Humbucker spacer material

[Chadheckler1]

Does anyone have an opinion on spacer material (Wood/plastic/other)? I was thinking of starting my first humbucker this weekend and was going to use the classic '57 as a baseline design. I think that it has a wood spacer...

Does the wood add/subract or influence the pickup in any way, or does it even matter? I know that the wood has the potential the expand/contract so that is a risk...but is there a benefit to a wood spacer?

Thanks,
C

[David Schwab]

I think Gibson used wood spacers because they have a lot of scrap wood. The older pickups used mahogany spacers and the newer ones use maple.

What material you use have no effect on the tone of the pickup, as long as it's not metallic.

[kevinT]

Wood or plastic should not affect tone. I've heard that DiMarzio uses brass spacers to sculpt the tone of some of thier pickups.

[salvarsan]

Wood or plastic should not affect tone. I've heard that DiMarzio uses brass spacers to sculpt the tone of some of thier pickups.

DiMarzio has used everything at hand to modify pickup sound.
Ferrite slugs, steel slugs, brass, air -- and they patented a lot of the production tricks, too.

-drh