Music Man "Sweet Spot" Pickup position?

[Dolando]

Hello, I'm looking at another Warmoth bass.

Does anyone who has ordered it know if the Music Man 'Sweet spot' routing is where a Music Man Stingray bass pickup is located?

Failing that, if you have one, could you measure from nut to the pickup edge and let me know what measurement it is?

Thanks,

Adam

 

[dmraco]

I have.  If I remember correctly it may have required a phone call.  They will do it

 

[Dolando]

I have.  If I remember correctly it may have required a phone call.  They will do it

So you have one in the Music man position but had to ask them for it specifically? Do you know if you paid extra for it?

Also any pictures?

 

[dmraco]

Nothing extra.  Let me see about photo

 

[SDbass]

I measured it at roughly 29.125" using a tape measure.

 

[Dolando]

Thanks SDbass. I think that sits a little more forward than a Stingray around 10mm or so. I read somewhere that it's 749.3mm (29.5") from nut on a music man.

 

[dmraco]

I will get you a measurement but mine in on a short scale 30 inch G4 bass////

 

[Steve_Karl]

On my '76 MM Stingray it's 29 - 21/32" from the front (playing side) edge of the nut to the beginning of the pickup.
Using a Stanley Power Lock tape measure that goes to 16ths it was right between 29 - 10/16" and 29 - 11/16".

 

[aarontunes]

I will get you a measurement but mine in on a short scale 30 inch G4 bass////

Ahh....now I understand why you had to call in. Warmoth does not offer the Sweet Spot on our Short Scale basses as a standard option. Why? It's complicated.


To begin with, the Music Man Sweet spot is based on the standard 34" scale length for bass, not short scale lengths. On top of that, Warmoth offers both 30" and 32" scale necks for our SSB bodies, so.....where exactly is the sweet spot again?  :dontknow:

 

[Dolando]

Thanks Steve!

I will get you a measurement but mine in on a short scale 30 inch G4 bass////

Ahh....now I understand why you had to call in. Warmoth does not offer the Sweet Spot on our Short Scale basses as a standard option. Why? It's complicated.


To begin with, the Music Man Sweet spot is based on the standard 34" scale length for bass, not short scale lengths. On top of that, Warmoth offers both 30" and 32" scale necks for our SSB bodies, so.....where exactly is the sweet spot again?  :dontknow:

What does that mean for a 34” scale?

From what I’ve read so far, I think the the warmoth ‘sweet spot’ is further forward (10-12mm ish) than on a stingray...I may be wrong though. So if you have any further info on it, I’d love to know.

 

[aarontunes]

I don't really have any further info. I wasn't here when the Sweet Spot option was created.


I'll hazard a guess that we determined the position by taking the measurements from an actual Sting Ray bass. Whether MM's specs have changed over the years, I can't say.

 

[bagman67]

Seems to me that worrying overmuch about the precise placement of the so-called "sweet spot" is a fool's errand, since the position of the pickup relative to the sounding length of the string varies depending on where you're fretting the string anyway.  If it's optimized for open strings, well, okay - it just doesn't seem worthwhile to fret (heh) over a fraction of an inch north or south.

 

[aarontunes]

Seems to me that worrying overmuch about the precise placement of the so-called "sweet spot" is a fool's errand, since the position of the pickup relative to the sounding length of the string varies depending on where you're fretting the string anyway.  If it's optimized for open strings, well, okay - it just doesn't seem worthwhile to fret (heh) over a fraction of an inch north or south.

100% agree.


The MM placement is more about a look than anything else, IMO. I'm sure there are harmonic nodes along a vibrating string that some guy with a white-board could wax scientific about, but it would be wasted on me. The tone will become progressively rounder as you move the pickup towards the neck. Beyond that, I don't know how predictable it could be.


Reminds me of a Westone dealer clinic (anybody remember Westone electric guitars?) that I went to back in the 80's. The rep went on and on about how all their bodies were scientifically designed to resonate at A440, thereby improving the sound.


Then some guy raised his hand and said "but I tune to A flat." A deafening and decidedly awkward silence ensued....

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

Remember the guitar back in the late 80's that had a pickup mounted on a rail in the body that slid into any position between the neck and the bridge region's.
More of that "corksniffery" from those that drink the bong water and have cars that run on unicorn poo.

 

[dmraco]

What ever the placement....my G4 30 inch sounds fantastic.  Still working on a photo

 

[Dolando]

Seems to me that worrying overmuch about the precise placement of the so-called "sweet spot" is a fool's errand, since the position of the pickup relative to the sounding length of the string varies depending on where you're fretting the string anyway.  If it's optimized for open strings, well, okay - it just doesn't seem worthwhile to fret (heh) over a fraction of an inch north or south.

I get what you’re saying.

I want to make a bass that closely resembles the look and sound of a stingray, so why wouldn’t I try and position it to the closest MM I can. Maybe that’s just the perfectionist in me.

Basically I played a 94 music man recently and loved the sound of it, so fancied making a warmoth around it.

 

[Fat Pete]

Do the routing yourself?

 

[aarontunes]

FYI, Warmoth can rout the Sweet Spot in a custom location for you, if you like. $45 upcharge. Give us a call.

 

[Dolando]

Do the routing yourself?

I may just do that...

 

[Dolando]

FYI, Warmoth can rout the Sweet Spot in a custom location for you, if you like. $45 upcharge. Give us a call.

Oh really. I sent an email about this and was told they couldn’t route it in the music man position I was after.