replacing the humbucker metal base plate

[seventhson]

i have an SD humbucker whose base plate is drilled for direct mount so it will no longer work with pickup height screws. So how do I replace the base plate?

I see 4 screws on the bottom and 6 pole pieces. Can I safely unscrew all of them and take the pickup apart? And put everything back together with a new base plate?

Yes, I am mechanically challenged...the last time I did something like this, I took apart a motorized side mirror on my car and as I backed out the last screw, I watched helplessly as all the gears and push rods fell into a big pile onto the garage floor.

 

[El Dorado]

Re: replacing the humbucker metal base plate

If the only problem is that the machine screw holes are drilled out, you don't need to change the entire base plate. You can just super glue/solder some machine screw nuts to the tabs and use the standard machine screws as usual.

 

[Robert S.]

Re: replacing the humbucker metal base plate

It is fairly easy to change baseplates. Back the 6 screw posts out of the baseplate and remove the 4 mounting screws. There are 4 small connections where the coils are connected to the leads that will have a small amount of electrical tape that you will find under the cloth tape if you remove it. Just take it easy with those. You'll have to unsolder the plain wire from the old baseplate and resolder it to the new one.

Pay attention to the magnet orientation between the bobbins. Try to keep the magnet/bobbins assembly together if at all possible.

Put the pickup back together in reverse order.

 

[seventhson]

Re: replacing the humbucker metal base plate

thanks for the help!

 

[My Guitar Weeps]

Re: replacing the humbucker metal base plate

I superglued metric nuts on the bottom of the base plates.....haven't had a problem.

 

[jeffjwnz]

Re: replacing the humbucker metal base plate

I might just tape it up real good, it sort of sounds like a bit of work to take the baseplate off... thoughts?

 

[idsnowdog]

Re: replacing the humbucker metal base plate

It's very simple to replace baseplates. Just get a new one with the same spacing from Mojotone.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: replacing the humbucker metal base plate

Don't get too afraid. It's really a simple task to replace a baseplate. There is a ground wire soldered to it, but that's about it. You'll see that when you remove the 4 little screws and remove the plate. Unsolder it and resolder to the new baseplate. Leave everything else intact.

 

[Discharged]

Re: replacing the humbucker metal base plate

When you respond to a thread that's eleven year sold, could it be considered "vintage"?

/Peter

 

[Chistopher]

Re: replacing the humbucker metal base plate

I wasn't even born when this thread was started.