I got into bass because after the kitchen remodel was done, and I had furniture I needed, I wanted to try my hand at a stringed instrument… and the bass is the best stringed instrument.
I’m making plans for my 5th build. I keep thinking of little details I want to make better… and different designs I want to try… I might have a problem…
But that brings me to what I wanted to talk about; I wanted to get the opinions of actual players on what sting spacing they prefer.
I tend to go with tighter spacing. (mostly because I usually play with a pick.)
But since I started going thought the lessons on Bass Buzz, Josh made me start plucking. (for me) It was the hardest part of the early modules, but I’m staring to see the appeal.
My main basses right now are a 5 string tenor (E,A,D,G,C) with tight spacing (.612’’ between centers at the bridge), and a 4 string fretless with really really tight spacing (.55’’ between centers).
I’m thinking about going with .75’’ for my next build, (the early sketches are heavily inspired by the stingray), but I’m on the fence. Part of me wants to stick with the .612 I used on 5 sting. I love the feel of that bass. Unfortunately there’s some other things I don’t love about how I did the frets, the over hang, and the truss rod. It was my fist bass, and I learned A LOT.
The 3 numbers I’m familiar with are the nut width, last frets width and the string spacing as they are listed on most spec.
My favorite combo is 43/64/19, with compound radius of 12-18* wider is better most of the time for me it makes me appreciate switching to a fast 38mm Jazz profile neck.
Most of the time, on many basses even the entire brand line up you just have no choice and go with that they offer. For example, Warwick are exclusively 38mm at nut width and 20* radius on al most all their 4 string regardless of models yet some how some models feel more spacious than others.
Same goes with the Fodera Yin Yang with the same 1.5” at the nut but with the compound radius and 19mm string spacing it feels very generous. Fast but never cramp. Another great reason to sell my spleen and put that toward the deposit.
I am a pick player too but this is so the opposite of me. I prefer 19mm bridge string spacing with a 40mm nut. Anything less than 18mm or so at the bridge bugs me.
One of the things that took me down this rabbit hole: I usually end up buying bar pickups when I build a closer spaced bass.
But this time I wanted to use a Seymour Duncan Music Man. I’ve heard them, and they sound great. When I did my first sketch, I realized the pole pieces weren’t coming anywhere close to lining up.
I can always chicken out and move them a little closer to the center.
But you have to keep in mind just how BIG those music men are. the center line of those pole pieces are 1.67 and 2.06 inches from the saddles. That’s pretty close to the pick up placement on my 5 sting, and I’m very happy with the tone on that.
The pickups on V’Ger here are just no-names I bought by the sack on eBay. The “guitar” and “bass” pickups are also on blend knobs, and you’d be surprised… the “guitar” pickups are right up against the saddles, and they still have plenty of output. Mind you… I don’t pluck this. I hit it will a steel pipe.
I can tell from (modding) experience: this might be a real issue. If you can, play with different pickup positions!
Especially the bridge position can be unworkable. But also the neck/middle position invits to experimentation, albeit that always kind-of works!
yeah, I’m leaning towards pushing the bridge pick up so it has the same relation to the bridge as a real stingray. Its really hard to imagine improving on the real stingray sound.
And I may or may not just forget about the nick pickup all together.
I also made arrangements to borrow a bass from a buddy that has .75 spacing at the bridge so I can see how it feels.
…this one here may be the weirdest one I ever did: the bridge pickup is a Bare-knuckle black hawk.
That pickup by itself sounds downright weird, but I always have it blended at lest 10% with the neck. My blend knob is basically a pickup selector and a tone knob all in one.
@troberts289 welcome to the addictive world of building your own bass. Love the blaster beam.
I would have said all basses should be 19mm spacing at the bridge and 9mm at the nut (I play finger style) but recently I have made a few 23” basses (travel bass scale ?) and used 15mm bridge spacing, which is still very playable. I am also working on two Fender Bass VI style instruments, which use guitar bridges, so I need to work on my (currently abysmal) use of a plectrum.
I stuck to 19mm for my first two 5 strings but 16.5mm for my 6 string, mainly so I could reach the B string (it’s my go-to bass).
So, I think you should not worry too much about string spacing, your muscle memory will sort it out.
As @Wombat-metal correctly points out, the hot rail pickup can handle any string spacing.
I don’t know any of my numbers, but for a tighter spacing (that I absolutely love) I play my Modulus Quantum Sweet Spot (from 1996) all the time.
If you like tighter spacing, that one worked great for me.
It’s a 5 string spacing, so I don’t know what they did on the 4.
I borrowed a buddy’s knock of P bass to try, and I’m surprised, the .75 spacing really isn’t as noticeable as I thought it was going to be, for pick or figures.
the 34’’ scale on the other hand is KILLING me. I do really love a 30…
