Pickup mounting?

rapfohl09

Hero Member
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Hey everyone, I was just wondering how you guys drilled your pickup ring holes, any tricks to make sure they are straight? Also I was thinking about just mounting it to the wood, can I do that even if I dont have the to wood mounting rout? (just the regular humbucker)
 
What I did was put the pickups in the rings and then put it in the route. I put the two E strings on and lined the pickups up with them while also trying to keep the rings straight with the fret board and each other (parallel). I then pressed a drill bit though each hole so it would make a little dent in the paint. I then drilled a hole for each screw on each dent. I used a drill bit that was a tiny bit smaller than the screw. If the wood is really hard it might be better to use a bit that's the same size, but I was worried about the holes getting stripped over time. I made a mark on the bit so I wouldn't go too deep. I left it so there'd be a little bit of wood for it to screw into. Worked out well for me
 
Did the body already have a finish when you drilled the holes? My dad is helping me out with the project and he seems to think the finish could easily crack during the drilling process.
 
Yes - it was my Warmoth finished LP gold top. I drilled all the holes with a battery powered hand drill and had no chipping or cracking at all. I just went very slowly - squeezed the trigger lightly.


I then pressed a drill bit though each hole so it would make a little dent in the paint. I then drilled a hole for each screw on each dent.

 
Well that's a relief. Are there any other precautions I should know about? I read somewhere to put masking tape over the spot being drilled? Thanks for all the info.
 
Sure masking tape can be a good precaution.

I found that the finish is not brittle though so as long as you go slow I don't think you'll have a problem with cracking or chipping.
 
What type of drill bit is best to use? A regular wood drill bit or something different?
 
This is something I will be doing very soon, so I'm glad for the thread.

I was planning on using an awl to mark the pilot holes, but everything else seems like good advice.

One thing I will do that Dan Erlewine seems to preach is the spin the drill backwards first.  That will center it on the mark I make with the awl.
 
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