Can you modify long leg humbuckers?

[C-Martin]

I have this Nickel covered 59 i want to put in my new guitar, but not really thinking about it i bought this thing used with long legs. When i went to install it in the guitar, the routing wasn't deep enough to allow me to place it at the height i want, it's basically a little too close to the strings for my liking even if i direct mount it to the body.

Can i cut and re-bend the legs without damaging the pickup? I work at a machine shop so i can drill and rethread the legs easily, but i'm a bit worried about permanently damaging the baseplate. The metal seems pretty slim and i'm not sure how SD actually taps the holes. Seems like there's a extra bit of metal that allows for more threads, kind of like if the hole was pressed instead of drilled so it creates this extra ledge around the hole.

If anyone just happens to have a 59N with short legs laying around and is willing to trade for a long leg version, let me know!

 

[AlexR]

Re: Can you modify long leg humbuckers?

You can buy short leg pickup baseplates, or simply buy a short leg pickup.

Im sure you could bend it ok with your experience, but as you've seen, the leg has extra thickness for the threaded section for less stripping potential.

 

[C-Martin]

Re: Can you modify long leg humbuckers?

Well i don't really want to buy another pickup because i don't have the money to spend for it. I basically splurged enough (if not too much already) for this pickup and was trying to see if it's salvageable or if i'm just gonna have to get rid of it and lose money in the process... which will leave me without a pickup because i doubt i can find another one for less money. I basically bought it for 90$ "as new" because it was still sealed and the pickup still had the plastic covering it, but i already removed all that to try to install it. Locally i'd probably be lucky to get 60$ for it now.

I also don't want to change the baseplate, to me that's too much trouble and risk of damaging the pickup since i will have to remove the cover and probably ruin the wax potting by doing that. Besides, i'd have to buy the baseplate and pay for shipping which as i already said is beyond my current budget.

 

[GilmourD]

Re: Can you modify long leg humbuckers?

Somebody can correct me if I'm wrong here, but I imagine this will work.

http://www.mojotone.com/guitar-part...t-Leg-Frame-Nickel-Silver-49-2mm#.VStB2PnF9Mi

 

[Harhash]

Re: Can you modify long leg humbuckers?

Yes, you simply swap the baseplate with another one with shorter legs.

And I prefer BRASS baseplates when it comes to swapping, they have a different tone.

 

[Nostalgic Distortion]

Re: Can you modify long leg humbuckers?

I'm almost 100% sure you could cut & re-bend the legs, I worked in a Fab. shop too & with precision tools, calipers, a brake, & all the other things you have available you can do just about anything??? That said, it still seems much easier to me to spend the $5 & buy a new plate? If you are trying to avoid a hassle replacing it only involves removing 4 screws where as taking it to work, you will prob. end up having to stay late for a hr., not getting paid? I'm jealous though, I miss having all those tools @ my disposal, you really can build anything you want! If you can write the programs you could put a 4x4 block of steal in a CNC machine & whittle it down to a new plate but it would take a long time & be wasteful? A new back plate is your best bet & very easy to do. You could prob. change it in the car while driving to work instead of having to stay late???

 

[idsnowdog]

Re: Can you modify long leg humbuckers?

Don't bother cutting it or bending it. The legs have a tendency to break because the metal is brittle. Just buy a replacement plate from Mojotone and keep the long legged plate as a spare.

 

[C-Martin]

Re: Can you modify long leg humbuckers?

I want to avoid changing the baseplate, the pickup has a cover so i would have to unsolder the cover and isn't the pickup wires soldered to the baseplate too? I don't want to mess with that.

If the baseplate has a tendency to break than i guess i have no other option than to get rid of it and just go without changing pickups...

 

[GilmourD]

Re: Can you modify long leg humbuckers?

I want to avoid changing the baseplate, the pickup has a cover so i would have to unsolder the cover and isn't the pickup wires soldered to the baseplate too? I don't want to mess with that.

If the baseplate has a tendency to break than i guess i have no other option than to get rid of it and just go without changing pickups...

Or you could sell what you have and buy one with a short legged baseplate.

 

[C-Martin]

Re: Can you modify long leg humbuckers?

Or you could sell what you have and buy one with a short legged baseplate.

That's basically what i meant by "getting rid of it" actually. I bought it for 90$ locally from the classified, it was brand new and was still sealed. If i try to sell it locally now that it's opened, i will never get 90$ for it so i'm losing money. I could probably get 60$ for it, but any more than that and i'll have to wait over 3 months before i get someone that wants to pay for the actual value. That's just seems like the nature of used gear over here.

I should've just bought it brand new but i was dead set on a 59 neck that i wasn't worried about returning it, just wasn't expecting it to not fit in the guitar. I'll post it up on the trading forums, maybe i'll have better luck there. I'm just out of a pickup til i can sell this one.

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Can you modify long leg humbuckers?

I would just send it to Duncan and have them convert it.

 

[C-Martin]

Re: Can you modify long leg humbuckers?

I would just send it to Duncan and have them convert it.

You can do that? I figured just the shipping and work cost would not be worth it but if it's not too much maybe i can look at that option,

 

[ItsaBass]

Can you modify long leg humbuckers?

I just read that you paid more for a used one than a new one with short legs (and warranty/21-day exchange) would have cost you. Ouch. That gives you no good options, really, as far as resale or a baseplate swap. You sell it, and you lose 30-40 bucks for nothing. You swap baseplates, and you add another 10-20 bucks to the already high initial cost, leaving you with a pickup that cost 40-50 bucks more than it should have.

At this point, I would just buy the pickup you really need from a reputable dealer. Save the long-legged version for another guitar in the future. Or simply modify the pickup cavity on the guitar.

That said, I've folded long legs before; it does work. It just looks ugly. But nobody sees it. I had a folded-legged pair of '57 Classics in my SG for almost ten years. Worked great. Took them out and sold them separately when I sold the guitar. Pickups probably lost about 25% of their used market value because of it (and the removed covers). To do it, you'd ideally have a pair of those sheet metal pliers with the flat jaws. You start by bending the little tab with the screw hole so it's in line with the rest of the leg. Then you measure the right place to fold the leg up on itself. You want to fold at around what would be the halfway point if you hadn't bent the little tab, so that when you make the third and final fold, the screw hole ends up overhanging the baseplate by the right amount. That final fold happens right where the leg comes off of the baseplate (fold goes inward toward the center of the baseplate).

 

[riserobotsrise]

Re: Can you modify long leg humbuckers?

You work in a machine shop - just cut and bend the legs. If that goes badly, then ordering/installing a new baseplate is your backup plan. It sounds like you're on a very tight budget - for guitar players that typically means going the DIY route. Also, you work in a machine shop.

If you're that risk-averse about then just sell the pickup, pony up for a short leg version, and be done with it. I very seriously doubt shipping to Duncan will be a cost-effective solution with shipping and labor.

Either way, what you overpaid is behind you and shouldn't affect your decision process now. That extra $30 is already gone, a sunk cost, spilled milk, water under the bridge, the ship sailed (you get the idea). Cut that out of your equation and maybe it will clarify your decision.

 

[LtKojak]

Re: Can you modify long leg humbuckers?

Making the leg's routes deeper in the guitar is out of the question?

 

[riserobotsrise]

Re: Can you modify long leg humbuckers?

There's that too, depending on the guitar at least, but if he's this reluctant to work on a pickup it's probably best to avoid routing the actual guitar

 

[GilmourD]

Re: Can you modify long leg humbuckers?

He's Canadian (at least according to his location), so that $90 is in Canadian dollars, which is $72.35US.

 

[King IzzO)))]

Re: Can you modify long leg humbuckers?

What's with you guys? It can be done fairly easily, as long as you're careful.

Cut the old foot off, bend a new foot approximately the same size as the original using regular old flat nose pliers (use the end to ensure a straight bend), lay a humbucker ring over it and mark and center punch where the mounting holes need to be, drill the holes, done. I don't remember exactly what size drill bit to use, but if you have a generic set there should be one in there that will work. Find the size using a mounting screw and use the bit that looks to be the size of the screw minus the threads. You'll have to kinda force the screw through the first time, but it will cut it's own threads, nickel isn't hard. None of this is hard. If you don't use any twisting action the legs will NOT snap off, unless they've been bent around a lot and weakened before.

Removing a cover isn't really a big deal either, but if you somehow snap off a leg you probably shouldn't try it.

All that said, it would probably be best if you can just find someone to trade with. The longs legs will be fine in most guitars, but any Gibson for sure.

 

[C-Martin]

Re: Can you modify long leg humbuckers?

Thanks for everyone's input. All good advices, i just gotta find the simplest and least costly solution.

He's Canadian (at least according to his location), so that $90 is in Canadian dollars, which is $72.35US.

I do live in Canada, so yes 90$ is actually lower than the price of a new pickup. A brand new nickel covered humbucker is in the 110-120$ range + taxes (about 15%).

Making the leg's routes deeper in the guitar is out of the question?

There does seem to have enough wood to route the cavity deeper, but I don't have the appropriate tools neither the place to route the guitar at home. Unless you guys have a suggestion on how to do it DIY without a router and just hand tools. I tried using a slim chisel but the space is so tight it's almost impossible to do it right without wrecking the wood. I do work in a machine shop, but it's not really a guitar friendly environment.

I've abandoned on the idea of bending the legs, although it does seem like an easy thing to do, i just don't want to risk losing any more money on this project. I do have a friend that has a uncovered short legged 59 and wouldn't mind trading it for mine, but i would really need to have that cover. I could remove the cover and swap it, but from what i remember when you add a cover you have to wax pot it or you'll get microphonic problems.