So I hit a little unforseen snag on the BG5 project tonight when something that I had completely overlooked was exposed. You'd think at my age and experience I would be smarter than I am but that is too often not the case. I get a thought in my head, file it as 100% correct them am surprised when it's wrong. So I bought the set of used Lakland PJ pickups and had every expectation that they would fall right in. P went in as planned except for discovering tha the radius on the PG P cutouts were the wrong radius, too round, and didn't fit well with the squared corners of the new P pickups. So I spent some quality time hand filing and re-radiusing those corners with fine results. Hard part is done. Grab my new J pickup and to my surprise it's far too long and the screw 'bumps' are in the wrong place. I was stunned, blood pressure rising and saying nasty things in my head about the folks that routed that spot in the first place. Now we know that the EMG 'Long Jazz' fit fine because that was in there. and because it was the 'long' version well, hell, my Lakland bridge pickups are long too... right? And, embarrassingly, never once did the thought enter my head that I might want to measure something. I even have a Lakland bridge pickup in my parts drawer! No need, because it will fit.
Not so much:
So I am dead in the water at that point, really disappointed, and by disappointed I mean ridiculously pissed. All these thoughts about finding a suitable sized 5 string J pickup that narrow that will accommodate the string spacing, what if I couldn't, how much new compromise will I know be forced into by someone elses ineptitude, etc., etc. So I start weighing options. Burn it? Submit to the correct EMG set? Re-rout for some larger dual coil? Or perhaps I'll just call it a night and re-group. Then I remembered that when the routing was done they had Nordstrands installed so somewhere that compatible set exists. And if that one does there are likely others. Things are getting brighter now. And so I learn that there are some suitable 3.7" wide 5 string pickups out there. Looking back at the older pictures the Nordstrands actually align very nicely. Is that a 'vintage' width? This is not something I kwo much about. Obviously...
So now I will have to go shopping again, this time armed with my newly acquired knowledge.
On the positive side the rest of my planned projects had gone off beautifully
Neck cleaned, waxed and frets checked and polished
Bridge disassembled cleaned, polished, saddle height screws lubed, saddles shined up, and bridge mounting screws had their heads polished as well. This was one of the more dramatic cleanups. It had a lot of years of stuff accumulated in areas that never get cleaned.
Same treatments for the tuners which they had 15 years of general haze and dullness. Didn't take them down as far but just more for function check and lubing. These came out nicely as well, especially the barrel nuts and washers which responded well to some polishing. Even polished the small rear mounting heads for a nice detail.
And since I can't not do them as well, polished the neck screw heads.
And that's all for now. Audere 3 band preamp on order and time to find some pickups that will fit.
Not so much:
So I am dead in the water at that point, really disappointed, and by disappointed I mean ridiculously pissed. All these thoughts about finding a suitable sized 5 string J pickup that narrow that will accommodate the string spacing, what if I couldn't, how much new compromise will I know be forced into by someone elses ineptitude, etc., etc. So I start weighing options. Burn it? Submit to the correct EMG set? Re-rout for some larger dual coil? Or perhaps I'll just call it a night and re-group. Then I remembered that when the routing was done they had Nordstrands installed so somewhere that compatible set exists. And if that one does there are likely others. Things are getting brighter now. And so I learn that there are some suitable 3.7" wide 5 string pickups out there. Looking back at the older pictures the Nordstrands actually align very nicely. Is that a 'vintage' width? This is not something I kwo much about. Obviously...
So now I will have to go shopping again, this time armed with my newly acquired knowledge.
On the positive side the rest of my planned projects had gone off beautifully
Neck cleaned, waxed and frets checked and polished
Bridge disassembled cleaned, polished, saddle height screws lubed, saddles shined up, and bridge mounting screws had their heads polished as well. This was one of the more dramatic cleanups. It had a lot of years of stuff accumulated in areas that never get cleaned.
Same treatments for the tuners which they had 15 years of general haze and dullness. Didn't take them down as far but just more for function check and lubing. These came out nicely as well, especially the barrel nuts and washers which responded well to some polishing. Even polished the small rear mounting heads for a nice detail.
And since I can't not do them as well, polished the neck screw heads.
And that's all for now. Audere 3 band preamp on order and time to find some pickups that will fit.
