Customizing the top of JB & Jazz

[The Fog]

I would like to remove the black plastic spindle tops
from my JB and Jazz to replace them with either maple
or ebony. I have a feeling this may be difficult at best.
Anyone have any ideas?
I have access to many tools including a mill. I am willing to
bet that I may need to mill them off. Will this ruin the pickup?
Perhaps if I mill most of the thickness off I can laminate the
wood onto the remaining plastic.
I also need to know if the solid pole pieces are removable.
This would make milling the tops down much easier.
Any help would be appreciated.

Another thought. If I use a mill, which is metal with a large
AC motor, will this affect the magnatism of the pickups?!?!?

[Benjy_26]

Re: Customizing the top of JB & Jazz

I don't know about milling, but you can take out the mags by loosening the four screws and gently prying the mag out.

[The Fog]

Re: Customizing the top of JB & Jazz

Those solid poles must be part of the magnet?

[Benjy_26]

Re: Customizing the top of JB & Jazz

No, the magnet is a bar that sits between the screw polepieces and the slugs. You might be able to push out the slugs, though I'm not sure of that.

[The Fog]

Re: Customizing the top of JB & Jazz

Thanks

[Benjy_26]

Re: Customizing the top of JB & Jazz

No problom, bro.

[ArtieToo]

Re: Customizing the top of JB & Jazz

If this is just for looks, why not just attach a thin veneer to the top of the plastic part. You could then adjust the pole pieces up just a bit to maintain a "normal" look.

[Fusion1]

Re: Customizing the top of JB & Jazz

+1 for the veneer. I don't think you'd need to mill the plastic at all. Those bobbin toppers are basically a similar idea, but the veneer might be trickier, but if you have patience, I'm sure it will turn out great!

The slugs do press out. Here is a pic of a '59 Trembucker that I staggered the slugs. Haven't tried it out but I can't see it sounding bad.

[Lightning]

Re: Customizing the top of JB & Jazz

Little experience with milling (guitar projects mainly) and am concerned with the clamping and the plastic contorting under the cutters impact (I'm thinking belt sand).

If your comfortable with milling I'd suggest removing the poles. I thought about adding spacers and pushing the poles down but due to the taper of the bobbin screws backing them out to add a spacer would weaken there hold which comes back to the impact of the cutter.

By the way, there is tape around both coils and around the individual coils so it's cool to take the outer layer off (if you remove the tape off the inter coils the glue is stronger than the coil wire and you'll lose a couple hundred ohms of coil wire (there is a technique for that) but you don't need to remove it anyhow.

Veneer is around .030" and a popsicle stick is around .080". The top of the bobbin is .060". If you do that math plus the labor savings veneer sounds like the way to go.

I would use polyurethane to adhere the veneer to the bobbin as well as finish it cause I would think it want eat the polyurethane insulation on the coil wire...I think...wouldn't use just any glue unless you know it's going to be safe on poly.

It's inevitable that glue is going to make it to the coil either through the window on top or capillary action on the tape seam. What are your thoughts on glue type?

Fusion, what's up with the exposed coil wire in the pic?

[Fusion1]

Re: Customizing the top of JB & Jazz

Fusion, what's up with the exposed coil wire in the pic?

Huh?

[The Fog]

Re: Customizing the top of JB & Jazz

Thanks all for your time and thoughts.

This is for appearance only.
Can I cover solid poles with no impact on sound?
I may just fabr. tops and go directly on to top of
existing covers. My preference would be to take
some of the thickness away from current tops.

It is becoming clearer what I will do. All comments help.

Unfortunately the gloss black plastic does not compliment
my guitar. I made pickup "holders" and knobs from ebony.
All plastic is nearly gone from my home made guitar!

[Fusion1]

Re: Customizing the top of JB & Jazz

With a thin veneer it probably won't dull the sound too much. But then again people claim there is a difference between a covered and uncovered pickup so this debate will never be settled.

[Lightning]

Re: Customizing the top of JB & Jazz

Fusion, To the left of the pic on the non logo coil...

[Fusion1]

Re: Customizing the top of JB & Jazz

Lightning, good eye there. I didn't really notice that till you mentioned it. From the looks of it there is no tape around the coils themselves, just the fabric tape around both coils. I guess I should contact the person I bought this from to make sure it wasn't defective or anything. It measures out at 8.83k, so that seems fine. The pickup doesn't look like the tape has ever been removed, so maybe this is one that slipped through the cracks @ SD and the copper wirees never got covered. Who knows?

[Lightning]

Re: Customizing the top of JB & Jazz

Wow...