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Bill's Shop: Projects, Mods & Repairs / Making a pickup route deeper
« on: May 23, 2022, 02:21:31 PM »
So, I've got this guitar (yes, a guitar... not a bass... I have sinned) which I love except I'm not satisfied with the bridge pickup sound.
It's a really odd shaped pickup. It's a Danelectro 59xt with a "dual lipstick" humbucker in the bridge.
Nothing else is quite the same size ...
I had the inspiration that I could have a custom pickup ring 3D-printed and try out some other pickups if I can find something that's small enough for the route, and avoid having to route the guitar.
A little measurement proved that either a Filtertron style pickup, or a P90, or a mini-humbucker should fit, given the right mounting ring. I went ahead and ordered a Filtertron from TV Jones, and designed and printed a pickup ring. Everything seemed to fit and I was excited to install it ... tried putting the strings on and...
Crap. I forgot to measure the depth. The strings are touching the pickup!
The existing route shape is wide enough, but not deep enough. Looks like I need to go maybe 3 or 4mm deeper.
So, I need to either give up, or, make the route deeper.
I've never tried making a route deeper... I don't have any suitable tools... since I'm going to have to buy some tools if I want to proceed, what should I look at?
I don't have a workshop, just my bedroom, so it needs to be somethign I can just put away in the closet. No drill press here.
Can this be done by hand with a sharp chisel?
Dremel?
Plunge router? I don't have a template for this pickup nor how to make one ...
I'm ok with it not looking cosmetically great, since it won't be visible under the pickup and mounting ring.
It's a really odd shaped pickup. It's a Danelectro 59xt with a "dual lipstick" humbucker in the bridge.
Nothing else is quite the same size ...
I had the inspiration that I could have a custom pickup ring 3D-printed and try out some other pickups if I can find something that's small enough for the route, and avoid having to route the guitar.
A little measurement proved that either a Filtertron style pickup, or a P90, or a mini-humbucker should fit, given the right mounting ring. I went ahead and ordered a Filtertron from TV Jones, and designed and printed a pickup ring. Everything seemed to fit and I was excited to install it ... tried putting the strings on and...
Crap. I forgot to measure the depth. The strings are touching the pickup!
The existing route shape is wide enough, but not deep enough. Looks like I need to go maybe 3 or 4mm deeper.
So, I need to either give up, or, make the route deeper.
I've never tried making a route deeper... I don't have any suitable tools... since I'm going to have to buy some tools if I want to proceed, what should I look at?
I don't have a workshop, just my bedroom, so it needs to be somethign I can just put away in the closet. No drill press here.
Can this be done by hand with a sharp chisel?
Dremel?
Plunge router? I don't have a template for this pickup nor how to make one ...
I'm ok with it not looking cosmetically great, since it won't be visible under the pickup and mounting ring.