How far from end of fingerboard can a neck pickup be?

[murrayatuptown]

Neck-mount floating humbuckers are typically right at the end of the fingerboard. Body-mount & pickguard floaters seem to be about an inch from the end (or a virtual fret position?)

Less jazzy guitars seem to target the location of the 24th fret. People with 24-fret necks can't do that.

I read a modern luthier's complaint about 24th fret PU placement on Les Paul, but he seemed to be in the minority.

How much does it matter for a neck-only PU archtop?

I have one project guitar getting a new guard & side-mount floater, so the position isn't committed yet (have options).

A 2nd guitar has a Kent Armstrong neck-mount HB floater that is about 1-3/8" high (vertically). That guitar is having a 1929Pickguards McCarty (neck only) added.

A friend suggested keeping the existing floater HB which has volume pot only and an end pin jack. The McCarty has a guard-mounted jack.

I won't know how practical/possible this will be until I have everything in my hands.

The existing PG probably is in the way...the existing wiring? Don't know yet.

Armstrong suggests wiring some of his jazz PU's directly to a jack, no V or T. I have a Krivo that's normal for...not ideal, but usable.

It it all fits, the McCarty SC PU would be at roughly 2" from end of fingerboard.

Ideas are cheap.

My gut feeling is there is some positioning flexibility but don't know what's sacrificed by doing this. It's a long way from the bridge! The ES-150's with a (P-13?) PU somewhere in the middle seem to be less loved & lower-priced.

[deacon Mark]

I like the pickup as close to the end of the fingerboard as possible. I only want a volume pot, no tone control the amp can work the tone. I need something to be able to turn the volume up and down easy not at the amp, so no direct wiring. I think ideally if already present the jack in the tailpiece end is the best. If you have a vintage guitar and do not want to modify anything then pickguard jack is ok or some other set up but that is less user friendly. The warmest sounds come from the pickup being as close to fingerboard. At 20 fret neck allows even farther away from bridge, again that is warmer sound.

[murrayatuptown]

I agree...just wondered how critical...I guess it depends & is subjective.

The McCarty addition is, in principle, possible supposedly by simply replacing the existing PG (I suppose on what was originally an acoustic archtop.

I will see what is physically possible, whether it looks absurd, and if it's dumber and harder than what came to me in a dream.

Two other project ideas were not physically possible. If I realize that before doing any harm, good for me.

Both guitars were inexpensive but have potential to be unique, something I have come to appreciate.

The one can accommodate a fretboard end side tab thin PU.

The one with either McCarty replica single either added or replacing will have either HB or SC at fretboard end, depending on logistics, & installation is minimally invasive/reversible. The cosmetics are the greatest risk.

Thank you.

[John A.]

Neck-mount floating humbuckers are typically right at the end of the fingerboard. Body-mount & pickguard floaters seem to be about an inch from the end (or a virtual fret position?)

Less jazzy guitars seem to target the location of the 24th fret. People with 24-fret necks can't do that.

Actually, a great many "jazzy" guitars have the pickup at at the same position as a LP (my guess would be most). For example, almost all Gibson semis and archtops do, as well as other brands based on those designs. You can't really judge neck pickup placement by the gap between the pickup and the end of the neck because different guitars have different numbers of frets and/or points that stick out (e.g., L-5's). For example, LP, 335, and ES-175 all have the neck in the same spot (even though there's more space between the neck and pickup on a 175, which has fewer frets), and L-5 is very close (L-4 is right up against the neck). It's really about distance from the bridge

I read a modern luthier's complaint about 24th fret PU placement on Les Paul, but he seemed to be in the minority.

How much does it matter for a neck-only PU archtop?

IME, having the neck pickup at the "LP" spot vs right up against the neck on 20-fret guitar is a fairly subtle difference. To my ears it makes less difference than moving the neck more toward the bridge does (e.g., as on an Ibanez JP20 or a Hofner with 24 frets). As the pickup moves more toward the middle of the guitar, it sounds more like the middle pickup on a 3-pickup guitar and less like a neck pickup. I find the difference very noticeable, and it's not my thing (I had a 24-fret guitar, and can't see myself ever getting another)

I have one project guitar getting a new guard & side-mount floater, so the position isn't committed yet (have options).

A 2nd guitar has a Kent Armstrong neck-mount HB floater that is about 1-3/8" high (vertically). That guitar is having a 1929Pickguards McCarty (neck only) added.

A friend suggested keeping the existing floater HB which has volume pot only and an end pin jack. The McCarty has a guard-mounted jack.

I won't know how practical/possible this will be until I have everything in my hands.[

The existing PG probably is in the way...the existing wiring? Don't know yet.

Armstrong suggests wiring some of his jazz PU's directly to a jack, no V or T. I have a Krivo that's normal for...not ideal, but usable.

It it all fits, the McCarty SC PU would be at roughly 2" from end of fingerboard.

Ideas are cheap.

My gut feeling is there is some positioning flexibility but don't know what's sacrificed by doing this. It's a long way from the bridge! The ES-150's with a (P-13?) PU somewhere in the middle seem to be less loved & lower-priced.

To my tastes, the best sound is at that 24th fret (LP) spot or slightly further from the bridge/closer to the headstock. Clearance permitting that's where I would want any neck pickup to be. If there isn't enough clearance and the pickup can only fit closer to the bridge, the guitar is not for me. FWIW, I also like tone controls.