Neck Pickup Mounting Without Pickguard

Hi all,

I'm on my first tele build and I'm trying to figure out how to mount the neck pickup. I'm not quite at the point in the build yet, but I'm thinking ahead.

The issue is that I'm not using a pick guard (if I absolutely have to I'll use a clear one, but I'd rather avoid it), and I don't want to use pickup mounting rings. How do I mount the pickups to the guitar if I'm not doing either of these? Is it even possible?

Also, I've been looking at pickup mounting screws/tubing...where do these go when you're installing the pickups? Do the springs just go under the pickup or around the screws? I've tried searching the installation of pickguardless/ringless pickups but I can't find anything.

Thanks.

Edit: I bought linty fralin tele replacements and they came with screws and tubing, so I guess I don't need to know about springs. That being said, I'm still not sure how to install these without a pick guard or ring.

You mount the pickup with wood screws straight into the body. The tubing goes on the screws under the tab on the pickup to provide enough resistance as it is smushed down to the body to fine tune the pickup height. You can alternatively stick some high density foam under the body of the pickup.

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-home-depot/263023-mounting-neck-pickup-no-holes-pickguard.html

You mount the pickup with wood screws straight into the body. The tubing goes on the screws under the tab on the pickup to provide enough resistance as it is smushed down to the body to fine tune the pickup height. You can alternatively stick some high density foam under the body of the pickup.

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-home-depot/263023-mounting-neck-pickup-no-holes-pickguard.html

Thanks. Is there a way of covering up the part of the neck pickup cavity that doesn't have the pickup sticking out of it? (i.e. the part closer to the bridge). I'm starting to think that I'll have to use a pick guard or mounting ring...

http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/ElijahGardener/8626d55d.jpg


Mounting ring works well.

That channel route has its own special aesthetic imho :smile:
What is the routing on your body?

http://www.tdpri.com/telephoto/uploads/6217/Baja-nopg.jpg

I like sans-pickguard guitars like Paul simon's

http://media.nu.nl/m/m1mztpsavtl3_700.jpg

http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z352/ElijahGardener/8626d55d.jpg


Mounting ring works well.

You're right. It looks good on your guitar, but I find that they look a bit bulky for the traditional tele neck pickup.

That channel route has its own special aesthetic imho :smile:
What is the routing on your body?

http://www.tdpri.com/telephoto/uploads/6217/Baja-nopg.jpg

I like sans-pickguard guitars like Paul simon's

http://media.nu.nl/m/m1mztpsavtl3_700.jpg

I haven't routed it out yet :P. It'll be your standard tele rout except I won't be routing the wiring channel. I'm gonna try to drill that through. It'll have a caribbean burst finish on a quilt maple top, and most of the figuring in the wood is where a pick guard would be and I don't want to cover it up. What I'm thinking of doing is using a clear pick guard and spraying some blue or even doing a burst on the underside of the pick guard around the neck pickup like what Crook does.

http://www.crookcustomguitars.com/paisleys/blue-paisley/

waparker4 covered it all!

If I decide to install the pickups with screws in a clear pick guard (seems to be the easiest way), does the tubing still go underneath the tab on the pickup or is it between the pickup and the pick guard?

I think my issue understanding this is that I'm not sure if the screws thread into the pickup itself. If they don't then the tubing is to hold the pickup from falling, if the screws do thread into the pickup, what is the tubing for?

Thanks. Newb questions, I know lol.

Here's one on a Tele. http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/j427/guitargasass/IMG_6388.jpg
A mounting ring that is.

If I decide to install the pickups with screws in a clear pick guard (seems to be the easiest way), does the tubing still go underneath the tab on the pickup or is it between the pickup and the pick guard?

I think my issue understanding this is that I'm not sure if the screws thread into the pickup itself. If they don't then the tubing is to hold the pickup from falling, if the screws do thread into the pickup, what is the tubing for?

Thanks. Newb questions, I know lol.

If you're suspending the pickup from a guard the tubing goes between the guard and the pickup.

It seems a lot like the springs on a strat saddle. Do they need to be there to set the saddles in place? I don't know, maybe not, but they sure work good :confused:

Put a P-90 in the neck position...

http://i1201.photobucket.com/albums/bb345/dogchicken/IMG_20110430_134458.jpg

Thanks. Is there a way of covering up the part of the neck pickup cavity that doesn't have the pickup sticking out of it? (i.e. the part closer to the bridge). I'm starting to think that I'll have to use a pick guard or mounting ring...

A clear pickguard won't solve that "problem."

How about making a mounting ring that matches your burst finish?

A clear pickguard won't solve that "problem."

How about making a mounting ring that matches your burst finish?

That's sort of what I would be doing if I used a clear pick guard. I can't match the burst finish around the pickup because it'll mostly be the natural maple colour around it.

With the clear pick guard I'll be painting either just a dark blue or I'd match the burst on the edge on the clear pick guard around the pickup. Like this:

http://www.crookcustomguitars.com/paisleys/blue-paisley/

That's a slightly different situation because the finish is opaque, but it just looks like the finish "rubbed out" around the pickup. It might look ok with the burst around the pickup. I'll have to try out my different options when I get to that point, because I'm still not 100% sold on anything yet. I might order a pickup mounting ring from stewmac and see what it looks like and then try the pick guard thing and pick from the two of them.

Post a picture of what your guitar and what you are trying to do.

Post a picture of what your guitar and what you are trying to do.

My guitar right now isn't even cut out yet. I'm thinking ahead so that I have an idea of what work I have left to do. The issue is that my guitar has a quilt maple top and the majority of the figuring would be covered by a pick guard if I used one. I'm trying not to cover up the figuring, but I also don't want the neck pickup rout to be showing. My options are mount to body, pickup mounting ring, or pick guard rout. A body mount means that the pickup rout isn't covered. I find that neck pickup mounting rings for single coil tele neck pickups look bulky, so I don't necessarily want to use one, but I'll see what they look like on my guitar. The clear pick guard might be the best option right now.

Why not rout out a rear mount cavity?

Put a P-90 in the neck position...



Mike, that is one classy guitar!!

And Waparker too :). Dang now I want to mod my strat like Paul's. I like the DIY simplicity of it.
Curse you tdpri and all your whimsical members ;)

Why not rout out a rear mount cavity?

:idea: That's it, IMO. No gap to cover.

Mike, that is one classy guitar!!

And Waparker too :). Dang now I want to mod my strat like Paul's. I like the DIY simplicity of it.
Curse you tdpri and all your whimsical members ;)

Yeah that tele is not mine, its just a pic. Paul Simons strat features the Nashville tuning and has a sd jb jr pickup in it I believe. Flip scipio put it together for him.

Mike, that is one classy guitar!!



Thanks !
That is my entry in the 2011 TDPRI build challenge.. I think I was in 27th place. :cry:
Here is the build thread if you are interested.
http://www.tdpri.com/forum/2011-tdpri-tele-build-challenge/263769-mike-simpsons-2011-tdpri-build-challenge-thread.html

My guitar right now isn't even cut out yet. I'm thinking ahead so that I have an idea of what work I have left to do. The issue is that my guitar has a quilt maple top and the majority of the figuring would be covered by a pick guard if I used one. I'm trying not to cover up the figuring, but I also don't want the neck pickup rout to be showing. My options are mount to body, pickup mounting ring, or pick guard rout. A body mount means that the pickup rout isn't covered. I find that neck pickup mounting rings for single coil tele neck pickups look bulky, so I don't necessarily want to use one, but I'll see what they look like on my guitar. The clear pick guard might be the best option right now.

If you are planning on a standard Tele neck pickup you could make a small cover out of the same wood as the top of the body and finish it the same or use a contrasting color of wood like rosewood, wenge, cocobolo or walnut for the cover. I really dislike those little chrome covers. :mrgreen:

I use wood inserts (4-40 if I remember correctly). They offer solid mounting, height adjustability and they're dead cheap.

http://i473.photobucket.com/albums/rr91/francm09/2012%20Cherry%20Bust%20Thinline/100_7440.jpg

http://i473.photobucket.com/albums/rr91/francm09/2012%20Thinline%20Cedar/100_7427.jpg

That's sort of what I would be doing if I used a clear pick guard. I can't match the burst finish around the pickup because it'll mostly be the natural maple colour around it.



Right, so make the ring out of maple. Or maybe out of the same wood as the fingerboard.