balooka Posted October 14, 2005 Report Share Posted October 14, 2005 Hi I got my bodyblanks (back and top) planed to thickness today, and from the moment I started to draw out this guitar I've been trying to keep it as clean as possible. I figured out a way (I think) to avoid pickuprings and avoid routing out room for the ears. What I will end up with (if I succeed that is) is a clean cavity in the top, big enough to house the pup, but hiding the ears. My biggest worry however is that I'm not sure how it will effect the sound (if at all). Thing is, the pup will only be attached to the body with 2 screws from the back (no backplates) and a couple of springs, so it'll 'hang' in a void. I've read here that direct mounting them enhances the sound (somewhat), but does that also mean I'd decrease the sound if I were to do it 'my' way? thanks jP ps. I had a hard time explaining this to another dutch dude, and translating it into english might even make it worse, hope you catch my drift Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhoads56 Posted October 14, 2005 Report Share Posted October 14, 2005 How does a normal pickup sound to you, which is also mounted via two screws and springs, in a void of PLASTIC ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balooka Posted October 14, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2005 How does a normal pickup sound to you, which is also mounted via two screws and springs, in a void of PLASTIC ?? ← lol sounds good, but this void is a tad bigger than normal pupcavities thx jP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclej Posted October 15, 2005 Report Share Posted October 15, 2005 i can't imagine that you'll be able to hear any noticeable difference between the way you want to do it and the normal way. as long as the pup doesn't vibrate on it's mounting you should be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarGuy Posted October 15, 2005 Report Share Posted October 15, 2005 I think Perry came up with that one lonnng ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balooka Posted October 15, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2005 (edited) cool. really? Which one is it? The 7-string Baritone? jP ps. I'm not trying to invent something new, I did google around but came up with nothing, I just want to make it as clean as I can. Edited October 15, 2005 by balooka Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian d Posted October 15, 2005 Report Share Posted October 15, 2005 cool. really? Which one is it? The 7-string Baritone? jP Hey there balooka, Have a look at Perry's vine finished Now there's a beautiful pickup mount! Unlike your idea, his has the mounting screws from the top, not from behind. I'm still looking for a simple way to do this, so if you come up with the solution, I'd love to hear it. Cheers, Brian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balooka Posted October 15, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2005 aah yeah - I remember that guitar now! looks awesome! It's pretty much what I was planning on doing, except with the screws on the back. Brian, I'm still figuring out if I can do it 'the easy way', but sofar I'm trying this on some scrap, using 2 different templates. If it works out (or not) I'll let you know jP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted October 15, 2005 Report Share Posted October 15, 2005 Well, if you want 'clean', then use a pickguard. What you're talking about is 'naked', something much different. One thing I like about European beaches is that the women have no problem walking around topless. So when I first got here, man, was I enthusiastic. (I remember one afternoon, I fell head over heels in love with a girl on a beach near Amsterdam...well, certain parts of here, anyway....too bad I was with my girlfriend....) Anyway, the point is, the beaches near Bordeaux are pretty excellent too...especially since they're mostly nude beaches on the cote sauvage part...so there I am splashing in the waves with all these cute naked French girls...and guess who the sexiest girl of them all was? The one WEARING the bathing suit! Too bad I was there with my wife.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balooka Posted October 15, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2005 Lol, I have no clue what that was about Idch, but I'll refer to it as naked from now on, ok About the wimmin, well I'm in Holland. So maybe my 'urge' to get a 'naked' guitar comes from that... jP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted October 15, 2005 Report Share Posted October 15, 2005 Lol, I have no clue what that was about Idch, but I'll refer to it as naked from now on, ok That was me gettin' all metaphorical. I keep trying to convince you people that a guitar without a pickguard looks naked, silly and unsexy. I know, I'll never win that one... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest AlexVDL Posted October 15, 2005 Report Share Posted October 15, 2005 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian d Posted October 15, 2005 Report Share Posted October 15, 2005 Alex, from what I can tell you've mounted the pickups from behind via the trem cavity. Perry's are mounted from the front leaving the mass of wood behind them intact. cool look though. Cheers, Brian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maiden69 Posted October 15, 2005 Report Share Posted October 15, 2005 Alex, from what I can tell you've mounted the pickups from behind via the trem cavity. Perry's are mounted from the front leaving the mass of wood behind them intact. cool look though. Cheers, Brian. ← Why are you able to "see" this? All it takes is the right knowledge and a lot of patience to do that! I really don't think that he did it that way, because Alex is one of the best advocates for routing as less wood as needed! BTW Alex, I haven't seen this one! Looks like a "S" / RG / ESP breed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest AlexVDL Posted October 15, 2005 Report Share Posted October 15, 2005 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest AlexVDL Posted October 15, 2005 Report Share Posted October 15, 2005 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPL Posted October 15, 2005 Report Share Posted October 15, 2005 I did that on my first guitar, an almost hollow/extreme chambered body along the lines of a Holdsworth Fatboy. I wish I would have thought of soldering the springs to the ears but instead I put the screws in the holes and then crimped the springs onto the screws. I then put tape around the pup to give me a handle to help pull it up into place while I screwed it in. It was a major pain but I love the naked look. I did get pretty good at it after doing it about a dozen times. Sorry, no pictures. I lost all that I had on my hard drive and it is on loan to a cameraless friend. I'm making him bring it back when he comes up for Thanksgiving, I miss it. I have no idea how it might effect the sound, I don't play in high gain or high volume situations so feedback isn't a problem. I can't imagine that a pickup ring would change anything but it's looks. Edit: Wait, I found a poor picture of Woody. God I miss her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balooka Posted October 15, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2005 Way cool Alex, Thats what I had in mind, aside from a diff type of cavity and the screws coming in from the back! Awesome job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian d Posted October 15, 2005 Report Share Posted October 15, 2005 The pickups are mounted from the front, not from the tremolo cavity. If there is one thing I dislike is a big gaping hole when you look into the trem cavity. In order to mount the pickup I needed to carve away a bit from the body inside the cavity. I also soldered the spings to the ears, otherwise it would be impossible to get them between the ears and the wood. ← Wow, thanks for that pictorial tutorial Alex. I was obviously mistaken about your method, and I appreciate your explanation of how it is done. Cheers, Brian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jorge Fernandez Posted December 6, 2005 Report Share Posted December 6, 2005 Alex, what's the wood thickness do you recommend to left between the spring and the head of the screw to avoid breaking the wood ? I'm using a flame maple top. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted December 6, 2005 Report Share Posted December 6, 2005 Bah, all of Alex's pictures are invisible until next month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.