Fralin Base Plate for A4 p/u, but...

[zozoe]

Greetings... but there's an approx. 2.5mm lip on the backplate of the p/u, preventing the plate from being flush up against the rear of the p/u...
I don't care to cut the plate, nor lop off those lips, but if that gap would be of no consequence to the plate's alleged performance, then giddyup!! Thnx

[hamerfan]

The baseplate was made for vintage pickups with forbon flatware. The plastic lips like on Fender and Squier pickups were made to get more grip for the height screws. It's easier to cut the lips, but enlarging the gaps in the steel baseplate is also fine.

[jeremy]

i think the gap would make a difference but how much, i have no idea. id probably open the holes in the baseplate a bit so it sits flush

[freefrog]

Absolutely speaking, a baseplate far from the magnets is meant to cause eddy currents without rising the inductance as much as when it's close.

Now, practically, differences are subtle. To give you an idea, I've measured 2.36H of inductance of a Fender CS54 without baseplate, 2.5H with it and 2.43H when there were 2mm of cardboard between pickup and BP... The effect of the BP on the resonant peak could be seen in cases 2 and 3, as well as the influence of Foucault currents on the Q factor, but it was really not spectacular.

For a maximum effect, the BP should obviously be stuck to the mags - but without any gap allowing mechanical vibrations or the pickup would risk to squeal, IMO / IME.

FWIW. :-)

NOTE - I'd rather trim the plastic than the baseplate, BTW.

[zozoe]

Thanks all