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Post subject: mounting neck pickups
Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 7:00 am
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Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2011 12:15 pm
Posts: 603
Before I dig into things it's best to ask. How is a neck pickup mounted to the body on an older 5 hole body? I want to put a 5 hole pick guard on a 8 hole body (the 5 mounting screws line up) but I would have to mount the pickup to the body instead of to the pick guard (so it's not adjustable from the top). Can this be done with the mounting screws and everything that I now have? I have a 5 hole pick guard that would look nice on a 8 hole guitar.
Thanks!


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Post subject: Re: mounting neck pickups
Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 1:19 pm
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Hobbyist
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Joined: Tue Feb 23, 2010 12:34 pm
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Location: Scotland
The pickup is screwed into the body below the scratch plate. You'll need new screws. Its not a problem removing the scratch plate to adjust the pickup height, only 5 screws on the guard.


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Post subject: Re: mounting neck pickups
Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 5:07 pm
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Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Mon Jul 09, 2007 10:59 am
Posts: 457
I've done this a few times because I prefer the cleaner look of a 5-hole guard with no pickup adjustment screws.

The screws you have now won't work. Take the pickup with you to a hardware store and buy two little wood screws about 3/8" long - I'm just guessing at that measurement. You'll want to measure how much room you have on the guitar first. Perhaps roll up some masking tape with the sticky side out and put the pickup on that to get an idea of screw length.

Put your old (8-hole) pickguard over the taped-down pickup and use a long needle or something to poke down through the holes in the pickguard and the holes in the pickup and mark the wood. That's where you'll drill.

Use the rubber tubing or get a couple of springs while your at the hardware store. Or, take apart a ball-point pen and use the spring in there - you can cut those little springs with a pair of scissors easily.

It's one of those mods that takes 15 minutes the first time you do it because you'll want to measure very carefully before you drill, but the next time you do it, it will take a minute and a half.

Don't worrry if you drill in the wrong place. If you do, dip a wooden toothpick in wood glue and fill the holes. Snap the toothpicks off and sand them flush (or not) and drill again.

Here's my MIM Nashville Telecaster body. This used to have a 8-hole pickguard with two pickups mounted to the pickguard. It looks a lot better this way, in my opinion:

Image

And this is a MIM Standard body with the same treatment (same neck, too). This is an 8-hole mint green pickguard from Stew-Mac but it doesn't have the neck puckup adjustment screws.

Image


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Post subject: Re: mounting neck pickups
Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 6:14 pm
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Aspiring Musician
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Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2011 12:15 pm
Posts: 603
Thanks to both of you for your help. George, those are very nice, clean guitars!


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