Pole-piece spacing on Gibson mini-humbuckers for bass?

[Chris Turner]

Does anyone know what it is?

[jonson]

Just measured all 4 pickups on my EB3 and my EB2d and my eyes at this time of night show 49.02mm centres for the outer poles on all 4 pickups, no change between bridge and neck which gives a 16.34mm pole centres.

[Chris Klein]

49.00 mm

[Chris Turner]

Thanks!

Can't really use one in the bridge position, then, on a bass with the standard 19mm string spacing at the bridge. Darn.

I guess the 34"-scale Epiphone EB-3 basses have maybe a 17mm string spacing at the bridge?

[big_teee]

Thanks!

Can't really use one in the bridge position, then, on a bass with the standard 19mm string spacing at the bridge. Darn.

I guess the 34"-scale Epiphone EB-3 basses have maybe a 17mm string spacing at the bridge?

Don't know much about basses, but could you use the firebird type with the no holes cover.
Mojotone Nickel Silver Mini Humbucker Pickup Cover Chrome (NO HOLES)
T

[Sweetfinger]

FWIW the Epiphone bass mini is a 49 mm spacing. The Epiphone EBO Bass neck pickup is 48 mm. I have an old made in Japan bass mini humbucker that I got from Allparts about 5 years ago. It has a 50 mm spacing but the cover isn't nickel, but a metallic looking plastic

[David Schwab]

Don't know much about basses, but could you use the firebird type with the no holes cover.
Mojotone Nickel Silver Mini Humbucker Pickup Cover Chrome (NO HOLES)
T

That's what I do for EB-3 bridge pickups. I make them with blades on the inside.

[big_teee]

That's what I do for EB-3 bridge pickups. I make them with blades on the inside.

So it is the same size pickup as a guitar firebird Mini?
You use steel blades in the bobbins and NEO Magnets between the blades?
Or I guess you could use the regular Firebird Magnets in the bobbins.
I never get much bass work, an occasional P-Bass or J-Bass Rewind.
T

[Sweetfinger]

For a Firebird type design you could use any sort of magnet assembly that floats your boat depending on how strong you wanted the field and how much inductance you wanted in the pickup.
1. Two alnico bar magnets with a bottom coupling plate (like an original FB), or two ceramic bars like modern Gibson FBs.
2. One Alnico bar and a soft iron bar coupled.
3. two iron bars with a bottom loaded Alnico bar.
4. two iron bars with a bottom loaded ceramic bar.
5 other typed of magnets could be used but Alnico or ceramic bars are really convenient in a FB design.
6. You could use half length iron bars and a bottom loaded bar magnet for a "split 3 and 3" pole assembly, sort of like the Duncan Vintage Rails.

Budget FB style pickups are available for under $30 if you're feeling lazy, or want a cover, baseplate, bobbins, and magnets that you can fool around with.
Also- regarding size, The vintage bass and Firebird/Deluxe/Johnny Smith pickups are all the same length and width, approximately 65mm by 27mm. The modern Gibson and Epiphone minis have slightly larger covers, approximately 68mm by 28mm. The budget ones I've seen have had the larger cover dimensions.

[big_teee]

For a Firebird type design you could use any sort of magnet assembly that floats your boat depending on how strong you wanted the field and how much inductance you wanted in the pickup.
1. Two alnico bar magnets with a bottom coupling plate (like an original FB), or two ceramic bars like modern Gibson FBs.
2. One Alnico bar and a soft iron bar coupled.
3. two iron bars with a bottom loaded Alnico bar.
4. two iron bars with a bottom loaded ceramic bar.
5 other typed of magnets could be used but Alnico or ceramic bars are really convenient in a FB design.
6. You could use half length iron bars and a bottom loaded bar magnet for a "split 3 and 3" pole assembly, sort of like the Duncan Vintage Rails.

Budget FB style pickups are available for under $30 if you're feeling lazy, or want a cover, baseplate, bobbins, and magnets that you can fool around with.

I have made most of those.
I do guitar pickups, was trying to figure what DS did different that made it a bass Pickup.
Sounds like nothing.
Personally I prefer full sized Hum-Buckers, over the Minis.
Once we have Access to Mojo No Holes Nickel Full Sized Covers(At Discount Prices) there will be a lot more we can do with them.
T

[David Schwab]

So it is the same size pickup as a guitar firebird Mini?
You use steel blades in the bobbins and NEO Magnets between the blades?
Or I guess you could use the regular Firebird Magnets in the bobbins.
I never get much bass work, an occasional P-Bass or J-Bass Rewind.
T

I use the mini humbucker bobbins, but I widen them a little. I use steel blades and neo magnets, because that's how my pickups are made.

You could certainly use the Firebird magnets, which would make it like a Thunderbird pickup.