Do you all have some good "pup tilt" tricks?

[Artie]

My bridge P-Rails looks like pic 1. I want it to look like pic 2. I was thinking of tweaking it to where I like it's sound, then replacing the spring with a small block of balsa, but that's not ideal. Do you guys worry about this? What do you do?

I hate this new image upload system. The pics are backwards from how I uploaded them. But I think you get it.

 

[ErikH]

Stuff a piece of foam from the pickup packaging in the cavity below the pickup. For a tilt like that, maybe half of it would do the trick.

 

[Artie]

Thanks Erik. I'll try that.

 

[Spirit of 76]

How does that kind of tilt change the sound? Does it make it more or less pronounced? (asking out of pure ignorance lol)

 

[Artie]

There are two things, one of which is purely cosmetic. I just don't like how it looks. But the other thing is, that tilt somewhat limits the range of vertical adjustment. I might want the P-90 a little closer than the rail. In that regard, there is some tonal impact.

 

[jeremy]

i use the foam that comes in duncan packaging like erik said. in your case, id a cut a strip and put it under the edge of the p90 side to straighten it out. not sure why yours isnt tilting with an angled pup ring. is the wire under the pup keeping it flat like that?

 

[Masta' C]

Same...a small piece of foam from the Duncan box does the trick, ha ha!

 

[Artie]

i use the foam that comes in duncan packaging like erik said. in your case, id a cut a strip and put it under the edge of the p90 side to straighten it out. not sure why yours isnt tilting with an angled pup ring. is the wire under the pup keeping it flat like that?

Yeah. I think it's the wire. I tried shoving some back into the cavity to equalize it, but it keeps springing back. I'll definitely try the foam thing.

 

[Mincer]

I am another one that uses foam from the pickup package. The 2 point pickup mounting is more or less the standard now, but really, it doesn't work very well.

 

[Artie]

Funny you should say that. I was contemplating commenting on how I wish pup manufacturers would adopt a universal 3-point system. My Gretsch does it, as does several of my MIA Peavey's. Some Fenders too. One of the reasons I haven't installed my Psyclones into the Gretsch yet is because I need to fabricate mounting brackets.

 

[Spirit of 76]

There are two things, one of which is purely cosmetic. I just don't like how it looks. But the other thing is, that tilt somewhat limits the range of vertical adjustment. I might want the P-90 a little closer than the rail. In that regard, there is some tonal impact.

Ok gotcha. Thanks!

 

[ItsaBass]

I really wish 3-screw humbucker mounting was the norm.

Tilt the way you want, and wedge hard foam in front of the pickup.

 

[beaubrummels]

My pickups seem to follow the tilt of the ring. Not sure how you’re getting a backward tilt, unless the threads in the baseplate have been “re-tapped” the wrong way by forcing the screw (sometime in its lifetime, not you doing it) or the ring itself has a bend in its channel or something. Usually my pickups only wobble and tilt back when the baseplate is worn.

The tilt does change the sound a bit. It’s slight, but noticeable, to me anyway. It’s noticeable just as much as general raising and lowering changes the frequency balance.

 

[Top-L]

1) Make sure the cable is not pushing up on one of the sides to make it uneven. If it is, reroute the cable.

2) If that didnt fix it, take some needle nose pliers and bend the tabs to the angle you want. Padding the cavity is a half measure.

 

[Securb]

Ibanez also did the three screw

 

[Artie]

1) Make sure the cable is not pushing up on one of the sides to make it uneven. If it is, reroute the cable.

It's definitely the cable. When I mounted it in the ring, holding it in my hand, it was perfectly parallel with the ring. The problem is, this Epiphone doesn't have much room under the pup, and the cable is stiff. But I'll mess with it a bit more and see if I can find some happy medium.

 

[Dave Locher]

Ibanez, Carvin, Schaller all hac 3-screw or 4-screw mounting and it is SO much better!
Right now I have a piece of wooden toothpick wedged into one of my guitars to hold the bridge pickup steady. It's not just tilted, it wobbles!