Strat build help please - bridge/string spacing

Dan86

Hi guys, 

I am building a strat , currently buying the parts. 

Going for a late 50's replica of sorts, so looking at vintage style tremelo's, which have 56.5mm string spacing.
The pickups I'm after are SSL-1's , descriptions say the bridge pickup is spaced for string spacing of 49.8mm (at the bridge pickup)

I figure (correct me if I'm wrong please) that the 49.8mm spacing at bridge pickup would be with the narrower 52.5mm string spacing.

 So would the wider tremelo spacing put the E strings too far out from the bridge pickup pole pieces or would it not really be enough to matter? 

Should I be looking for a tremelo with 52.5mm spacings instead? 

Thanks!

Megii

I've built a couple of strats - I can't answer your exact question, but I can say that I used Wilkinson trems with 54mm saddle spacing (they still have 56.5mm spacing for the pivot screws) and with those, 52mm pole spacing on all the pickups works well. The poles are just a tad narrower spaced than the strings at the bridge pickup, and a tad wider at the neck pickup, but the strings do go over some part of the pickup poles at all the pickup locations. I find I like the slightly narrower 54mm saddle spacing also because the outside strings run a little less close to the edges of the fretboard. Best of luck with the build anyhow!

Dan86

Useful to know thanks!

CasperCaster

I'm not sure where you got your information from (49.8mm spacing sounds more like a vintage PAF to me), as SSL-1's are spaced approximately 52mm centre to centre, as are all vintage Strat pickups.

There are some import style pickups with different spacing (typically graduated 52/50/50, or 52/50/48) but they are a pain since the vast majority of covers are spaced at 52mm, given that this represents by far and away the largest part of the market.

Be aware that the strings taper from bridge to nut, and together with the angled bridge pickup no single spacing is perfect- but Strats seem to have worked ok for the last 60+ years, so it doesn't really matter. I would base your bridge decision more on personal preference, and whether you like your 'E' strings close to the edge of the fingerboard, or in from the edge a little. Try a few guitars out for reference. Fender reissue Strats are 56-ish mm, Tele's with vintage bridges are 54mm and many modern Strats like Mexican Stds and US Stds/Pro's etc are 52.5mm.

Dan86

The 49.8mm bit was from Seymour Duncan's description of the california 50's set, but a guy from Seymour just told me now that they are all 52mm spacing, so not quite sure why it was listed as that. Thanks for the info!

streethawk

Got these on sale at the moment.

Wider vintage string spacing and a full steel block. 

http://www.amberguitar.com/fender-hardware/249-vintage-tremolo-for-fender-stratocaster.html

Worth trying out the narrower spaced trems too.