Lace Sensor Dually mounting rings

[AirCap]

Does anyone know where I can get a couple sets of those chrome pickup rings for Lace Sensor Duallys? They are more than a little floppy in a normal plastic ring. These chrome ones I've seen are metal, and have the perfect cut-to-fit shape I want.

 

[bagman67]

The ring that goes with the T-Plus Dually looks like something you'd have to contact Lace directly for.  A quick cruise through the usual parts outlets have yielded no love.

However, the metal humbucker rings Warmoth and many others offer are quite rigid and may do the trick if you can live without the perfect fit that the Lace part gives.  http://www.warmoth.com/Metal-Humbucker-Mounting-Ring-Chrome-P847C71.aspx

 

[AirCap]

Thanks, but I want to avoid the gaps between the Duallys and normal rings.

 

[bagman67]

Sending an inquiring email to info@lacemusic.com would seem to be your next stop.  Either that, or see what Dangerous Doug can do for you.

 

[AirCap]

Thanks.... Shot them an email. Now, I wait....

Lace replied to my email.... those metal rings only only fit their OLD Duallys without the plate on the bottom of the unit. And they want stoopid money for one of them....

Do we know anyone with a 3D printer who would be willing to print off plastic pickup rings that fit Lace Duallys correctly? I would think there would be a market for that. I know I'm not the only one who dislikes the gaps on either side when a Lace unit is installed in normal pickup rings.

Same with Bill Lawrence humbuckers..... There's a gap. And, yes - I know Lawrence sells pickups with their own pickup ring, but the outer dimensions and mounting holes of those rings are slightly smaller than normal pickup rings. So you either put your Lawrence unit in the stock ring (made by someone else) and live with the gaps, or use the Lawrence ring with no gaps around the pickups, but now you have to redrill for the mounting screws, and there is a tiny gap around the ring depending on how large the pickup pocket was routed by the manufacturer. It's maddening.

 

[Cagey]

They may have changed their pickup rings since the last time you used them. When I put this one together...

...I got their black form-fitting rings with the pickups, but Becky said she'd send me some cream ones. While I was waiting for those, I compared the mounting holes of the black rings to the gold plated brass rings you see in the picture and they lined up. So, I was able to mount/wire the pickups without what I thought were gonna be the rings I'd be using.

As it worked out, the cream rings didn't look as good, even though they fit the pickup's outer dimensions closer, so I just left the gold on there.

Meanwhile...

It was suggested some of us might be interested in this Chinese supplier (Banggood) of various piece/parts for guitars. Looking around their site, I found plenty of other interesting things, not the least of which was 3D printer kits. Really? A kit?

It's a tabletop unit with limited capacity - it can only print objects that'll fit in a 220mm x 220mm x 230mm (roughly an 8" x 8" x 8" cube), but a lotta interesting things could come out of that space, especially if you were making parts that could be assembled into something else.

You have to build the thing, probably with little or no support, but if you're the type who's into that sort of thing, it doesn't look terribly complicated. Plus, the compensation for your work is high - the kit only costs $179.99 w/ free shipping. If you're interested, you can get more detail on it here.

As a side note - another way to look at that is it's a really a mini 3 axis gantry robot. You could mount a laser or a small motor or other end effector and do other stuff with it. Need to know a bit of programming, but if that's something you can do - how much fun could you have with that? Although, if you've got in mind an application for a small gantry robot - look around that site. Lotta interesting stuff there at remarkably low prices.

Edit: I wondered what assembled plug'n'play 3D printers where going for these days, and it turns out the price has come down on them dramatically. They're not thousands of dollars like I thought - more like hundreds. But, check it out - Walmart is selling the unit above for $158, free shipping.

 

[AirCap]

I want to avoid the gaps visible on your fine axe. Turns out my nephew got a 3D printer for his birthday, so I'll let you know what happens.

 

[Cagey]

Yeah, I don't like the gaps, either. Looks amateurish. But, I also didn't like the cream rings that fit, so there was no making me happy. At least the gold matches the rest of the hardware.

 

[ghotiphry]

Talk with Doug?

I might also suggest Dave at Frets on the Net:  http://www.fretsonthenet.com/Pickups_Info_Parts/pickup%20rings.htm  He does custom rings.

 

[Re-Pete]

Talk with Doug?

I might also suggest Dave at Frets on the Net:  http://www.fretsonthenet.com/Pickups_Info_Parts/pickup%20rings.htm  He does custom rings.

Years ago I had Doug make a polished steel pair of pickup rings to accommodate a mini humbucker surrounding a full size humbucker route. Only stupid thing about that was I accidentally said I'd pay him $100 for a pair if he could make them - I was THAT exasperated trying to find something similar. He said yes, of course, to a job that probably cost him $10. + postage.  :doh:

Those rings are on the guitar in my Profile pic.... Poor lighting on a phone cam but you get the idea. It covers up the full size humbucker rout but snugly fits a mini humbucker.

 

[Cagey]

Maybe $10 in material, but that's always the cheap part. The time involved with coming up with a design, even if it's just replicating something that already exists, has to be considered. Then, there's the programming of the CNC, then running the parts, which doesn't happen instantaneously and has to be monitored. Even assuming nothing goes wrong, it's not a trivial task and it eats up hours, which is what you're paying for with custom parts: time. The material is nothing - what you're buying is an evening away from his dog/kids/wife/girlfriend/pornograph/motorcycle/guitar/whatever, plus the expertise and equipment investment to even do it in the first place.

Plus, if you volunteered to pay $100, what's he supposed to do? First rule of negotiating: First one to name a number loses  :laughing7:

He's done a lotta work for me, it's always been first-rate, and he's always been more than fair on pricing. He's even gone so far as to cover my ass when it was me  who screwed the pooch. I'd recommend him to anyone.

 

[Re-Pete]

Plus, if you volunteered to pay $100, what's he supposed to do? First rule of negotiating: First one to name a number loses  :laughing7:

That was my point exactly. Exasperated at not being able to find an adaption mounting ring I basically emailed Doug and said to him if he could somehow do that I'd pay.... yep , I should've asked how much...

I can remember the situation I was in. The mini hums are a favourite of mine, but they didn't sound right in the Jazzmonster as it was all maple with an ebony board, and the sound was too brittle. So the JM project had stalled, and I then bought the Koa/Ebony neck off the Showcase & started a 3rd project! Got the body built in one piece Mahogany and the quilt top Maple & thought the Mahogany & Koa combination would be more fitting to the mini hums. I originally thought I could try EMGs in the new project and that the mini hums would be shelved but the EMGs were too , er, EMG & I wanted to try the mini hums.

But no one - NO ONE! - made an adaptor mounting ring, plus I wanted chrome to match the rest of the hardware. Doug could at least compromise with the polished steel & I drafted up the two parameters of the ring I needed (the outside dimensions & the inner, pickup dimensions) and a while later Doug sent me the PayPal invoice and off it went.

 

[BigSteve22]

I don't know, but I'm thinking 2 custom cut and polished parts for $100, ain't a bad deal at all! For all he reasons Kevin cited, plus the fact that you got what was totally unavailable anywhere else, built to your specs. Not to mention the fact that they look totally KILLER on your guitar!  :icon_thumright:

 

[Hendrix]

Maybe $10 in material, but that's always the cheap part. The time involved with coming up with a design, even if it's just replicating something that already exists, has to be considered. Then, there's the programming of the CNC, then running the parts, which doesn't happen instantaneously and has to be monitored. Even assuming nothing goes wrong, it's not a trivial task and it eats up hours, which is what you're paying for with custom parts: time. The material is nothing - what you're buying is an evening away from his dog/kids/wife/girlfriend/pornograph/motorcycle/guitar/whatever, plus the expertise and equipment investment to even do it in the first place.

Plus, if you volunteered to pay $100, what's he supposed to do? First rule of negotiating: First one to name a number loses  :laughing7:

He's done a lotta work for me, it's always been first-rate, and he's always been more than fair on pricing. He's even gone so far as to cover my ass when it was me  who screwed the pooch. I'd recommend him to anyone.

yes , the most frustration thing designer / engineer etc facing , is most people don't think their time ( or call process ）( other backup like life style / discipline/life time learning etc) cost anything . only see the material cost .

National  designer average
$50 - $200(per hour, small project)


I will charge more than 100 if a company client ask me do that .

 

[rgand]

I think $100 is a bargain for the pair. When I was running a fab shop, I wouldn't have been able to make them for that amount.