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is it ok to grind down the rails on a pickup?

EpicSoundtracks

EpicSoundtracks

Mar 10, 2006
2,037
861
Oakland, CA
Disclosures
Lollar Pickups, Ernie Ball strings
#1
OK, here's a weird one for you. I put a generic hot rails pickup in a Squier Bronco (which i've done before with good results), and the A and D strings are booming, the G is quiet, and the E is barely audible. The radius of the blades is pretty drastic, and i can't get the strings balanced regardless of how the pickup height is adjusted.

So, is it safe to "re-radius" the rails on a grinder/sander, or will that damage the pickup?
 
#3
From what I know, you are wasting your time. Assuming your strings are properly installed, it sounds like your G and E strings are just not producing enough current. That means the windings of the coil are too small and do not enter the area far enough where the strings disturb the field. The only fix I know of is to rewind the coils so they are larger, or more practically, get a hot rail that has a reputation of reliability.
 
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#6
Pilgrim said:
I'd suggest changing the bridge adjustment. I can't imagine any rails high enough that you couldn't tweak the bridge to compensate. Maybe have to go to a 4-saddle bridge.
Click to expand...

I've installed a 4 saddle bridge, and the action is good. The radius on these blades is very pronounced, and the pickup was only $10, so I'm gonna try and modify it before I replace it. It very well might be junk, though, and I'll replace it if necessary.
 
#10
If it's something you want to play around with, go for it. I would echo what others have said, don't get the coil hot, besides the reasons stated above, most of the coil wire has enamel or lacquer insulation and if things get hot enough to melt the insulation, the coil is shorted.

Also, anything you use to going or file the blades down is going to make metal shavings or dust and I can't imagine you'll ever get it all out of the pickup. That could caus a problem or, might not.

Let us know what you come up with and how it turns out.
 
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#11
Matt Liebenau said:
If it's something you want to play around with, go for it. I would echo what others have said, don't get the coil hot, besides the reasons stated above, most of the coil wire has enamel or lacquer insulation and if things get hot enough to melt the insulation, the coil is shorted.

Also, anything you use to going or file the blades down is going to make metal shavings or dust and I can't imagine you'll ever get it all out of the pickup. That could caus a problem or, might not.

Let us know what you come up with and how it turns out.
Click to expand...
To minimize potential damage from filing, dip the pot in melted wax before you start, and again before you reinstall it. Dipping it the first time will give you a little extra protection on the wires, dipping it the second time will/should immobilize any particles you weren't able to remove. When trying to clean the filings off, do not blow or brush them off, you don't want to wind up scratching/breaking the wires. Use tape to pick them off or a vacuum to suck them off.
 
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#13
byacey said:
Removing metal from the blades will lower the inductance of the pickup, potentially changing the tone. I would look at different strings first.
Click to expand...
That's the whole idea, removing some of the core material from over the A and D strings allows the field to disperse at a lower level, removing some of the field from the strings path, this results in a lower signal for those strings, evening out its strength relative to the E and G string. It won't affect tone, only signal strength.
 
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#14
If the strings sound fine unplugged, it might be a defective pickup.
In my Bronco I installed a 90s ESP rails, it's definitely arched (2 mm higher in the middle) and it sounds flawless.
You could check if the blades make a tight contact with the magnet everywhere they're supposed to.
 
#15
My advice:

Always have a camera rolling, and say "watch this" before starting any endeavor like this. That way, at least you have a video that you can use for America's Funniest, or put on Youtube - after you go to the emergency room and get a few stitches.
 
#16
byacey said:
Removing metal from the blades will lower the inductance of the pickup, potentially changing the tone. I would look at different strings first.
Click to expand...

Actually, as he's not changing the cross section of the metal through the coil, the inductance isn't going to change much at all. And the OP's logic is sound - a bigger gap fom the D and A strings will bring their level down. Assuming you know how to do this safely, and you go slowly so as to not overheat things, it sounds like a fun experiment to me. I know I've done stranger things (some of which have worked).
 
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#17
I think the pickup would have to be *wildly raised at the center to make this work out, but it depends on just how far apart those outside strings are in volume from the inside strings.

note to self: spend the money on brand-name pickups :smug:


*by that I mean now it would have to be a large height difference between the inside & outside, for the lowering to make that much of an improvement
 
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