Pickup cavity cover (HSS Soloist question) ???

[JammerMatt]

I have an HSS Soloist, and I'm considering removing the middle pickup because it gets in the way sometimes. Does anyone know if there is an off-the-shelf product which covers the gaping hole that will be left with the pickup gone?

 

[GuitarGuy503]

Re: Pickup cavity cover (HSS Soloist question) ???

Not that I know of. You could probably have Warmoth make you a custom pickguard for it though just with your bridge and neck pickup cutouts. Your other option could be to adjust the pickup mounting screws and lower the middle pickup down into the pickup slot until its out of your way and you could just leave it in the guitar. Just a few suggestions..... :dance:

 

[Zerberus]

Re: Pickup cavity cover (HSS Soloist question) ???

Not that I know of. You could probably have Warmoth make you a custom pickguard for it though just with your bridge and neck pickup cutouts. Your other option could be to adjust the pickup mounting screws and lower the middle pickup down into the pickup slot until its out of your way and you could just leave it in the guitar. Just a few suggestions..... :dance:

Soloist´s are rear Routed, I don´t think a pickguard is an option

Unfortunately, Matt, I´ve never heard of a "hole plugger" for pickup routs. Usually those get filled by a luthier with a block of wood or a hack with a tub of wood filler

I´m afraid you´re up the creek without a paddle if you want the rout filled. I personally would just drop a black single coil COVER in there as a placeholder , just screw it down nice and tight

 

[JammerMatt]

Re: Pickup cavity cover (HSS Soloist question) ???

Soloist´s are rear Routed, I don´t think a pickguard is an option

Unfortunately, Matt, I´ve never heard of a "hole plugger" for pickup routs. Usually those get filled by a luthier with a block of wood or a hack with a tub of wood filler

I´m afraid you´re up the creek without a paddle if you want the rout filled. I personally would just drop a black single coil COVER in there as a placeholder , just screw it down nice and tight

Hi Zerb, I hoped you might chime in. I wouldn't want to devalue this permanently by doing anything "hackish" . The single-coil cover's not a bad idea, though. I have an old single coil pickup that's basically worthless. To take the idea further, perhaps I could somehow take it apart, and "squish" it down shorter and install it in there as basically a dummy - the only problem is that it wouldn't say "Seymour Duncan." Oh well, perhaps I could paint a nekkid' lady logo or something . The Duncan in there is all the way down, and it still gets in the way sometimes, and the SD logo is basically worn off from my pick (I've heard you make mention of this before with respect to HSS's - and I agree, If I could go back in time I would have got the HH).

Thanks for the tip, I'll let you know how it goes. But first I need the Hot Rails neck first.

 

[GuitarGuy503]

Re: Pickup cavity cover (HSS Soloist question) ???

My bad..... Just tryin to be helpful ...... :32:

 

[JammerMatt]

Re: Pickup cavity cover (HSS Soloist question) ???

My bad..... Just tryin to be helpful ...... :32:

Not a problem GG

How's your band project going?

-Matt

 

[GuitarGuy503]

Re: Pickup cavity cover (HSS Soloist question) ???

Matt,

Haven't really found or formed the type of band I was hoping for, however, I may join a semi-christian band from my area. Just got an email back from the guy yesterday but I still have yet to call him and find out a little more about it. I figure It would be a worthwhile opportunity for me until I can find the people to form my own band. At this point I don't really care what kind of music I play or with whom I play with, I just wanna play some music, and preferably not alone. Playing alone gets old after a while. :yell: :headbang:

 

[Zerberus]

Re: Pickup cavity cover (HSS Soloist question) ???

....To take the idea further, perhaps I could somehow take it apart, and "squish" it down shorter and install it in there as basically a dummy - .....

Cut the cover in the middle (height wise, so you have one half with the bobbin cover and one half with the "ears"). sand down the 2 halves a bit at the cut, then glue them back together (it´s a dummy, no need to do somewthing flashy on it IMO)

 

[JammerMatt]

Re: Pickup cavity cover (HSS Soloist question) ???

Cut the cover in the middle (height wise, so you have one half with the bobbin cover and one half with the "ears"). sand down the 2 halves a bit at the cut, then glue them back together (it´s a dummy, no need to do somewthing flashy on it IMO)

That's the ticket!! Thanks On that subject, even with a 5-way switch, I should be able to configure it H-H style, where the middle position (or maybe even the 3 middle positions) would give me both humbuckers at the same time(assuming I drop a Hot Rails in the neck) don't you think?

Matt,

Haven't really found or formed the type of band I was hoping for, however, I may join a semi-christian band from my area. Just got an email back from the guy yesterday but I still have yet to call him and find out a little more about it. I figure It would be a worthwhile opportunity for me until I can find the people to form my own band. At this point I don't really care what kind of music I play or with whom I play with, I just wanna play some music, and preferably not alone. Playing alone gets old after a while. :yell: :headbang:

What type of music are you into?

 

[Fritz6]

Re: Pickup cavity cover (HSS Soloist question) ???

Soloist´s are rear Routed, I don´t think a pickguard is an option

Unfortunately, Matt, I´ve never heard of a "hole plugger" for pickup routs. Usually those get filled by a luthier with a block of wood or a hack with a tub of wood filler

I´m afraid you´re up the creek without a paddle if you want the rout filled. I personally would just drop a black single coil COVER in there as a placeholder , just screw it down nice and tight

Zerb how do you get an exact tight fit if using a solid block? How would you do it?

 

[Zerberus]

Re: Pickup cavity cover (HSS Soloist question) ???

Zerb how do you get an exact tight fit if using a solid block? How would you do it?

Use a routing template for a SC-cavity. Trace the inside, "blacken that. Use this as a template for the block. Either make it by hand or actually go so far as to machine (rout) it out of a solid block

 

[GuitarGuy503]

Re: Pickup cavity cover (HSS Soloist question) ???

Matt,

I like pretty much any type of music but country. I mostly listen to rock and rap though. How do you like the Jazz neck pickup you have in your Jackson Dinky? I'm thinking about gettin one for the project guitar i'm gonna start soon. Any chance you could post a clip of your jazz neck pickup for me? I'm really curious to how it sounds. People have described what its capable of tonewise, however, I haven't been able to hear one myself. :dance:

 

[JammerMatt]

Re: Pickup cavity cover (HSS Soloist question) ???

Matt,

I like pretty much any type of music but country. I mostly listen to rock and rap though. How do you like the Jazz neck pickup you have in your Jackson Dinky? I'm thinking about gettin one for the project guitar i'm gonna start soon. Any chance you could post a clip of your jazz neck pickup for me? I'm really curious to how it sounds. People have described what its capable of tonewise, however, I haven't been able to hear one myself. :dance:

Hey GG,

I absolutely love the Jazz in my Dinky. It sounds fantastic clean, and it sounds fantastic overdriven. Clean, it lives up to it's name, being very articulate for clean fast jazzy runs. However, I think it's strength is in it's overdriven tone. Think "fast running water over cool smooth rocks." It is VERY articulate under high gain - and I love it. I don't use it for high-gain rhythm, so I can't really comment much on that.

Here's a link to my soundclick. Unfortunately, I don't have a clip of the Jazz under high-gain. However, give "Dee" a listen. It was my very first recording ever. You'll need to turn it up some, because I plugged straight into the soundcard without any boost of any kind. I think the only effect might be a touch of either delay or reverb, I can't remember which. Anyway, it is pure Jazz neck clean tone with virutally no tweaking.

Keep in mind, everything on that page is a work-in-progress:

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/1/jammermattmusic.htm

 

[GuitarGuy503]

Re: Pickup cavity cover (HSS Soloist question) ???

Matt,

Thanks alot for the clip bro, very much appreciated. I LOVED the tone you were gettin out of the Jazz. :32: What kind of wood is the body of your Jackson Dinky made out of? :headbang:

 

[JammerMatt]

Re: Pickup cavity cover (HSS Soloist question) ???

Matt,

Thanks alot for the clip bro, very much appreciated. I LOVED the tone you were gettin out of the Jazz. :32: What kind of wood is the body of your Jackson Dinky made out of? :headbang:

Thanks, man.

I'm pretty sure it's alder. Neck is maple w/rosewood. If you decide to get one, and don't end up liking it, I'm considering buying another one for my Les Paul - for a good price of course

Funny thing about that guitar. It's an MIJ Dinky, and I bought it in 1997, and then it went and collected dust for another 3 years since I wasn't playing. Anyhoo, it was a mid-line Jackson (Professional series). But I tell you what, any kind of pickup I put it there sounds great. It's had a Demon, a JB, and now a Distortion at the bridge position. Before the JB, I had an APHII which sounded nice also. They all work great in that guitar. It never goes out of tune, and plays great. Unfortunately, it now has some strange buzz going on at the locking nut which I'm trying to figure out. Still, for a "mid-range" guitar, it was the best 500 bucks I ever spent. I love Jacksons.

-Matt

 

[Fusion1]

Re: Pickup cavity cover (HSS Soloist question) ???

To answer Jammin Matts original question, I was considering the same thing for a few of my HSS axes as I wanted to fill in both holes but not permanantly. I was thinking of going the way Zerberus mentioned about filling a block of wood, but then adding the top some kind of veneer to match the existing body so all you might see is a small outline of the pickup route, hopefully none at all. This is all theoretical at this point and it might not turn out as well as I plan, but I will try this soon.

 

[JammerMatt]

Re: Pickup cavity cover (HSS Soloist question) ???

Fusion,

Let me know how it goes. I'm interested in your results.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: Pickup cavity cover (HSS Soloist question) ???

Fusion, if it´s not necessarily going to be permanent, then ixnay the blocks, and just veneer the top with a slightly thicker piece than usual.

It shouldn´t show up under the veneer, and the cavities are still in their original positions. Should you decide to open one up, all you need is a sharp knife, a steady hand, and patience