Removing cover from Hot Rails

[Larsson]

I'm having trouble fitting the SD hot rails in the neck of my 89 Charvel 375. It's just a bit too big, especially with the wire sticking out of the middle bottom.

Is there anyway of removing the cover from the pickup so that i can drop the pickup down into the cavity then put the cover back on, this would allow me enough space to fit the pickup to my guitar.

Not sure if anyone has tried this before? I believe the pickup cavity are the 'emg' sized spaces (not 100% sure)?

Any insight would be great, or if anyone has experience fitting aftermarket pickups into the single coil cavities of Charvel/jackson guitars!

 

[AlexR]

Re: Removing cover from Hot Rails

There isn't a 'cover' as such. The whole thing is made as one.

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: Removing cover from Hot Rails

You cant remove them without fubaring your pup.


The way ive had to do it in the past is to get like a dremel or a die grinder with a carbide bur thats fluted for aluminum and grind out the area around the hole where the cable goes so it can fit. Easier to do than a full routing job. Doesnt require a template and if you just bore the hole out its not visible.

the single coil cavities on Jackson/Charvels from that era are always a problem unless you are installing EMG's

 

[Larsson]

Re: Removing cover from Hot Rails

You cant remove them without fubaring your pup.


The way ive had to do it in the past is to get like a dremel or a die grinder with a carbide bur thats fluted for aluminum and grind out the area around the hole where the cable goes so it can fit. Easier to do than a full routing job. Doesnt require a template and if you just bore the hole out its not visible.

the single coil cavities on Jackson/Charvels from that era are always a problem unless you are installing EMG's

I've already tried using a dremel to so. I've made a channel for the wire to go down. Issue is that the pickup needs to go down straight because it's already such a tight fit and the protruding wire is the only issue in fitting this pickup.

How much wood did you remove from the cavity? Do you happen to have any photos?

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: Removing cover from Hot Rails

Removed a fair amount but no sorry i dont have photos of it and that guitar is stored in the US i dont have it with me here in the EU

 

[DreX]

Re: Removing cover from Hot Rails

You can't practically do this because the threaded bushing that holds the pickup in place is attached to the cover and nothing else:

So suppose you managed to set the guts in the guitar, it would be difficult or impossible to place the cover back over the guts and have the whole thing reassemble snugly in the cavity.

You could perform a cruddy hack by stuffing that foam that comes with guitar pickups underneath the pickup in the cavity, and use that upwards pressure created by the foam to press the guts back up into the cover as you screw the cover down into the guitar, but that would be cheesy.

If you decide you want to remove the cover, of course you have remove all the glue with an exacto knife, then the critical thing is DO NOT PULL THE GUTS OUT FROM THE BOTTOM, PUSH THEM OUT FROM THE TOP. That means using some sort of implement to press down on the blades. If you pull the guts out by grasping the PCB, it will pull apart from the two coils and destroy the pickup.

 

[Larsson]

Re: Removing cover from Hot Rails

You can't practically do this because the threaded bushing that holds the pickup in place is attached to the cover and nothing else:

So suppose you managed to set the guts in the guitar, it would be difficult or impossible to place the cover back over the guts and have the whole thing reassemble snugly in the cavity.

You could perform a cruddy hack by stuffing that foam that comes with guitar pickups underneath the pickup in the cavity, and use that upwards pressure created by the foam to press the guts back up into the cover as you screw the cover down into the guitar, but that would be cheesy.

If you decide you want to remove the cover, of course you have remove all the glue with an exacto knife, then the critical thing is DO NOT PULL THE GUTS OUT FROM THE BOTTOM, PUSH THEM OUT FROM THE TOP. That means using some sort of implement to press down on the blades. If you pull the guts out by grasping the PCB, it will pull apart from the two coils and destroy the pickup.

yeah, this doesn't seem like a viable option then. I'm going to have to see how i can manage to get the pickup in their.

The only issue i'm having is that wire sticking out the bottom. It's fine to drop in but the wire is the issue, which why i routed out a small channel for the wire but still it won't drop in straight and doesn't fit at an angle.

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: Removing cover from Hot Rails

The only issue i'm having is that wire sticking out the bottom. It's fine to drop in but the wire is the issue, which why i routed out a small channel for the wire but still it won't drop in straight and doesn't fit at an angle.

I got mine to fit at an angle, I had to like roll it as it pushed it in to get them to fit.

This exact issue is why the next time I swapped pups in a 90's jackson I bought dimarzios and cut the flat work off.

 

[Larsson]

Re: Removing cover from Hot Rails

I got mine to fit at an angle, I had to like roll it as it pushed it in to get them to fit.

This exact issue is why the next time I swapped pups in a 90's jackson I bought dimarzios and cut the flat work off.

I'm worried about bending the wire too much doing so? Did you have an issue with that? I'll get some photos and post up of what i've done so far.

Also, once the pickup is in did you have any issue adjusting pickup height? with the stock pickups they had foam pads under them to get them closer to the strings. Just thinking if i get the pickup in and can't adjust the height afterwards.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Removing cover from Hot Rails

On early examples, the adhesive wasn't always up to the job of fastening the plastic cover. The entire guts of the pickups would drop out, unbidden.

 

[Larsson]

Re: Removing cover from Hot Rails

attached are photos of the pickup cavity and what i routed our slightly with a dremel as well as me trying to put the pickup in.

Anyone got any suggestions? I don't want to route into the flame top of the guitar as that won't look good, anyway i can get it to work?

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: Removing cover from Hot Rails

I'm worried about bending the wire too much doing so? Did you have an issue with that? I'll get some photos and post up of what i've done so far.

Also, once the pickup is in did you have any issue adjusting pickup height? with the stock pickups they had foam pads under them to get them closer to the strings. Just thinking if i get the pickup in and can't adjust the height afterwards.

I didnt have a problem with the wire bending.

In fact when i got mine in they are actually a touch higher than I would have liked them but didnt want to wallow out the cavity to drop them down. They were still very much playable just a bit louder than i would have liked for the middle pup.

I looked at your pics and i can say i removed quite a bit more material than you. My cut was stupid close to the top of the guitar. It really wasnt easy to do.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Removing cover from Hot Rails

The crux of this matter is the positioning and alignment of the SD output cables relative to the existing cable channels in the bottom right hand corners of the single coil cavities.

Do you have a long enough drill bit to reach from beyond the neck pocket through to the HB cavity? If so, remove the neck and drill a new cable channel along the centre line of the guitar body.


EDIT - Typically, on Jackson and Charvel guitars without pickguards, the single coil pickup height adjustment is via wood screws directly into the body. Hence, the threaded brass inserts of the SD Li'l 'bucker are redundant. Knock 'em out.

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Removing cover from Hot Rails

attached are photos of the pickup cavity and what i routed our slightly with a dremel as well as me trying to put the pickup in.

Anyone got any suggestions? I don't want to route into the flame top of the guitar as that won't look good, anyway i can get it to work?

A. Awesome guitar!

B. Hotrails are awesome pickups, IMO it will be worth it to remove more wood (little bit then try to fit it then a little more until it fits in) to get them to fit.

C. What is going in the bridge?

Best of luck!

 

[Larsson]

Re: Removing cover from Hot Rails

The crux of this matter is the positioning and alignment of the SD output cables relative to the existing cable channels in the bottom right hand corners of the single coil cavities.

Do you have a long enough drill bit to reach from beyond the neck pocket through to the HB cavity? If so, remove the neck and drill a new cable channel along the centre line of the guitar body.


EDIT - Typically, on Jackson and Charvel guitars without pickguards, the single coil pickup height adjustment is via wood screws directly into the body. Hence, the threaded brass inserts of the SD Li'l 'bucker are redundant. Knock 'em out.

even if i were to drill a whole i can't get the pickup down there, as long as i can insert the pickup in the whole with the wire sticking out as it does then it'll work for me to install it.

 

[Larsson]

Re: Removing cover from Hot Rails

A. Awesome guitar!

B. Hotrails are awesome pickups, IMO it will be worth it to remove more wood (little bit then try to fit it then a little more until it fits in) to get them to fit.

C. What is going in the bridge?

Best of luck!

Thanks!

I think i'm going to have to remove more wood bit by bit as to say.

For the bridge i have a 59', the middle i'm putting a dummy pickup cover so it's just a two pickup config.