Trembuckers won't fit my pickguard

[Anficht]

Ok, here's the thing: I bought both a TB-11 and TB-5 trembucker to try out for my Strat (which has a pickguard) today and when I tried to install them I realised those trembuckers won't fit - the plastic bobbins are bigger than the humbucker routings in my pickguard.
The pickguard is a Warmoth pickguard with the "Fat"-route - see Warmoth page for details - http://www.warmoth.com/pickguards/pickguards.cfm?fuseaction=pickguards_strat

What should I do know? I can still return those TB and get regular spaced buckers.
The fixed bridge has a string spread of 2 1/16" and the width at the nut is 1.650" - do you think that a regular spaced SH-11 or SH-5 might work or will I have output problems due to the strings not alligning perfectly over the screws/poles?

WTF? Are DiMarzio F-Spaced pickups also bigger than their normal spaced counterparts?

 

[hanumanlangur]

Re: Trembuckers won't fit my pickguard

You could just use a razor blade and trim it to size.

 

[Anficht]

Re: Trembuckers won't fit my pickguard

Yeah, I thought about that - but I couldn't make it look perfect - and I guess that will bother me after a while... the homemade-look.

What about regular spaced humbuckers?

 

[Kosh Naranek]

Re: Trembuckers won't fit my pickguard

I looked at the link to the Warmoth site you provided. Odds are the humbucker cutouts are for standard spaced humbuckers. I don't know what else they'd be for. So I'd expect regular spaced humbuckers should work.

I've run into this with pickup mounting rings too. I bought an old Dimarzioi pickup mounting ring and discovered the hole for the pickup was too narrow to fit a Parallel Axis Trembucker. It wasn't a big deal. I shaved out a little plastic on each side with a pocket knife. No it doesn't look perfect but you can only tell close up. It works, and it looks fine.

If you want everything to fit together as it comes from the factory though, try a regular spaced humbucker in your pickguard.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Trembuckers won't fit my pickguard

It's an easy fix. Wrap some sandpaper around a pencil or other round object and work on the corners of the cut out. And use a small file or wrap some sandpaper around something hard, flat and about 1" wide and work the ends of the cut out to make it wider. Just go slow and be patient. You can do it. You can probably get the job done in about 10 minutes or less. Lew

 

[Anficht]

Re: Trembuckers won't fit my pickguard

thanks for the help. I'll give it a try