Hard mounting a pickup

[metalchurch79]

Here's my question:
What method have you guys used for the height adjustment on your hard mounted pickups?

Does anyone have a good idea besides the usual foam under the pickup thing?

Here's the method that I usually use:
First, I fill the holes on either side of the pickup cavity with wood, so it's level, and my screws have something to grab onto.

Then, I take an 8.5 X 11 X 1/8" thick sheet of foam and cut it into strips that are 1 inch wide by 2 inches long. (That way they will fit under the humbucker and wont be seen) The foam can be found in Craft and Hobby stores.
I then use double sided tape to stick a few pieces together. Then I have to put the humbucker in and see if it needs more or less pieces.
I usually make it a little higher than I need because the screws that hard mount the pickup usually squash the foam down a little bit.
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I've thought about using the fat springs usually found under single coil pickups that are hard mounted, but I dont know what I could do to stabilize the humbucker from flopping forward and backward in the cavity.

Basically, I need ideas on the height adjustment, not the actual hard mounting itself.
What methods have you guys used?
Thanks for any help and ideas that you have on this subject.

-Joe

[Cleveland Metal]

Simply, I've used rubber surgical tubing on the screws, works "ok". Pickup is obviously not as stable as your method.

[metalchurch79]

Thanks for the props on my design.
I was hoping to find another method, cause this hard mounting them were and are a popular mod, and I figured that someone would have a really cool way of mounting them.
I honestly didn't think my idea was all that great really, but it did work good, just time consuming...

Thanks for the idea about those tubes. I actually have a few small pieces, so I'm gonna give that a shot and see whats up.

[Cleveland Metal]

I think your way is better. Maybe find a thicker more cushy resilient foam, like what EMG uses for packaging or what comes on some hard drives. But, that is about the only thing I'd really think of. Not sure you can improve much over what you're doing..

I have literally used sheet metal/wood screws and washers once I determined the "exact" height I wanted. Obviously not adjustable. haha... But, I was shooting for a solid mechanical connection with the body and pickup with no damping that would isolate the pickups from the body vibration.

[metalchurch79]

True, true.
I'll give that a shot as well.

Maybe I could drill a hole on either side of the cavity that would be the same diameter as the spring, so it fits in there snug and then 'brace' the pickup itself underneath with that foam you were talking about.
Thanks for getting my gears turnin':idea:
Rock on Bro!

[metalchurch79]

Cleveland, I posted this over at the Kramer forum, so I could get as many ideas as possible and a guy named Dino posted this:



Very cool and genius if you ask me! I'm gonna have to remember to try this one. I might just do it on my Rhoads actually.

[Cleveland Metal]

Yeah, I'd thought of using balsa/pine strips or whatever as well. Just never did it, just screwed directly with metal washer like things I made. Nice job of templating and documenting that for sure.

[metalchurch79]

Yeah I thought so too. He made it look really clean and neat anyway.

Now,that would be an idea for a Top-mounted Floyd guitar because of the neck angle. That would give you a little height thats needed there.
edit: I just realized that it was a Kramer...duh...that's where I got this from. Hahaha.

[dg]

Dino is a member here, too (Model1VH2). The only thing I might change about your method is to use weather stripping foam rather than sticking many layers of thin foam together. It comes in all kinds of widths, thicknesses, and densities, plus it has a peel & stick side to it. I see the reasoning of using the multiple layers, but most of the weather stripping foam is pretty forgiving and will work over a good range. It has more spring to it than something like the foam from a pickup box, for example.

[Cleveland Metal]

That sounds good. I sorta felt the foam from a pickup box would be more springy than what he was using, but not too light.

Wasn't sure weather strip foam would be dense enough to hold the pickups stable enough...

[toejam]

I've always just used the foam that comes in EMG boxes, too.

[nhspike]

I use nuts.
The screw goes through one, two, or three, then directly into the wood.
I'll line them up and put a dab of superglue on them to keep them nice and neat, then a dab of superglue to stick them to the depths of the pickup cavity, then screw the pickup down through them.

Dead solid, stable, and come right out when you need them too.
Takes a bit of experimentation to get the correct height, but once you have that, it's done.

Have also superglued a set of dowels into the pickup cavity, then screwed into those.

Playing with nuts is more fun, right Bill?

hehe

[Newc]

Either method (wood block or stacked foam) will yield the same results. The pickup's magnetic field doesn't react to the body, at least as far as how the pickup is mounted to it (i.e. rings, directly, etc), so long as it can get close enough to the string.

For the sake of modding speed, I'd stick with the stacked foam.


Or you could use a wad of cash, just remember to take them out when you sell the guitar

[nhspike]

Or you could use a wad of cash, just remember to take them out when you sell the guitar

[metalchurch79]

Dino is a member here, too (Model1VH2). The only thing I might change about your method is to use weather stripping foam rather than sticking many layers of thin foam together. It comes in all kinds of widths, thicknesses, and densities, plus it has a peel & stick side to it. I see the reasoning of using the multiple layers, but most of the weather stripping foam is pretty forgiving and will work over a good range. It has more spring to it than something like the foam from a pickup box, for example.

That's a good idea too. The "spring" is what I am after really. I have hard mounted them many times using my method, but they are usually "fixed" at whatever height I set them at, and I want more adjustment.

Thanks guys!

Newc, the rolled up wad of cash is a cool idea, I wonder if it will add $u$tain?