Pick-up Mounting Tips Needed

[Pekollio]

Hello,

Since my woodworking skills are still in the infancy stage, I decided to assemble a guitar using a body and neck from Warmoth. I ordered a rear routed strat body and want to mount the single coils directly to the body without using mounting rings. One guy I spoke to as Warmoth recommended having someone install threaded inserts into the body for the pickup screws. Are there other options that I should consider?

Any help is appreciated,

Pekollio

[Mickguard]

Hello,

   

    Since my woodworking skills are still in the infancy stage, I decided to assemble a guitar using a body and neck from Warmoth.  I ordered a rear routed strat body and want to mount the single coils directly to the body without using mounting rings.  One guy I spoke to as Warmoth recommended having someone install threaded inserts into the body for the pickup screws.  Are there other options that I should consider?

Any help is appreciated,

Pekollio

←

Strat pickups are mounted into the pickguard, why would you need any woodworking skills for that? Seems to me you ordered the wrong body....unless I'm not understanding something (always possible!)

[VanKirk]

Since it's a rear routed body there's no need for a pickguard.

You can screw the pups directly into the wood.

They'll hold fine unless you plan on switching them out dozens of times then I'd go with the threaded inserts.

[n8rofwyo]

I agree with VanKirk, it shouldn't be an issue to mount the pup directly to the wood. I would consider using a course thread screw rather than clipping and using the machine srews sent with the pup.

[Pekollio]

Thanks for the tips, I wasn't really interested in installing threaded inserts because I am already pleased with the pickups I will be using in this guitar.

idch The woodworking comment I made was in reference to my placing an order with Warmoth for the guitar body, instead of trying to construct a body myself.

VanKirk, Direct mounting the pickup was going to be my choice, it looks alot better than some guitars I have seen with single coil mounting rings installed (at least in my opinion.)

n8rofwyo, Will I have to make any modifications to the pickup's screw mounting holes in order to use different screws?

Here's another question for you folks, will I have to place some foam or something under the pickup to help with achieving the proper pickup height?

Thanks again,

Pekollio

Edited May 8, 2005 by Pekollio

[Drak]

I think you're on the right track now.

I use small black wood screws, and use some black foam w/ adhesive on one side, adhered to the bottom of the cavity as the 'cushion' that helps me set height. It's the same black foam I use for the back/bottom of my Floyds so they don't hit raw hard wood on a severe up-pull.

You could also use some tubing or pkp springs on the screws too I guess, but I don't.

Also, before I install the black foam, I lay down my copper shielding tape first (pre-cut to the shape of the bottom of the pkp cavities) and connect all the sections under all the pkps together then run that back to the control cavity.

I shield EVERYTHING, as I use pre-amps and need my guitar circuitry to be deadly quiet.

I've never even heard of using threaded inserts for pkps, and that seems like an AWFUL lot of work for what you get out of it, doesn't remotely seem worth the bother to me.

[thedoctor]

A lot of pickups are shipped in foam padding that I always keep for just such an occasion. Forget the springs and cut enough of the foam the keep decent pressure on the back of the pickup while you pull it down with #4 or #6 wood screws.

[frank falbo]

You know what I'm using more and more? Strips of that foam packing material that looks like a bunch of little tiny cells. It's actually really small bubbles. You can hear them pop if you squeeze it real hard. I wish I could describe it better but I can't. Anyway, it will never lose its compression because it's air filled. I mean if you pop the cells then the compression is gone forever. But because there are so many of them and they're so small, I've never heard any pop while I was installing a pickup, and it gives me quite a bit of range, all with good, solid, even pressure across the whole pickup. (single or humbucker)

I've got some from a kit that someone gave us to pack dishes in for moving, but otherwise stuff comes packed in it sometimes. Most other foams either don't provide enough pressure, or if they do, then they get a memory.

[Pekollio]

That foam seems like a great idea, although the amount that came with the singe coils I bought may not be enough. Looks like I will be off to a store that carries such foam, perhaps a storage facility or one of the 8 billion Office Depot/Staples locations.

Drak Thanks for the tip on shielding the pickup cavity, I wasn't sure if I had to or not. That was going to be my next question for you hallowed veterans of guitar assembly

thedoctor Thanks for the wood screws size, that will be a big help.

frank falbo I like the idea of that bubble packing material. I've seen it before although I have yet to find it available for sale. I'm sure there is some internet site that carries it if I can find it locally though.

Thanks again folks, this info will be a big help. I will keep you updated with my progress as soon as the parts get here. Right now I am just picking up some of the necessary tools I need to complete this baby.

Pekollio

Edited May 8, 2005 by Pekollio

[VanKirk]

I picked up some of the adhesive backed foam from an automotive store.

It's used on the lip of truck beds before a canopy is put on so it's padded and leak proof. There's another product that looks to be the same for sealing door frames and screen doors.

You should be able to find that at a hardware store easily.

[n8rofwyo]

you may need to bore out the mounting holes in the pups to accomodate the wood screws, but I would think that if you took the pup with you to the hardware store you could just check screws against the hole till you find one just the right size. Good Luck, Hope it turns out.

[Devon Headen]

I use #6, but that's slightly big. A #4 might be better, but I'm not sure if it will thread into the baseplate.