keeping humbucker level with the strings
- Thread starter roglf1
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beaubrummels
Well-known member
Re: keeping humbucker level with the strings
Is it mounted in a pickup ring? or pickguard?
You could wedge a shim between the side of the pickup and whatever it's mounted in.
Is it mounted in a pickup ring? or pickguard?
You could wedge a shim between the side of the pickup and whatever it's mounted in.
koshikas
New member
Re: keeping humbucker level with the strings
well if u have a trembucker and u also have pickup rings/pick-guard for 3-screw mount, then this real easy. the top 2 screws, makes it possible to tilt the pickup in any way u like.
looks something like this
View attachment 52091
i ve also seen these after market adaptors, that makes an ordinary 2 screw pickups into 3 screw ones.
well if u have a trembucker and u also have pickup rings/pick-guard for 3-screw mount, then this real easy. the top 2 screws, makes it possible to tilt the pickup in any way u like.
looks something like this
View attachment 52091
i ve also seen these after market adaptors, that makes an ordinary 2 screw pickups into 3 screw ones.
Re: keeping humbucker level with the strings
I slightly bend the mounting screws on each side, making sure the bends a between the screw heads and the bottom of the pup leg. The spring tension causes the slug side up or down, same for pole side.
I have doing this all my life and 1-2 turns will make it go poles up or a combo of turns of both screws can get solid angles any way you want. Slug side up or down. I have never brooken a screw yet.
This is easy and fast and if it slips a little 1 turn either side will fix it through spring pressure.
Please no Carl V. Jokes.
I bend mine quite a bit so they stay in place always.
Seriously
Steve B.
I slightly bend the mounting screws on each side, making sure the bends a between the screw heads and the bottom of the pup leg. The spring tension causes the slug side up or down, same for pole side.
I have doing this all my life and 1-2 turns will make it go poles up or a combo of turns of both screws can get solid angles any way you want. Slug side up or down. I have never brooken a screw yet.
This is easy and fast and if it slips a little 1 turn either side will fix it through spring pressure.
Please no Carl V. Jokes.
I bend mine quite a bit so they stay in place always.
Seriously
Steve B.
Re: keeping humbucker level with the strings
Steve,
I'm not sure exactly what you are saying...that you bend the screws so that they are curved and no longer straight?!
If that's the case, then when you want to adjust the pup height by 1/2 turn your pup will tip the opposite direction.
A better solution is to just bend the screw tabs on the baseplate of the pup. If your pup points toward the bridge, bend the tab to point toward the bridge.
Putting a shim between the pup and the pickguard is not a good idea...the shim can come loose and drop into the pup routing in the body.
Steve,
I'm not sure exactly what you are saying...that you bend the screws so that they are curved and no longer straight?!
If that's the case, then when you want to adjust the pup height by 1/2 turn your pup will tip the opposite direction.
A better solution is to just bend the screw tabs on the baseplate of the pup. If your pup points toward the bridge, bend the tab to point toward the bridge.
Putting a shim between the pup and the pickguard is not a good idea...the shim can come loose and drop into the pup routing in the body.
Re: keeping humbucker level with the strings
This is what I do, as well. Cut some of the foam that comes in the pickup box to a size that fits in the pickup cavity. Reinstall the pickup with the foam underneath and position the pickup level. The foam holds it in place.
This is what I do, as well. Cut some of the foam that comes in the pickup box to a size that fits in the pickup cavity. Reinstall the pickup with the foam underneath and position the pickup level. The foam holds it in place.
Re: keeping humbucker level with the strings
To GuitarDoc,
Good point from G.Doc so my answer is that if I want to raise or lower the entire pickup I can actually do that 1/2 turn up or down and with both screws bent I can still keep them level w/just a tiny amount of screw adjustment, less than 1/2 a turn, achieve my desired hieght and slant.
Just gotta make sure the springs are putting lots of pressure on the legs. It is much easier to control than trying to twist the leg end, that I think would be more dangerous and also leave me with less control overall-I would have to bend one leg eastward and the other westward to change the tilt. I think the screw is great, it has worked for me all my playing life.
Foam is good to, but it can shift more easily, lose it's position easier in my experience. I do think it is a good way to go, but I like the bent screws best.
I should note that I have soldered on an extention on one leg like Koshikas said, and that was great too, but took too much time after I found out I could do it w/springs
Steve B.
To GuitarDoc,
Good point from G.Doc so my answer is that if I want to raise or lower the entire pickup I can actually do that 1/2 turn up or down and with both screws bent I can still keep them level w/just a tiny amount of screw adjustment, less than 1/2 a turn, achieve my desired hieght and slant.
Just gotta make sure the springs are putting lots of pressure on the legs. It is much easier to control than trying to twist the leg end, that I think would be more dangerous and also leave me with less control overall-I would have to bend one leg eastward and the other westward to change the tilt. I think the screw is great, it has worked for me all my playing life.
Foam is good to, but it can shift more easily, lose it's position easier in my experience. I do think it is a good way to go, but I like the bent screws best.
I should note that I have soldered on an extention on one leg like Koshikas said, and that was great too, but took too much time after I found out I could do it w/springs
Steve B.
Last edited:
LesStrat
Reining PunLowered
Re: keeping humbucker level with the strings
Why would you have to bend the pickup legs in two different directions?. You just bend the part that has the mounting holes in it to an angle that makes the pickup sit flat. Still have all the same adjustment as before. I think this is better than bending the screws myself. It only takes a slight bend with a pair of needlenose pliers to get it to the right angle. Just be aware that if the pickup is set pretty low the wires coming out the bottom of the pickup might be hitting the bottom of the cutout, keeping the pickup from sitting flat. You may have to move the wires around a bit.
Al
Why would you have to bend the pickup legs in two different directions?. You just bend the part that has the mounting holes in it to an angle that makes the pickup sit flat. Still have all the same adjustment as before. I think this is better than bending the screws myself. It only takes a slight bend with a pair of needlenose pliers to get it to the right angle. Just be aware that if the pickup is set pretty low the wires coming out the bottom of the pickup might be hitting the bottom of the cutout, keeping the pickup from sitting flat. You may have to move the wires around a bit.
Al
Re: keeping humbucker level with the strings
this is what I do as well. works fine and is dead simple
this is what I do as well. works fine and is dead simple
Re: keeping humbucker level with the strings
To Zombiwoof,
I would not bend the legs myself, but now that I think it through, that leg bend would only work in one direction. You would need to be real sure to bend it exactly or it would be off. I agree, bending a second leg wouldn't be of much use. With the spring screws bent they rotate pole up-pole down, and with both of them bent it is easier to freeze the angle you like.
Bending spring screws takes no time, worse case you buy a new screw. I think I have about 20 or more extra at any given time.
Steve B.
To Zombiwoof,
I would not bend the legs myself, but now that I think it through, that leg bend would only work in one direction. You would need to be real sure to bend it exactly or it would be off. I agree, bending a second leg wouldn't be of much use. With the spring screws bent they rotate pole up-pole down, and with both of them bent it is easier to freeze the angle you like.
Bending spring screws takes no time, worse case you buy a new screw. I think I have about 20 or more extra at any given time.
Steve B.
Re: keeping humbucker level with the strings
I'm not sure you are understanding what I'm saying, you bend only the very end of the legs, where the mounting holes are. You bend them so they are not parallel to the pickup, just a slight bend to both so the pickup sits flat. Which direction you bend the tip of the leg depends on which way the pickup is leaning. I don't know how to explain it any better without a diagram, I thought it would be obvious since I know others have done this in the past here. I think you are seeing this as bending the whole leg, but it's only the end part you bend (maybe "twist" is a better word) to an angle in reference to the pickup. This is a common way of fixing this problem, and has been discussed here before.
Al
I'm not sure you are understanding what I'm saying, you bend only the very end of the legs, where the mounting holes are. You bend them so they are not parallel to the pickup, just a slight bend to both so the pickup sits flat. Which direction you bend the tip of the leg depends on which way the pickup is leaning. I don't know how to explain it any better without a diagram, I thought it would be obvious since I know others have done this in the past here. I think you are seeing this as bending the whole leg, but it's only the end part you bend (maybe "twist" is a better word) to an angle in reference to the pickup. This is a common way of fixing this problem, and has been discussed here before.
Al
Chickenwings
Alnico 6/8
Re: keeping humbucker level with the strings
i ditch the springs and replace them with a chunk of closed cell foam. It compresses much more than any screw can and it deadens vibrations really well too. If a rectangle of foam doesn't give you the angle and stability you require, cut it into a parallelogram shape.
The only pic i have is this one from a tele build, but you'll get the idea.
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i ditch the springs and replace them with a chunk of closed cell foam. It compresses much more than any screw can and it deadens vibrations really well too. If a rectangle of foam doesn't give you the angle and stability you require, cut it into a parallelogram shape.
The only pic i have is this one from a tele build, but you'll get the idea.
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