EC-1000 Deluxe Pickup Spacing

Updated
Gimpy

Hi, I'm planning on switching out my EMG 81/60 for an EMG Fat 55 set. What pot shaft length should I get, long or short? What pickup spacing should I get, Floyd Rose or Standard?

Pushead

For the EC1000 you want the short shaft pots and Floyd spacing (ESP uses a wider string spacing on their TOM bridges as well.)

Gimpy

Thanks!

tx-ogre

Please let us know how the pickup swap works out.  I'm not an ultra high gain, uber-metal guy so I prefer the tamer EMG pickups.  I have the 57-7/66-7 set in my Ltd H7 Anniversary model (my first and only guitar with active pups), which I really like.  When I saw that EMG came out with the Phat 55 and Super 77 pickups, I was immediately interested.  Any input you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Gimpy

I'm planning on buying them really soon. Probably around Christmas time. 

evan north.

I am doing the same swap this weekend (ec1000fr emg 81/60 to fat 55s), how did the swap turn out?

I never really liked the stock pickups and wanted something more vintage.I am hoping that it will be a simple matter of unplugging the old pickups and plugging in the new (keeping the old pots in place as the guy I contacted at emg said I could).

Next year I may upgrade the trem block of the floyd to titanium, maybe the saddles too.

TheRanMan

I know this is an old thread, but I felt it would be prudent to ask once more since I'm getting conflicting info from EMG. I have a 2014 EC-1000 SSP that I bought used. The previous owner had pulled the EMG 81/60 pickups and replaced them with passive P-90 pickups which I don't think sound right on this guitar. I'd like to install an EMG 57/66 set.  String spacing at the tune-o-matic bridge is 52 mm, and string spacing at the bridge pickup is 50.4 mm. EMG doesn't post the string spacing for their F-spaced pickups (that I could find), but an EMG rep tells me it's 52 mm and the string spacing for the standard is 49 mm, though when I do the math it looks like it's really 48.8 mm. So it appears I'll have to settle for 1.6 mm too wide, or 1.6mm too narrow. Is the general consensus that it's better for the pole spacing to be too wide rather than too narrow?  Or am I being OCD about nothing? The EMG rep said he thought I should get the standard set since I don't have a trem, but my instincts tell me to go for the F-spaced.  Opinions? And thanks in advance.  

Slartibartfarst42

I think you have two options. One option is to simply measure the spacing and go with whichever is closest. Your other option is to ask a specialist. I'd contact Bare Knuckle for their advice on spacing. They're very helpful, they respond quickly, they're generally 100% accurate and once you have their advice, you're not obliged to actually buy their pickups if you don't want to. Bare Knuckle refuse to make active pickups because they really don't rate the tone at all, but that shouldn't affect their advice on spacing at all.

As far as the Fat55 and Super 77 goes, I was sorely tempted with either a 77/55 set or a 55 set as it would have been easy to replace the 81 set that came stock. Eventually I decided it was unlikely they'd be as good as my favourite passives so I just bought the passives I wanted instead.

Luis S.

F-spacing

TheRanMan

I ended up going with standard since it was closest to my string spacing. EMG said the F-spaced are 53mm and the standard is 49mm. My strings were 50.4mm. Here's what both pickups look like. Bridge first then neck.  

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