pickup mounting height

[dmraco]

I am currently build a guitar for a customer, USACG Wolfpack with a Warmoth neck.  The customer wants the pickups solid wood mounted.

I purchased a Duncan JB for the bridge and Duncan 59 for the neck.  When installing the pick up the Bridge was fine.  However the neck pickup's mounting brackets are much longer and cause the pickup to be higher than the fretboard!  Is this normal?  Did I make a error with the neck pickup I ordered??

 

[Fat Pete]

The standard version of the 59 has 'vintage correct' long legs, which are a nuisance if you're not putting them in an LP. They can be had with short legs.

 

[AirCap]

Or you can rout the recesses a little deeper....

 

[dmraco]

Or you can rout the recesses a little deeper....

I know....rather not do that and mess with the finish.

 

[TBurst Std]

What finish in the pickup routes would we be concerned with?  :icon_scratch:

 

[rgand]

I asked Kevin about this one time and he suggested using Frisket Film to protect the finish. I now put it on any time I work on one especially if it has a finish. I even use it on unfinished bodies to avoid having to sand out a bunch of minor scratches.

 

[TBurst Std]

Doh
I understand now. The finish where the base would ride.  As you can tell, I don’t often use a router beast.

 

[dmraco]

just the idea of taking a router or chisel to a finish guitar makes me nervous.

 

[AirCap]

just the idea of taking a router or chisel to a finish guitar makes me nervous.

And yet it is done every day by competent and experienced repair guys like me, with no ill effects.

 

[dmraco]

just the idea of taking a router or chisel to a finish guitar makes me nervous.

And yet it is done every day by competent and experienced repair guys like me, with no ill effects.

I agree.  I had yielded the router more times than I care to mention.  However this guitar is currently FULLY assembled with a EverTune bridge that I would rather not remove.  Routing that was an experience in itself.

Fat Pete is correct.....the '59 I ordered is only available in VINTAGE specs, with .5 inch legs.  I talked to the customer on removing material or swapping pickups.  He choose to swap pickups.  We ended up on the Duncan Jazz Neck.  Problem solved.