Replacing pickups, bay too big.

[Aqueously]

Hi all, first post!

Preamble: My first bass was a cheap Stagg BC300 that I've been putting off fixing for years. The finish was destroyed, just a lot of wear and tear, so I sanded it down with the aim of repainting and lacquering it. Along the way I decided to drop better pickups into it too, so I went out and bought EMG-Ps. It's originally a passive bass but there is ample space inside for a battery and wiring. The original pick-ups that were in the bass though are larger than the EMGs, so there is a small gap around them. They haven't been installed yet, waiting til the guitar is totally refinished first.

Question: Is there a way to fill in the gaps so the EMGs fit snug? Will a mounting ring fix the problem? A friend of mine suggested using wood filler to essentially mold a new pickup bay, will that work or is that a crappy idea?

I guess it's kind of a noobish question but any answer would be appreciated

EDIT: I'm not totally sure this is in the right section, maybe a mod could move it to the Luthier's Corner if need be?

 

[ctmullins]

The luthier's approach would be to fill the entire pickup cavity with a suitable wood, then re-route the cavity to the appropriate dimensions.

The punk-rocker's approach would be to ignore it, since the new pickups will be installed with huge wood screws, and it'll probably get smashed at the next gig anyway.

Leo's approach would be to cover it with a tacky plastic pickguard.

 

[Aqueously]

I don't really want to use a pickguard, I'm refinishing the bass and painting designs on it, so I'd rather not slap a guard over the top.

It's only a couple of mm difference lengthwise, is it worth totally re-building the cavity? What about the shielding?

Thanks for the reply!

 

[ctmullins]

For a couple of mm, I wouldn't worry about it. I use gaps like that to hold picks...