Ways to make vintage T neck pickups work with modern height adj. screws?

So I got a Diuncan 54 vintage set for my new blackguard build.

The problem is that I got a pickguard drilled for 2 height adjustment screws next to the tele pickup, but the duncan seems to have NON threaded holes, and vintage style wood screws, for mounting directly into the body.

(Didn't have this problem with my Dimarzio Twang King neck pickup... it was ready to go, already threaded).

I bought some fiber washers at the hardware store. I was going to cut out sections of the washer, make little squares, thread some smaller humbucker height-adjustment screws in them, and then glue the squares to the bottom of the Duncan 54 bobbin.

Anyone else have a better method?

I can't seem to find ANY nuts that are 3-48 size, in any local hardware store. No one carries sizes that small.

:confused:

You could glue nuts to the bottom of the pickup. Use something like clear Goop and you could easily remove them later if you wish. Bill Lawrence pickup come with little removable threaded inserts so they can be mounted either way.

If you're attempting to build a "Blackguard" copy, you bought the wrong pickguard. Otherwise you're just building a Telecaster with a black pickguard.

I wouldn't be using humbucker screws. You should be able to find suitable screws and nuts at Lowes or any good local hardware store in the specialty screw drawers.

Just run a 6-32 tap through the ears of the bobbin. 6-32 is the standard Fender pickup height screw. The great thing is that the screws are available at any hardware store.

Strat bobbins never had nuts on them, just 6-32 screws.

Forget the nuts. Glue won't stick to a wax bobbin.

Jwells, you got me on that one. It's definitely not a blackguard copy. More-so, a modern "inspired by blackguard" Telecaster. I like to be able to tweak pickups on the fly, so I need the modern style screws in the pickguard.

I was just at lowes, home depot, etc. They definitely don't have anything as small as a humbucker screw, that's for sure. I'll check to see if I can use a strat style screw in this pickuard. The hole should be big enough...

I'll report back soon... thanks for the input fellas.

4-40 x 5/8" is the size of the machine screws Fender uses to pickguard mount Tele neck pickups. Your best hope in not reaming the hole out too far for those to work, when body mounting a Tele neck pickup is to stick with the Fender spec for wood screw (#3 x 1" with a relieved shank) for body mounting. If the hole is already too loose for the standard 4/40 machine screw, you might try filling the holes partially with some epoxy and then after the epoxy dries, tap them with a 4-40 tap.

The typical holes in Tele pickguards for pickguard mounting a neck pickup aren't big enough for 6-32 machine screws. If you rethread the holes in a Tele neck pickup to 6-32, you'll also need to enlarge the holes in the pickguard accordingly. I'm not particularly fond of the looks of even the small heads of the 4-40 pickup mounting screws on a Tele pickguard, and I would like the bigger heads of 6-32 screws even less.

6-32 is the size of the machine screws Fender uses for pickguard mounting Strat pickups, and for mounting Tele bridge pickups.

6-32 came with My Dimarzio Area T neck pickup. Tapped the bobbin first, and its been flawless for 2 years so far. Its mounted in a USA Fender Tele Pickguard, holes were plenty big.

Hey guys... went to the hardware store today, and got some 4-40 Stainless Steel Pan Head screws, and guess what? They tapped in perfectly to the existing holes on the Duncan 54 Neck Pickup bobbin.

I polished up the screw heads with some 4000, 6000, and 8000 grit paper, and they look just like chrome now!