Stupid MM pickup pole pieces!!! Solutions?

[Stereo Joe]

I'm getting tired of chewing up my fingers on the pole pieces of my Stingray's pickup. Is there any way to eliminate this problem without covering it with unsightly electrical tape or something?
I was considering beveling the edges of the pole pieces with a file, but I'm worried about the metal filings finding their way inside the pickup and shorting it out.
Can I remove the pole pieces somehow to file them and then put them back in?
I'd even consider a replacement pickup with beveled or flush pole pieces. Even non-exposed pole pieces. HOWEVER, I would like to keep as close to stock tone as possible.

Any suggestions?

[elkym]

Actually, many pickups have pole pieces that you can push up and down.

I tried to hide a pickup under the pickguard on my tele, in order to do this, I pushed the poles way down, and hacksawed a quarter inch off, then i blew on it, and pushed them up til they were flush.

You may not need to file them or saw them, though. Just try pushing those poles they should slide up and down a little.

Hope you figure it out, good luck.

[Ampeg SVT]

thats one of the reasons i sold my stingray

sharp object + white pickguard= red pickguard

It was fun cleaning the pole pieces off....

[Caca de Kick]

I've never had any problem with this. My newer MM's have the rounded pole pieces, and my old ones don't.

You do have choices tho....

You can call EBMM, and order a new pickup, but you'll have to send them your old pickup as an exchange.
-or-
You can remove your pickup, and remove the plastic cover, and use a file, or emery cloth (sand paper), and round the pole edges down yourself.

[jasper383]

Clear nail polish can smooth off that sharp edge. Use it carefully; maybe mask off the plastic. Doesn't affect the sound, can't see it.

[Stereo Joe]

Some good suggestions, thanks!!

[basslyon]

you could replace it with a bartalloni or lane poor (if you can find one) as the don't have exposed poles

[DavidRavenMoon]

Originally Posted by elkym

Actually, many pickups have pole pieces that you can push up and down.

Don't to this. Usually the hair thin magnet wire is wound directly around the magnets. Often the coils are potted with lacquer on MM pickups, so the wire is glued to the magnets. Pushing the magnets down is a sure fire way to break the coil wire.

And sawing parts of the magnets off will make them weaker and change the tone of the pickup.

A better solution is to carefully remove the cover from the pickup, and shim it with something thin so that the magnets are lower when the cover is back on.

That's one reason I don't make exposed pole pickups.

[73jbass]

Sounds to me like the pickup needs lowering. I own 4 MM basses,and have never had the problem you are having.Make sure the pup is set at the factor recommended height. Lower it a bit if needed.

[elkym]

Originally Posted by DavidRavenMoon

Usually the hair thin magnet wire is wound directly around the magnets. Often the coils are potted with lacquer on MM pickups, so the wire is glued to the magnets. Pushing the magnets down is a sure fire way to break the coil wire.

And sawing parts of the magnets off will make them weaker and change the tone of the pickup.

A better solution is to carefully remove the cover from the pickup, and shim it with something thin so that the magnets are lower when the cover is back on.

That's one reason I don't make exposed pole pickups.

Good to know... thanks for catching me on that one, it worked on a pickup I was working on, but I didn't know about the laquer...

[DavidRavenMoon]

You can get away with a bunch of times, and then there's that one time you wont.

[danomite64]

My '96 Ray did this, so I replaced it with a Basslines pickup, but then I found a Bart MMC on sale, put it in, and it sounded better to me, so I kept it in.

[fat-bottom]

Also, can anyone explain why the poles on these jagged edged pickups do not line up under the danged strings?

[Slater]

Hmm... I've owned several Music Man basses, and still own a HH Sterling, and I've never had this problem. I tend to play the strings with my fingers. There are times when I really dig-in, but my fingers never touch the pickup(s)...

[DavidRavenMoon]

Originally Posted by Slater

I tend to play the strings with my fingers. There are times when I really dig-in, but my fingers never touch the pickup(s)...

That's the same thing I was thinking. My fingers never go that far past the strings.

[depalm]

Originally Posted by Stereo Joe

I'm getting tired of chewing up my fingers on the pole pieces of my Stingray's pickup. Is there any way to eliminate this problem without covering it with unsightly electrical tape or something?
I was considering beveling the edges of the pole pieces with a file, but I'm worried about the metal filings finding their way inside the pickup and shorting it out.
Can I remove the pole pieces somehow to file them and then put them back in?
I'd even consider a replacement pickup with beveled or flush pole pieces. Even non-exposed pole pieces. HOWEVER, I would like to keep as close to stock tone as possible.

Any suggestions?

I have the same problem with my Sting Rays but actually I really don't mind.
Beveling the edges of the pole pieces may be a good solution but I wouldn't try to do that by myself.
You should contact a good Pickup manufacturer to see if this company can have this service done.

Nordstrand, Franlin, Lane Poor etc...

...or maybe have the original PU replaced by one from this guys above...

[PilbaraBass]

simple solutions..clear nail polish...2 layers of black electrical tape
moderately difficult solutions...shim pickup (spacer between bobbin and cover to "hide" pole pieces below the pickup cover)....fit a solid plastic cover over the existing cover...buy a replacement pickup with no exposed pole pieces...