Ibenez Pup Placement

[pickle]

Hi guys, as some of you might have seen in a previous thread ( http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f8/can-anyone-tell-me-what-pic-heavy-772368/ ), im currently doing some repairs on a frankinbass that was a ibenez musician. The previous owner has screwed the active emg pickups into the body using wall screws and destroyed the mounting loops. I have ordered new pickup covers for the P/J combo and im about to order the screws and springs. I am planning on drilling out the current holes and filling with wood doweling, then fixing them as they are supposed to be. To do this i will have to file down the current pup covers so that they fit inside the new ones as they are sealed units.

My questions are, is there any special ways of fixing the pups onto the body i need to know or can the screws go directly into the wood? Where is a good place to get the screws and springs from? And is there any other info i need to know?

 

[john grey]

Obviously you need to measure the depth and measure the diameter of the screw mountings on the cover. Simple wood screws are fine; however remember that this is an area of the body that is thinner than the whole of the boy and you don;'t want to pop through - so measure 2x. DO NOT use a power screw-driver! Use a manual one. That way you won't pop through due to too much "screwing". The wood is soft: you won't have any problem. I would even use a manual drill for the holes. It's very easy to pop through the body..

IF you are altering the pup cover; place the cover on some paper and outline. Consider the difference between ID & OD and line up the new ones to the outline. Use 2 FINE toothed files (one flat one rat-tail) and very carefully shave in one direction and GO SLOW! Shave a tiny amount then measure, do it again and again! DON'T try to get all of it at once!! Round areas need a round file obviously. Finish with 600 sand paper if it's sharp or edgy. Springs can be bought most places as you only need them to keep the pup in position. Occasionally some pups have screws 7 springs included. IF not see if the old ones exist as examples and find a hardware store with all those little yellow trays: they have a selection of springs. Since you live in an industrial section of the UK, you should have some places that have hardware of that type. In the USA it's common & I'd offer suggestions - but obviously the UK has it's own method of hardware sales.

 

[pickle]

Thanks for the info john, i have all the parts i need now. Orderd the screws off ebay as they didnt have any in the shops around here. As for the springs im gonna use the springs that you get in those cheap pens or i may use a foam.

 

[darkstorm]

The springs from cheap pens is great idea.