Mounting Single Coil Pickups in New Top Rout Body

[joe1871]

Hi,

I just built a new All Warmoth Strat.  I am having a problem with understanding how to mount the Lindy Fralin pickups I purchased in the top rout body.  I realize I need wood screws, and that I need some type of springs, but the stock Fender cone shaped springs are no where near big enough to get the pickups high enough to sit where they need to be.  Do I need to use something like the humbucker mounting springs on longer screws?  What have you done in this case, if you have encountered this issue?  I would really appreciate the heads up.

Thanks

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

If you're using a pickguard, then the provided screws and springs are sufficient.

On a rear routed body, then the longer Humbucker Mounting Ring Screws and some foam in place of the springs is the standard.
Pre-drill the holes though.

 

[MikeW]

TFS is right, for a top-routed body the pickups will be mounted in the pickguard. Then the pickguard is mounted to the body.

If you're not planning to use a pickguard then there are two ways to do this. 1) Threaded inserts  2) Anchors (You may know these as Mollies.)

On my rear-routed Strat, I chose conical anchors, drilled holes at the bottom of the pickup cavity where the screw holes in the pickup plate were located, glued the mollies in place, placed a spacer between the molly and the pickup plate, and then ran the screws that came with the pickups through the existing holes in the plates through the spacers and into the mollies. Holds the pickups in place and still allows for up and down adjustment of the pickup. Worked like a charm, really.

You can get anchors and spacers all over the place, Home Depot/Lowe's included. Here's a selection from McMaster-Carr for example: http://www.mcmaster.com/?orderview=new#standard-anchors/=sco9kx

And some spacers: http://www.mcmaster.com/?orderview=new#unthreaded-spacers/=scobmd

Really though, if you've got a top-routed body, you want to mount the pickups in the pickguard. It's really the best way to go.