There is no good way to direct wood-mount pickups

[Mincer]

I changed out the foam on my Warmoth to SD pickup foam from their packaging. While looking for it, I found 2 pickups I didn't realize I had, so win/win. I did try springs, but they didn't work as well. I still needed foam underneath or the pickup would tilt. I then realized it is stable and not tilting with the pickup foam itself.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

I don't think the pickups should sit parallel to the guitar top, but rather, parallel to the strings. Which then, proves another challenge, either with pickup rings or without.

 

[jeremy]

I changed out the foam on my Warmoth to SD pickup foam from their packaging. While looking for it, I found 2 pickups I didn't realize I had, so win/win. I did try springs, but they didn't work as well. I still needed foam underneath or the pickup would tilt. I then realized it is stable and not tilting with the pickup foam itself.

what pups?

 

[Mincer]

what pups?

Alnico II Pro/Custom Custom. I had them in another guitar I sold, so I put that guitar back to stock and pilfered the pickups.

 

[dotsdad]

This is the correct way to direct-mount a humbucker....

 

[NotDemanic]

Couldn't you get an insert that would fit a standard pickup screw and then just put springs underneath the pickup ?

 

[Chistopher]

Couldn't you get an insert that would fit a standard pickup screw and then just put springs underneath the pickup ?

Thats what EVH does. All of their wood mount guitars that I've seen have 2 screws per pickup leg and some springs and foam underneath them. Gives you maybe 1/8" of height adjustment

 

[Mincer]

Couldn't you get an insert that would fit a standard pickup screw and then just put springs underneath the pickup ?

Well, it works better with an insert and a screw that passes right through a normal pickup baseplate hole, not one that screws through it. Then you can use springs, although sometimes the pickup tilts one way or the other. I found it easier to not use springs, and just use pickup foam underneath.

 

[Spaghetti Bolo]

I use the skinny screws too on both buckers and singles to avoid altering them.

First direct mount I ever did was completely non adjustable; Tele bridge pickup screwed flat down onto a glued in mahogany insert pre-shaped for the correct height, with reliefs carved into it for the pickup leads.

Last one I did was adding a middle single coil to a HH Jackson. I went with a shallow rout, skinny wood screws and very short lengths of surgical tubing that allow for a little adjustment. That's the current go-to for direct mounting.


All pickups need to use 3 screw mounting imo. Leo got it right with the Tele bridge pickup, went backwards with the Strat, then overcompensated with the 4 screw Jazzmaster/Jbass. Yamaha and Fender have dabbled in 3 screw humbuckers, I really wish it became the standard. I'm slowly converting all my humbucker guitars to 3 screw.


Finally, I used to hate the aesthetics of pickups rings but have softened on them because function>form. I also don't believe (anymore) that tone is improved by direct-mounting; handling noise is definitely exacerbated though.

 

[Mincer]

Yeah, I don't hear a tone difference- and after the initial frustration of putting inserts in, I love the look. The mounting tabs look a little unfinished unless you have the baseplates the new Rails pickups use.
But I am sure some engineers could figure out a way to do it better, without completely re-designing the system and without losing the ability to use rings.