Trembucker Pegasus humbucker not fitting into my HSS Fender Strat

[Artie]

I'll toss this out here even though it's not a solution that works for everyone. Since I work on guitars, I tend to have some tools around that not everyone would have. Like the proper size tap & drill to do pickup mounting holes. And almost every Dremel accessory ever made. I've faced this issue before and am currently dealing with it in order to install my 2-hole Psyclones into my 3-hole Gretsch.

Basically, I just use a small piece of brass hobby stock, like you find at a Hobby Lobby and such, and drill and tap it to proper hole spacing and thread. Then use a cut off pup moounting screw to mount the brass plate to the pickup to make a sort-of T-bar. Then mount as usual. On a trembucker, you'll need to grind a bit of the foot sides off. It's not as hard as it sounds, but you do pretty much need the proper drill & tap.

Like I said, this may not be helpful in this particular situation, but it does save the pickguard and a rewire.

 

[jeremy]

thats true and with the right tools, not a terrible job. again, if you have the right tools.

ive never been to hobby lobby and dont imagine myself going lol

 

[Artie]

ive never been to hobby lobby and dont imagine myself going lol

You can find it online too. Just search for "hobby metal." Also, in a pinch, you can use a small strip of hardwood, and a couple of long thin wood screws. Saves needing the drill and tap. It'll get you by in a pinch.

P.S. With all the specialized guitar parts that exist today, I'm surprised no one makes that type of little adaptor kit. It's a fairly common problem.

 

[51501984]

@51501984 The SD pickup fits in the Fender humberbuck slot fine; it's the brackets underneath the pickup that do not line up with the screw holes in the pickguard.

Okay so it fits the cavity of the guitar just not to pickguard my advice buy a new pickguard . I can’t see blaming Seymour Duncan , their pickup will fit in your guitar unlike what you were saying in your previous post

 

[Mincer]

To be clear here, you would have this issue with every SD pickup, not just Trembuckers. The 'regular' pickups only have 1 mounting hole on the tab. So, you'd still have to drill a new hole or buy another pickguard.
Sometimes, 'standards' are a really good thing.

 

[LLL]

I dunno 'bout you, but I'd be so itchin' to hear the shiny new pickup, that I'd make it fit.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

It’s funny, the guitar that needs 3 hole mounting is an SG with a full pickguard. Just wired one up for a friend, and the bridge pickup sits at a ridiculous angle to the strings.

 

[Adieu]

I think Fender is the only company making pickups with 2+1 mounting. You'd have the same issues with DiMarzio, EMG, and Fishman, and all of the replacement pickup companies. I have no idea why Fender went with something that was clearly an established standard, other than the either believe no one would want to upgrade their pickups, or if you do, you'd get another Fender pickup.

Some Japanese manufacturers had em in the 70s and 80s

The idea is you can adjust pickup angle

 

[jeremy]

carvin does it too but i believe their spacing is different than what fender is using

 

[Mincer]

Fortunately, getting a pickguard or drilling a hole is an easy solution.

 

[CaptainWhizz]

Fortunately, getting a pickguard or drilling a hole is an easy solution.

Also lets you choose a new colour for the pickguard, and maybe put some new switching options in.

 

[Mincer]

I had forgot Carvin/Kiesel does the 3 screw mount thing.

It really is a 'better' design because it allows you to tilt the pickup more.

 

[beaubrummels]

Why aren't these things standardized?

There are standards. Fender is not following them.

I don't think it'll look attractive to drill another hole and I really don't want to go through soldering these pickups to a new pickguard.

Pickups shouldn’t be soldered to the pickguard. I hope that’s a misstatement. A ground connection to the shield is advisable, however.

The one beauty about Fender strats is the whole electronic harness can be removed and replaced from the guitar without even taking the strings off and the entire electronics harness can be swapped to another pickguard of the same spec. The jack os the only thing that would need to be resoldered.