Jazz bass pickups not able to be raised enough

[McSalterson]

I just installed a HiMass bridge on a Player Series Jazz bass and had to shim the neck. The pickups are now pretty far below the strings, and it's negatively affecting output. I loosened the screws and the pickups went up, but it reached a point where the screws were coming up and the pickup stayed in place.

Before I take it apart and start fiddling, what am I likely to need? Foam underneath the pickup? Springs under the screws? Longer screws?

 

[Zooberwerx]

I just installed a HiMass bridge on a Player Series Jazz bass and had to shim the neck. The pickups are now pretty far below the strings, and it's negatively affecting output. I loosened the screws and the pickups went up, but it reached a point where the screws were coming up and the pickup stayed in place.

Before I take it apart and start fiddling, what am I likely to need? Foam underneath the pickup? Springs under the screws? Longer screws?

May need a longer screw. You can add any number of things to jack-up the J’s…foam, dissected mouse pads, springs, etc.

Riis

 

[Killing Floor]

Foam. You can buy foam shims from StewMac but it’s just as easy to make your own.

 

[C Stone]

You may need longer screws most likely.
Use what you have as far as foam, just make sure to cut it so it is very close the the full width/length of pickup dimension to avoid unwanted tilt/angle (at least that’s how I do it) if you use more dense foam you get away with smaller pieces.
I have used big box tile sponge (dense)
Majic Eraser, and in a pinch I once used a doubled (folded over) dish sponge, lol.

 

[McSalterson]

Majic Eraser

Thanks! I wound up using a cheap melamine sponge (aka Magic Eraser) that I forgot I even had until I read that. The foam I had been thinking about was too soft without wadding a bunch of it up.

I also found out that springs wouldn't work because there was a cover over the actual pickup. Springs would have only been pushing the cover up.

 

[C Stone]

Yesir, cool you are up and runnin again.

 

[SharpCat]

Never tested it, but worried that a magic eraser is going to wear the finish on your bass over time. Those things are sharp on a micro level.

 

[McSalterson]

worried that a magic eraser is going to wear the finish on your bass over time. Those things are sharp on a micro level.

That's a valid concern. I'm not terribly worried on my Player Series, but if it were a higher tier instrument, I might reconsider.

 

[sissy kathy]

Insulating foam for water pipes is very versatile.

 

[JKos]

Never tested it, but worried that a magic eraser is going to wear the finish on your bass over time. Those things are sharp on a micro level.

Under the pickups?

 

[SharpCat]

Under the pickups?

No, more for mutes. Just don’t want people being unaware of the issue.

 

[fhm555]

I cut mouse pads and stack them to a little above the required height, then screw them down to the height I need. This keeps me from pushing the pickups down when playing.