Mounting Fender Pickups

[DesmoDog]

I bought some Fender Fat 50s pickups for my Strat build. I tried to mount them tonight and found that the holes in the base of the pickups are much smaller than the supplied screws. There is no way the screws will go in to them. So I grabbed a spare set of pickup mounting screws I have and they were exactly like the screws provided with the Fender pups.

I guess I simply assumed that the holes would be threaded to fit the screws, but I just checked some el cheapo $16 GFS pickups I have, (plastic base vs the non-plastic base of the Fenders) and they don't have threaded holes either, though at least the holes look big enough that the screws could still be threaded in and able cut their own as they go.


My question - is it normal to have to enlarge the hole in the pickups to get the screws to fit? The screws do not come to a sharp point - there is no way they're going to thread into the holes that are there  (and yes, I did clean out all the beeswax stuff that was plugging some of them)

I'm perfectly capable of drilling the correct size holes, I'm just rather surprised a set of $150 pickups would need that done to them...

 

[NLD09]

I say try screwing them in even though the holes look too small. They looked too small on all the fender/fender style pickups i've played, but when I screw them in it works just fine.

 

[DesmoDog]

I've done that, there's no way the screws will go in without modding the holes. Flat ended screws that are too big for the holes will never bite. If they were pointy screws than maybe it'd work.

I've done more surfing on the 'net though and it seems this has been talked about before. I'll just make the holes a touch bigger until they work.

 

[DesmoDog]

Crisis averted. I ran a #34 bit through the hole and the screw JUST fit, but distorted the base a little. I ran a 33 through another hole and the screw went in tight but didn't distort the base... so there ya go. If you have a Fender Custom Shop pickup and the screws seem too big for the holes, just run a #33 drill bit through there and you'll be good to go.

I don't think forcing them through the stock holes would be good - there isn't much material around the outside edge, I'd be afraid of tearing the material and then having to deal with that.

It really wasn't rocket science to make it work, but for a newbie and a not cheap pickup I just had to wonder if I was doing something wrong!

 

[ShannonH]

The reason for the tiny holes is to accommodate body mounting. It's unusual for Strat pickups though. A 6-32 tap will expand the hole properly without cobbing the flatwork. You found a soution, but for future reference...

Peace