"Direct to wood" humbucker mount

[Jumble Jumble]

So I'm putting a bridge humbucker in a "wood mount" rout. The simplest way of doing this seems to be to drill out the leg holes to accept a woodscrew, and then screw the pickup to the wood with some foam as a spacer.

However, two things:

1. I really don't want to mod the pickup in such a way as to make it useless to 99% of potential second hand buyers

2. I'm doing this for purely aesthetic reasons, nothing to do with tone

So my plan is this:

I will get some 1.5mm aluminium sheet, and create a plate a little smaller than the pickup rout. I will put two holes in it where the legs are, and tap these holes for the 3-48 that standard humbucker screws use.

I will shorten two humbucker screws and turn out a little of the thread just under the heads of the screws.

I will put two larger holes in the aluminium plate in the middle, for screwing it into the wood. The holes will be larger than the woodscrews, and the screws will go through washers - this is to allow for adjustment in all directions.

I will drill holes where the legs are in the pickup rout, just large enough for the height screws to move around freely.

I will screw the plate down into the body so that I am just able to slide it around a little, and then attach the pickup to the plate, using foam and my modified standard humbucker screws.

I will string the E strings on the guitar, and slide the pickup to where it needs to be.

I will remove the pickup again, without moving the plate, and tighten the plate down fully to the body.

I will reattach the pickup to the plate and adjust the height to the correct level.

How does that sound?

 

[AutoBat]

sounds like you've made a simple job complex.  get wood screws the same diameter as the adjustment screws it came with, shim with foam (or mousepad) to height.

 

[Cagey]

Sounds like you're going around your thumb to get to your elbow.

You can buy pickup base plates...

... for ~$9 from StewMac. If you decide you need the $20 a used pickup will bring, you can always rebuild it and you'll come out $11 ahead, not counting your labor.

In the meantime, put some threaded inserts in the body and use the machine screws the pickup comes with to mount it to those, after you've shortened them appropriately.

Either that, or buy a pickup mounting ring and mount the thing the way it was designed to be mounted, rather than leave a gaping unfinished hole exposed. It's a lot easier and looks a lot better.

 

[Jumble Jumble]

put some threaded inserts in the body

Just because it's quick to type doesn't mean it's easy to do! I'd need to buy a drill press, and if I get the hole in the wrong place, I have to fill it and re-drill.

Getting wood screws in the right diameter would obviously be beset solution, but as far as I can tell they don't exist - the diameter is just too small.

When I've said I'm doing it for aesthetic reasons it's pretty obvious that telling me mounting rings look better isn't going to work!

What I get so far is, it's not how you guys would do it. Not really what I was asking but OK, noted.

Also I wish I knew whe I could get a used SD humbucker for $20, I'd grab one in a heartbeat.

 

[Cagey]

Unless you're looking to do this immediately, give it some time. Somebody may have a better idea. Lotta talent on this board.

 

[Jumble Jumble]

Thanks, good point. Not in a rush and before I did it I'd prototype the hell out of it on scrap wood.

Basically all my experience up to now with modding guitars has been in the field of electronics and the occasional adding a hole to a pickguard. In other words, nothing that's hard or missile to undo. I like the idea of avoiding doing irreversible things to the wood.

My idea takes a while to explain but I think it's quite a simple job and it's unlikely to screw up the body. One thing I'm not sure about though, is how bendy is 1.5mm aluminium? Could I stand to go to 1.2 or 1.0, I wonder?

Incidentally, next guitar I do with hums will definitely use either rings or a pickguard to mount them. It just doesn't fit with the overall aesthetic theme of this guitar. It's not meant to look beautiful!

 

[Cagey]

All metal is "bendy". The degree of difficulty involved with getting it to succumb to your will depends largely on your tools. If you're concerned about it being too light for the task, it probably is or you wouldn't question it. Your intuition is talking to you.

 

[Jumble Jumble]

If I had some in my hand I could tell instantly. Given that it costs pennies, I should probably just get some and see huh.

 

[Cagey]

Anybody who sells the stuff has almost certainly got some scrap laying around. I'm sure they'd let you play with that, and for as little as you'd need you might walk out with what you want/need for nothing. But, I'd throw the guy a couple bucks for a beer after work. It's a friendly gesture that's worth more than money.

 

[jackthehack]

Warmoth used to sell those screws, but apparently doesn't anymore; let me check when I get home, I think I've got some leftovers...

 

[ezas]

Since you a planning another/other guitars I highly recommend a drill press, it is well worth the cost. I spent $100US for a 10" Ryobi table top model and I don't regret the price at all. I'm cheap when it comes to tools but this is one case where it was totally worth it. I used it for all sorts of tasks, not just drilling holes in the body/neck. Need a quick hole in something? BOOM, it's done, faster than I can get my hand drill out and plug it in.

One thing to note, from what I read if you want to do string ferrules you need a 12" drill press, which is only a little more money.

I also think inserts are the way to go. Clean, simple, sexy and oozes hand-made guitar, which to me is one of the main attractions of parts guitars. Little touches you don't find on off-the-shelf guitars.

 

[pabloman]

I've always used pickup ring mounting screws, the long ones. Its always worked perfect and doesn't tear up the threaded hole. I have a few if you need them let me  know.

 

[fdesalvo]

I also think inserts are the way to go. Clean, simple, sexy and oozes hand-made guitar, which to me is one of the main attractions of parts guitars. Little touches you don't find on off-the-shelf guitars.

:headbang:

 

[Jumble Jumble]

I've always used pickup ring mounting screws, the long ones. Its always worked perfect and doesn't tear up the threaded hole. I have a few if you need them let me  know.

Not sure what you mean - you screwed those bolts straight into the wood?

Interesting about the drill press. I will look into that. I have to admit that I really love the idea of the inserts, it's clearly the "right" way to do it.

 

[Jumble Jumble]

About the press - will I definitely be able to get the bit to the bridge pickup rout? And how does one make sure the body is level?

 

[pabloman]

The wood screw that is used to mount the ring on the top of the guitar.


With the drill press you make sure your drill press table is level.

 

[Jumble Jumble]

I'm gonna try some of those wood screws, thanks!

Can't find any 3-48 inserts ANYWHERE.

 

[Cagey]

That's an unusual thread. McMaster-Carr has some 2-56 and 4-40 inserts, but no 3-48s.

 

[Jumble Jumble]

Duh. I don't need the inserts to match the thread on standard humbucker screws do I?  :doh: I just need some that will accept a screw that comfortably fits through the hole on the leg.

 

[ezas]

About the press - will I definitely be able to get the bit to the bridge pickup rout? And how does one make sure the body is level?

You need a 12" drill press to be able to drill in the bridge area.

Using my 7/8ths strat shape and my Ibanez AM73B a 10" drill press will let you do the inserts for the HB's.

The table on a drill press tilts so that you can get it square to the drill bit. I went to the extra step of making sure the drill press itself was level. This allows me to use a level to help with setup work and make sure that things are dead square like in the pictures below from when I did my my neck inserts. In the picture with the bubble level its the angle of the camera that makes the bubble look a little off. It's actually dead in the middle.