F-spacing not same as Trembucker?

[Grandturk]

Dimarzio - Regular - Floyd



Dimarzio - F-Spaced - Floyd



Dimarzio - Regular Spaced - Fender Vintage Trem (the hums off kilter because it fell off the screw, but you get the idea



Duncan - Trembucker - Floyd

[Newc]

Wasn't the trembucker originally a Seymour Duncan pickup that had polepieces that were parallel with the guitar strings and made especially for Floyd guitars? I had one when they first came out - very hot but very dark sounding. Then later on, they used the term as Dimarzio used F-spaced.

Nope, that was the Parallel Axis Trembucker. I believe they had the term "Trembucker" before the P.A.

[Grandturk]

Wasn't the trembucker originally a Seymour Duncan pickup that had polepieces that were parallel with the guitar strings and made especially for Floyd guitars? I had one when they first came out - very hot but very dark sounding. Then later on, they used the term as Dimarzio used F-spaced.

That was the "Parallel Axis" Trembucker.

[Grandturk]

Nope, that was the Parallel Axis Trembucker. I believe they had the term "Trembucker" before the P.A.

Damn you!!!

[Newc]

Nope. The difference between DiMarzio and Duncan standard spaced is .085" total and for F-spaced to Trembucker it is .06" (you quoted the inter-string difference, not the total difference) and that makes the total pole spacing of the F-spaced pickup about 1.5 mm narrower.

While a wider TB bobbin will add more distance to the coil wire, it will also change the electrical properties if you use the exact same amount of wire as the SH version. Given Duncan's stated dedication to precision, I'm going to say they use a tad more wire for the TB to maintain the SH's overall readings.

Second, IIRC you are one of the people who swears that a TB5 and an SH5 sound different, which is a .07" difference

You'll hafta point me to that thread, as I've only said I noticed a difference between the SH6 and TB6, not the Custom. I've got a TB-5 in a stopbar/tom NASL right now and it sounds as good as the TB-5 in my Floyded NASL. With the Distortions, however, I notice the TB6 is more articulate, and almost compressed and choked like a JB, whereas an SH6 under a Floyd sounds more open and raw - kinda "fuzzy".

My sloppy hammer-on/pulloff scalar runs sound horrible with a TB6, but smooth with an SH6.


In that case alone have I noticed a difference. Others have said they don't notice any such difference between those two.

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

While a wider TB bobbin will add more distance to the coil wire, it will also change the electrical properties if you use the exact same amount of wire as the SH version. Given Duncan's stated dedication to precision, I'm going to say they use a tad more wire for the TB to maintain the SH's overall readings.

I don't notice any sound difference, only a difference in the alignment of the poles. But if you are buying a Trembucker/F-spaced pickup, that's probably why you are buying it, and they are different.

Also the DiMarzio will work with any standard bezel/pickguard hole while the Duncan often requires trimming the ring or pickguard, since the coils are actually a bit wider.

[tonemonster]

well I will be dammed. I always thought F spaced meant Floyd spacing. Hmmmmmm........ I guess you learn something every day. I just went by the TB4 pickup name as thats what I always play.

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

Dimarzio - Regular - Floyd

You still got that Charvel with the LiquiFire neck pickup? That's F-spaced. The guitar didn't explode or anything, right?

[Grandturk]

You still got that Charvel with the LiquiFire neck pickup? That's F-spaced. The guitar didn't explode or anything, right?

F Spaced in the neck even - crazy. I did notice that every time I play that pickup, John Petrucci shows up at my door all jacked up on 'roids and bangs on my door until I stop playing. Its getting pretty annoying...

[toejam]

well I will be dammed. I always thought F spaced meant Floyd spacing.

It means Fender and Floyd spacing, as they should be the same spacing.

[toejam]

I vote we change it to F spacing standing for "Fuck Toejam spacing"!

I second that vote!

[toejam]

Nope, that was the Parallel Axis Trembucker. I believe they had the term "Trembucker" before the P.A.

The funny thing is, most manufacturers use trem-spaced TOM bridges now. Gibson and Jackson are examples. I put a PATB-2 in my RR1T, and the strings line up perfectly between the poles. The pup that was in there originally was a JB, and that was also a trem-spaced model (at least I think it was trem-spaced, but I sold it).

[Trussrod]

I have a couple of TB-4 pups and they sound as good or better (chunky with great harmonics) than an SH-5. There might be some difference between the models. Of course, I could have lucked out and gotten two great sounding TB-4's.

[Axewielder]

I just tried to wrap my head around all this F-spaced/Trembucker math, and I divided by zero and my brain abended. :think:

[VitaminG]

The funny thing is, most manufacturers use trem-spaced TOM bridges now. Gibson and Jackson are examples. I put a PATB-2 in my RR1T, and the strings line up perfectly between the poles. The pup that was in there originally was a JB, and that was also a trem-spaced model (at least I think it was trem-spaced, but I sold it).

awesome photography. I can kind of make out a grainy guitar there, and at the same time, can count every hair on the furry case lining. Superb!!