Direct mounting pups n stuffs

[Fartcaster…Undercover]

Hello, I’m new here so let me begin by saying, welcome to Costco, I love you.

Been mulling over the idea of getting an S body for a little. Feeling the impulse to have direct mount HSS. But now that I read though some posts here. I sure do wonder if it’ll be hard to pull off well.

Has anyone here done it before and have an approach that is very refined / reliable for them?

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

With direct mount, I presume it’ll be rear routed and therefore no pickguard, correct?

 

[Fartcaster…Undercover]

With direct mount, I presume it’ll be rear routed and therefore no pickguard, correct?

This is correct, Mr. Squirrel.

 

[Tretgeraet]

I sure do wonder if it’ll be hard to pull off well.

Define hard.

I don't think it's hard:
1. Put some tape in the pu-cavities where the holes are gonna be.
2. Put the PU in the cavity, a few old playing cards can help to center it in the cavity
3. Take a sharp pencil and mark the position of the mounting holes on the tape
4. Take the PU out
5. Drill the holes
6. Put some foam in the cavity/under the PU
7. Screw the PU in.

Important:
Get the right screws! Fender Bass PU-Screws are too long! And don't screw...
...too deep!
...too shallow!
...too big a diameter!
...too small a diameter!

Fender Telecaster Neck Pickup Screws worked for me with 4 different pickups.

 

[Edison Chase]

I used the FU Tone pickup mounting system on my last Warmoth build.

Worked out great !

 

[Fartcaster…Undercover]

Define hard.

I don't think it's hard:
1. Put some tape in the pu-cavities where the holes are gonna be.
2. Put the PU in the cavity, a few old playing cards can help to center it in the cavity
3. Take a sharp pencil and mark the position of the mounting holes on the tape
4. Take the PU out
5. Drill the holes
6. Put some foam in the cavity/under the PU
7. Screw the PU in.

Important:
Get the right screws! Fender Bass PU-Screws are too long! And don't screw...
...too deep!
...too shallow!
...too big a diameter!
...too small a diameter!

Fender Telecaster Neck Pickup Screws worked for me with 4 different pickups.

Great question - made me really consider what my worries are.

Also, thank you for the enumerated steps - they look simple enough.

I’d classify a process as hard if an individual without a prior experience at this particular task would have a 50% or greater chance of making an error that increases time on task by 100% (probably by requiring repairs before a second attempt is made)

 

[Fartcaster…Undercover]

I used the FU Tone pickup mounting system on my last Warmoth build.

Worked out great !

Neat. The threaded rod in center is for pickup height adjustment?

Any chance you know if it works for single coils too?

 

[rockandroller]

FUtone PMS is Nice but fairly pricey!
I think there is a similar but much more economical system using just a standard pickup base plate mounted upside down...

 

[Fartcaster…Undercover]

FUtone PMS is Nice but fairly pricey!
I think there is a similar but much more economical system using just a standard pickup base plate mounted upside down...

thank you. I like that solution even more!

 

[Fartcaster…Undercover]

Of course I go and watch this vid and now Keven’s got me reconsidering the whole shebang.

 

[Tretgeraet]

Of course I go and watch this vid and now Keven’s got me reconsidering the whole shebang.

I find it absolutely unrealistic for the pickguard to be mainly responsible.

I mean come on, these are different PUs (black ones are all slanted, white ones are all straight!), it's unclear if the height of the PUs is the same, or if it's the same string gauge or even if those were fresh strings in the "direct mount" samples, or if the pots and tone cap are the same... But seriously: "[...] the pickguard matters a whole lot more!". Seriously?

Sounds a little like: "Ok, I used different guitars and different amps and I miked them differently and I also played different stuff, but the biggest audible difference made that soap I used to wash my hands with...".

I mean, maybe there would be an audible difference under "lab conditions", but this? I don't think so.

 

[Hodgo]

I find it absolutely unrealistic for the pickguard to be mainly responsible.

I mean come on, these are different PUs (black ones are all slanted, white ones are all straight!), it's unclear if the height of the PUs is the same, or if it's the same string gauge or even if those were fresh strings in the "direct mount" samples, or if the pots and tone cap are the same... But seriously: "[...] the pickguard matters a whole lot more!". Seriously?

Sounds a little like: "Ok, I used different guitars and different amps and I miked them differently and I also played different stuff, but the biggest audible difference made that soap I used to wash my hands with...".

I mean, maybe there would be an audible difference under "lab conditions", but this? I don't think so.

I think it’s entirely aesthetic, and I think that’s true of most components on a guitar that aren’t electronics, and I think that gets more true the more gain you pile on. And most importantly, almost none of this matters in a live mix.

 

[Mincer]

FUtone PMS is Nice but fairly pricey!
I think there is a similar but much more economical system using just a standard pickup base plate mounted upside down...

It is a ridiculous price for 2 brass bars. I did mine with a few brass inserts and machine screws that came with the pickups. Total cost: 30cents. I don't know if it sounds better than rings, but it certainly looks better to me. But there really needs to be a better mounting system for pickups rather than rings and screws.

 

[Fartcaster…Undercover]

It is a ridiculous price for 2 brass bars. I did mine with a few brass inserts and machine screws that came with the pickups. Total cost: 30cents. I don't know if it sounds better than rings, but it certainly looks better to me. But there really needs to be a better mounting system for pickups rather than rings and screws.

did you use springs for height ?

 

[Mincer]

did you use springs for height ?

Yup, and a small piece of foam (from the pickup packaging) to keep the pickup level. But it shouldn't be this involved to direct mount pickups.

 

[ThisIsHuhWow404]

That FU Tone thing is for a standard rout that requires a ring. If your body is routed for the "Humbucker (Direct Mount)" that Warmoth offers, it won’t help.

I made a thread about this topic a little while ago. I’m still trying to figure this out myself, but I’ll tell you everything I discovered.

Your options are either to use wood screws to screw the pickup directly into the wood, or install brass threaded inserts into the cavity. The threaded inserts have the pro that they’re not going to strip as easily as wood if you keep adjusting the height of the pickups.

Usually, wood screws for going directly into the wood are sold on music instrument websites as something like "Telecaster Neck Mounting Screws" but they’re just standard "#3-48" wood screws. These are the same diameter as the screws most humbuckers use for height adjustment in a ring or Pickguard, but for some reason all of the info online suggests you need to use a drill to expand the holes in the pickups feet for it to work properly.

Bottom line is that if you want to direct mount a Humbucker, most of the time you’re going to need to use a drill to expand the holes in the pickup feet.

The size of screws that Strat pickups use is #6-32. Wood screws and threaded inserts in this size are a plenty.

As for what I did, I ultimately decided on threaded inserts for Humbuckers and direct into the wood for the Strat pickups. Threaded inserts in the metric size "M3" are a plenty, only a dog hair bigger in diameter than the imperial #3 screws are, so the pain and difficulty of drilling a bigger hole in the foot is minimal.

It’s also suggested you coat the outside of either a wood screw or a threaded insert with something called "Locite Blue 242" before it goes into the wood.

 

[Tretgeraet]

"Telecaster Neck Mounting Screws" but they’re just standard "#3-48" wood screws

This is wrong. These are the screws that Fender sells:
https://www.fender.com/products/pur...pickup-mounting-screws?variant=45940704084190

EDIT:
I'm not sure if the link works, it didn't when I tried, but the product name is:

Pure Vintage Jazzmaster®/Telecaster® Pickup Mounting Screws
Model #: 0016295049

On modern Telecasters the neck pickup is mounted in the pickguard, like on a strat. But this was not always the case!

On old Telecasters the neck pickup was mounted directly to the wood with the kind of screws I linked and you had to remove the pickguard to adjust the height.

These screws also work well for wood mount humbuckers (or strat single coils) and on every humbucker I tried, there was no need to drill out the holes in their feet.

 

[supertruper1988]

He has the #3 part but wood screws arent sold with a thread count. even the Fender listing says its #3x1" long screw.

Also in my experience, the #3 wood screws through a humbucker that is tapped for the standard #3-48 threads wont be ruined if you just zip them in with a drill.

What I do now is use brass threaded inserts. I give some details in this reply when this was asked before:

Post in thread 'threaded inserts'

Mar 7, 2024

Yeah I have done it. Works like a charm.

I used these inserts (https://www.mcmaster.com/94615A111/) for humbuckers with these screws (https://www.mcmaster.com/90272A084/) no need to drill the mounting holes on the pickups.

For single coils I used these inserts (https://www.mcmaster.com/94615A211/) and these screws (https://www.mcmaster.com/90272A114/) I wanted the larger head to make sure it wouldnt slip through the holes in the covers.

I also use varying thicknesses of neoprene weather striping instead of springs or rubber tubing.

• supertruper1988

• 

I used these inserts (https://www.mcmaster.com/94615A111/) for humbuckers with these screws (https://www.mcmaster.com/90272A084/) no need to drill the mounting holes on the pickups.

For single coils I used these inserts (https://www.mcmaster.com/94615A211/) and these screws (https://www.mcmaster.com/90272A114/) I wanted the larger head to make sure it wouldnt slip through the holes in the covers.

I also use varying thicknesses of neoprene weather striping instead of springs or rubber tubing.

 

[Mincer]

I used smaller machine screws into inserts drilled and super glued into the wood. No drilling of the pickup feet. But really, there still should be an easier way than this.

 

[supertruper1988]

I used smaller machine screws into inserts drilled and super glued into the wood. No drilling of the pickup feet. But really, there still should be an easier way than this.

Easier how? Easiest is to slap them in a ring and call it a day direct mounting has always been harder and the machine inserts are the best way to preserve the pickup for future reuse. If you dont care about that then the easiest is to use wood screws.