combo of Grant's tele/cabronita.