Cutting Alnico II Pro single coils to size?

[slashedzero]

I would like to fit my Patrick Eggle LA Pro II with Alnico II Pro pickups in the neck & middle positions (I already have a JB Junior in the bridge). One problem: the guitar does not have a scratch plate and has direct-mounted pickups. The pickup cavities are only as big as the actual visible part of the pickup, i.e. the cavities have the shape of a rectangle-with-rounded-corners, and not the slightly triangular shape. This means that a JB Junior can easily be dropped in, but the triangular shape of the Alnico II Pro's can't be easily fitted. :smack:

Besides re-routing the guitar (which I'm definitely not going to do), is there a way around this? Can the extra 'triangle' be removed from the pickup baseplate, by cutting or filing, and the output wires guided to the side of the pickup?

Thanks for your replies!

 

[TheArchitect]

Re: Cutting Alnico II Pro single coils to size?

Duncan can make those pups without the flange I think. Call'em and ask.

 

[slashedzero]

Re: Cutting Alnico II Pro single coils to size?

That would probably be a custom job, right? Probably rather expensive... Maybe it's possible to simply replace the bottom plate on a (already assembled) pickup?... Is it plastic or metal, that plate? Plastic would mean I can cut it away.

 

[TheArchitect]

Re: Cutting Alnico II Pro single coils to size?

That would probably be a custom job, right? Probably rather expensive... Maybe it's possible to simply replace the bottom plate on a (already assembled) pickup?... Is it plastic or metal, that plate? Plastic would mean I can cut it away.

Its a fiber board material but the ends of the coil and the lead wire connect there. Moving them somewhere else could be pretty tricky. Give SD a call and see what they say. It may be a shop floor custom. If thats the case you may have to wait but there would be no additional cost.

 

[slashedzero]

Re: Cutting Alnico II Pro single coils to size?

Thanks for the reactions. I mailed Seymour Duncan support and they told me that:

Modifying the base of an APS-2 would certainly be difficult to do without breaking the lead-wires---so I don't recommend that route. We can make you one with the 'oval' base if you want---just call our custom shop

I'm just afraid that that may be prohibitively expensive...