Wood mounting my humbuckers -- please help!

[Aria]

Hi All:

I need some help. I know there is a thread on this topic, but it did not seem to have an answer to my particular issue (of if you know there is a thread on this, please point me to it).

I just got the parts for my new Warmoth build! It is a strat body, and I chose the wood mount Humbucker rout for the neck and the bridge position with a single coil in the middle (HSH configuration).

Now, when I lay the Humbuckers in both cavities, they sit way too high . . . since there are no deep plunge holes on either sides of the pickup, as with a regular rout.

My question, what do I do??? Do have to drill into the body so as to lower the humbucker? What size drill bit??? Please help . . .

Thanks!

Ash

 

[pabloman]

What pickups are you using? Probably some Gibsons or a nice vintage like reproduction I imagine. Those are some long legged suckers. I had this issue and I had to make some room for clearance. Forstner bit did the trick.

 

[Cagey]

Pablo's right. I think I used a 3/8" Forstner the last time I had to do it. They drill a flat-bottomed hole, which is what you need.

As for depth, you'll have to get a little engineering scale or a small ruler and measure how high your strings sit off the body, then the depth of your humbucker from the top of the pickup to the leg base, and subtract the string height from that. That'll tell you the nominal depth below the top surface of your body your clearance holes need to go. Add about 3/16" or so to that to get some clearance between your pickup and the strings, and you should be pretty close. You might even want to add 1/4" so you have room to adjust height with washers or springs or something.

 

[Jumble Jumble]

Depending on your confidence level, you could also replace the baseplates on the pickups with short-legged versions.

 

[Aria]

Thanks Jumble Jumble, Pabloman and Cagey!

Both options seem viable, I'd rather change the baseplates though . . .

I am using Seymour Duncun 59's . . .

Where can I buy the short base legs Jumble Jumble?

Ash

 

[Jumble Jumble]

First thing to try is to give Seymour Duncan a call. Hey might send you some.

Otherwise look on mojotone.com.