Pickguard with covered humbucker option

[leftygeetar]

Even if you chose the covered pickguard option(the one with squared corners) for a custom Warmoth pickguard will the pickup still seem like a super tight fit? Too tight?

This is what I chose and my cheap covered humbucker (which I am returning for other reasons) did not seem to fit but I didnt force it either.
UPDATE: My single coil sized blade humbuck also doesn't fit.

 

[Rick]

Nope ... always perfect. Anyway, it's not real till there pictures.

 

[stratamania]

Perhaps your cheap humbuckers were not to standard type sizes. Also, some pickups regardless of cost can vary in size and an SD trembucker is different again for example, which is why there is an option for that.

 

[leftygeetar]

Perhaps your cheap humbuckers were not to standard type sizes. Also, some pickups regardless of cost can vary in size and an SD trembucker is different again for example, which is why there is an option for that.

Who knows about the sizes of cheap humbuckers. Perhaps I can file down the pickguard.

 

[stratamania]

Who knows about the sizes of cheap humbuckers. Perhaps I can file down the pickguard.

That is certainly an option. Check the holes line up first, though.

 

[leftygeetar]

That is certainly an option. Check the holes line up first, though.

Okay. Thanks.

 

[leftygeetar]

I just went to Guitar Center. The tech guy there recommened Dimarzio as the best bet to fit.
The musiclily & artec pickups I have do no fit. He also said filing might fray the plastic and look sloppy.
So many details to learn.

 

[Rick]

Dimarzios are OK, but there a ton of options. If dimarzios fit so will Duncan's, Lawrence, lindys, and my urgent fave rail hammer. What kind of music do you play? Also ... where do live, we could probably hook you up with a non guitar center tech.

 

[stratamania]

He also said filing might fray the plastic and look sloppy.

That would depend on the file used. A fine diamond file would do the job, but you might not have one and a coarser file could lead to what is described.

@Rick Lawrence / Wilde pickup humbuckers are dimensionally different and would probably have a gap in a standard humbucker pickguard.

 

[leftygeetar]

Dimarzios are OK, but there a ton of options. If dimarzios fit so will Duncan's, Lawrence, lindys, and my urgent fave rail hammer. What kind of music do you play? Also ... where do live, we could probably hook you up with a non guitar center tech.

I play classic rock, pop, 80s new wave stuff...the best pickups I have heard for soloing were burst buckers on a Flying V but no idea how they sound for chordy stuff....I just learned today about F(fender) spacing for traditional humbuckers.

 

[Rick]

the tone quest is a long journey ... but if you like burst buckers, then burst buckers? And remember a whole bunch of things, like how your amp interacts with the pups, the amp itself, any pedals, the strings, the room etc affects the sound.

You are going to get a whole bunch of recommendations for something strummy / chordy.

For this sort of thing, I like something on the hot side but not super hot, so to kick off the fun here are two recommendations:

1) a duncan distortion with a jazz in the neck,
2) rail hammer anvil and chisel

I find these good for everything, from surf, to country to americana to folk to classic rock (and 50 and 60s stuff like Bo Diddley at his most ruckus)

My experience is that the f spacing is good if you have OCD, like me, but I've experimented and the magnetic field of the humbucker can reach pretty far, so I don't worry about the f spacing etc, just make sure the strings line up in a nice pattern over the pups, and you're good to go.

Seriously, you need a tech who doesn't work at guitar center, at least the option.

 

[electric__steve]

I just went to Guitar Center. The tech guy there recommened Dimarzio as the best bet to fit.
The musiclily & artec pickups I have do no fit. He also said filing might fray the plastic and look sloppy.
So many details to learn.

That tech guy is a dumbass. You can easily sand/file the pickguard. It's just plastic. Or use a razor blade as a scraper. This is absolutely not a problem at all.

 

[leftygeetar]

the tone quest is a long journey ... but if you like burst buckers, then burst buckers? And remember a whole bunch of things, like how your amp interacts with the pups, the amp itself, any pedals, the strings, the room etc affects the sound.

You are going to get a whole bunch of recommendations for something strummy / chordy.

For this sort of thing, I like something on the hot side but not super hot, so to kick off the fun here are two recommendations:

1) a duncan distortion with a jazz in the neck,
2) rail hammer anvil and chisel

I find these good for everything, from surf, to country to americana to folk to classic rock (and 50 and 60s stuff like Bo Diddley at his most ruckus)

My experience is that the f spacing is good if you have OCD, like me, but I've experimented and the magnetic field of the humbucker can reach pretty far, so I don't worry about the f spacing etc, just make sure the strings line up in a nice pattern over the pups, and you're good to go.

Seriously, you need a tech who doesn't work at guitar center, at least the option.

Thanks for the recommendations. I went to GuitarCenter really to see what pickups they had that might fit but ended up getting into an extended conversation witht he tech. I at least want to do the solderling and learn how to do that. I can contact Warmoth and ask for some pickup ideas.

 

[leftygeetar]

That tech guy is a dumbass. You can easily sand/file the pickguard. It's just plastic. Or use a razor blade as a scraper. This is absolutely not a problem at all.

Yer right, it is just plastic.