Les Paul bridge pickup, F space or not?

[311boogieman]

The pole spacing between the two is close enough that I can`t tell the difference . Here`s the same guitar with an F spaced Dimarzio and a Seymour Duncan Trembucker

I like the matching colored scrunchie

 

[SFW]

For Les Paul guitars, it depends on how the bridge slots were done at the factory. The Gibson bridges are not pre-slotted. They string the guitar up and then hit the string on the bridge saddle with a small hammer- making a divot for the string to rest in. So, the spacing depends on where the strings were sitting when that was done. On some of my Les Pauls, an F-spaced pickup works better with the string spacing. On others, regular spaced pickups work better.

 

[cardinal]

It depends on the guitar. I have an R8 that needs an F-spaced pickup. My other LPs do not.

In my experience, the spacing matters. If the pole spacing is too narrow, my up-strokes in the low E string sound weak and splatty (down stroke sounds fine). It's worse the lower the string tension gets. I've confirmed that it's the pole spacing by jamming something into the pickup ring to force the pole under the low E string, and the problem goes away.

So for me, I've got to have a properly spaced bridge pickup.

 

[LP Freak]

It depends on the guitar. I have an R8 that needs an F-spaced pickup. My other LPs do not.

In my experience, the spacing matters. If the pole spacing is too narrow, my up-strokes in the low E string sound weak and splatty (down stroke sounds fine). It's worse the lower the string tension gets. I've confirmed that it's the pole spacing by jamming something into the pickup ring to force the pole under the low E string, and the problem goes away.

So for me, I've got to have a properly spaced bridge pickup.

Wow, i’m blessed that my ears aren’t so picky.

 

[TheBiggestJerk]

I hear a lot of stories of people using F spaced pickups in the bridge of their Les Paul because of the string spacing at the bridge and it lining up better than tradition spacing pickups. Anyone wanna throw in their .02?

Here’s my Paul with F spaced Dimarzio PAF’s. 36th anniversary bridge and 59’ neck.

 

[Devin]

Does anyone make the opposite claim that it DOES matter?

Pickup makers love to claim that blade-style pickups are the cure for this seemingly non-existent problem


I've never played a guitar where it mattered tbh

 

[cardinal]

Here’s my Paul with F spaced Dimarzio PAF’s. 36th anniversary bridge and 59’ neck. View attachment 399111

It's weird because I have three actual Gibson LPs (all reissues) and two of them line up fine with normal spacing but one of them needed an F-Spaced Dimarzio like this.

I have some Japanese LP copies too, and they all line up with normal spacing.

 

[EyesOfTheSouth!]

It's weird because I have three actual Gibson LPs (all reissues) and two of them line up fine with normal spacing but one of them needed an F-Spaced Dimarzio like this.

I have some Japanese LP copies too, and they all line up with normal spacing.

Are they all Dimarzios? Like I mentioned, Dimarzio F is closer to standard models of other winders.

 

[cardinal]

Are they all Dimarzios? Like I mentioned, Dimarzio F is closer to standard models of other winders.

No, the other Gibsons have Gibson pickups. I'd tried regular spaced Duncans in that R8 and they didn't cover under the low E string. The Dimarzio F-Space is perfect. Duncan Trembuckers are wider but I didn't bother to try one in that guitar (because I wanted a nickel cover and to use the normal pickup rings, which won't fit a covered Trembucker).

 

[Rex Rocker]

It actually depends on what bridge your guitar has too.

The stock API Nashville bridge on current production Gibsons as well as the Faux ABR-1 that's mounted on Nashville posts that they currently have is narrower-spaced. However, other aftermarket bridges like Gotoh, Graphtech, Schaller, etc. are wider-spaced.

That being said, with DiMarzio, I think F-spaced is a better idea because DiMarzio F-Spaced and regular-spaced are narrower than Duncans trembuckers and narrower-spaced humbuckers, respectively.