Vexing problem with single coil wood mounted pickups

ieruiz

Newbie
Messages
8
All,

I just installed Bareknuckle Mother's Milk pickups on my warmoth rear route body/guitar using guidance from this Warmoth video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UNKIoIomKs

So they're wood mounted.  But Instead of using foam, I installed springs to raise/lower the pickups to the right height.  The pickup cavities are shielded using copper tape. 

Before describing the problem, I'll add that I did exactly the same thing on another Warmoth body using Bareknuckle Old Guard single coil pickups.  No problems whatsoever.

That said, the Mother's Milk pickups turn themselves "on" or "off" depending on the angle that I tilt them. If I tilt them toward the bridge, they "turn off" - no sound at all.  If I tilt them toward the neck, they miraculously turn on again. 

The only thing I can think of is that somehow the springs and steel screws are creating some sort of "short circuit" situation. 

Interested in any theories anyone might have.  Of course, I could always install the foam instead of springs.  But I can't help but wonder why my other build works 100% using the same materials/approach.

Any help is appreciated.

Isaac
 
Sounds like they may be grounding out? When you're pushing them towards the bridge are they touching the walls of the pickup cavity? Vintage style strat pickups have some very fine exposed wires on the bridge facing side by the leads and they may be touching your shielding when you push them that way

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Bareknuckle pickups are well respected, but the name of those single coils maybe could be reworked.
 
stratamania said:
Mayfly said:
It's a British thing.

Its a reference to a Red Hot Chilli Peppers album. Meant to give an overall vibe of RHCP type Frusciante tones.
Maybe they could call them "under the strings near the bridge"
 
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