DJPogoff
New Member
Hello you all!
I just recently bought an SE 245 Soapbar (I really hate that term, "Soapbar") from Musicians Friend as an open box at $399, no tax nor shipping. The guitar looks like new. Great buy since I'd been planning to buy this guitar anyway.
I immediately noticed something I've never seen in any guitar: the strings are directly over the bridge pickup poles, whereas the string spacing at the neck pickup is rather narrower than the pole spacing. This is because both P90s have the same 50 mm pole piece spacing. After taking measurements of the string spacing at the bridge on the 245, and on another guitar of mine with P90s, an Epiphone '56 Gold Top, I see that the problem is accentuated on the 245 by a little wider string spacing at the bridge, at 52.5 mm. On the Epiphone, the string spacing at the bridge is slightly narrower at 51.5, just enough to have the strings be pretty much over their pole pieces at both pickups.
This issue bothers me even though a pickup maker I spoke with told me it hardly matters because "P90s have such a huge magnetic field that pole spacing is not that critical". I'm thinking, though, that since Epiphone took this into account and has avoided the problem, why can't PRS? So, I'm looking for some feedback. Is the 245 a poor design in this regard or is this simply the way some guitars with P90s are? Would it be a good idea to replace the (pre-intonated) bridge with an adjustable saddle, wrap-around, bridge that has a narrower string spacing but still mounts in the same holes?
Thanks for any advice.
David
I just recently bought an SE 245 Soapbar (I really hate that term, "Soapbar") from Musicians Friend as an open box at $399, no tax nor shipping. The guitar looks like new. Great buy since I'd been planning to buy this guitar anyway.
I immediately noticed something I've never seen in any guitar: the strings are directly over the bridge pickup poles, whereas the string spacing at the neck pickup is rather narrower than the pole spacing. This is because both P90s have the same 50 mm pole piece spacing. After taking measurements of the string spacing at the bridge on the 245, and on another guitar of mine with P90s, an Epiphone '56 Gold Top, I see that the problem is accentuated on the 245 by a little wider string spacing at the bridge, at 52.5 mm. On the Epiphone, the string spacing at the bridge is slightly narrower at 51.5, just enough to have the strings be pretty much over their pole pieces at both pickups.
This issue bothers me even though a pickup maker I spoke with told me it hardly matters because "P90s have such a huge magnetic field that pole spacing is not that critical". I'm thinking, though, that since Epiphone took this into account and has avoided the problem, why can't PRS? So, I'm looking for some feedback. Is the 245 a poor design in this regard or is this simply the way some guitars with P90s are? Would it be a good idea to replace the (pre-intonated) bridge with an adjustable saddle, wrap-around, bridge that has a narrower string spacing but still mounts in the same holes?
Thanks for any advice.
David
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