Single-Coil Neck Positioning

[eblock]

Is there a specific position for single-coil pickups in the neck position (a specific distance from the last fret where most people agree is sounds best)? I'm making a 25" scale 24 fret guitar and could use some direction on the "best" position. Looking at Brian May's Red Special, also 24 frets, it appears as though the neck p/up is positioned about where the slug polepieces would be on a neck humbucker.

[Sock Puppet]

Hi,

I'm no expert but on a strat the neck pickup is set at a quarter of the scale length.

You might find parts of this article interesting:

http://trailfire.com/shagrath/marks/11793

- and other parts of it bewildering....

S.

[eblock]

Is there a similar equation for optimal positioning of a bridge humbucker?

[David Schwab]

You can put a pickup anywhere. It doesn't matter at all. Traditionally the neck pickup went where the 24th fret would be, but as I said, you can put a pickup anywhere. Obviously guitars with 24 frets need to have them at the end of the fingerboard.

There's no right or wrong, they just sound different depending on where they are.