my solution for adding a baseplate

[yegbert]

I bought a few baseplates to try adding one to a Fender stock bridge pickup that comes without one. The pickup shown here being baseplated is from an MIM Classic Series '50s Tele, the same pickup that comes in an MIM Classic Series '50s Esquire and an MIA(?) Hwy 1 Tele.

I like the baseplates from Stewmac best of those I've tried. They are the same thickness, and appear to be the same type of material, as those on baseplated Fender and Duncan pickups.

Stewmac plate compared to one on a Duncan pup:


Allparts sells baseplates but they are twice as thick and are more expensive. A baseplate that looks essentially like the Allparts one, but has a gold or brassy colored finish, is what also comes stock on CII Squier bridge pickups.

Stewmac plate compared to Allparts plate:
http://home.comcast.net/~eporter27/p...p_Allparts.jpg
Stewmac plate compared to one on a Squier pup:


Here's the bottom of a Classic Series pickup stock, without a plate, and below it the Stewmac plate. I drilled the three larger holes in the Stewmac plate so it will fit cleanly over the plastic raised bosses on the plastic flatwork. The two loose screws were originally in a couple of the square holes in the bottom of the pickup. I drilled the two smaller holes in the plate to secure the plate using those screws.



I made sure the baseplate was good and flat, slipped it on the pickup bottom and then secured it with the two screws.



After a test fit, I removed it and soldered a ground wire to the bridge plate and then reinstalled it.

This is a non-invasive, non-destructive, easily reversible modification one can fairly easily make to a Fender stock pickup.

In fact I have moved that same baseplate from that pickup, to an American Series pickup, and now it's on a Classic Series staggerpole.

If you wanted to wax pot the baseplate you could do that with a little extra effort. I wanted to try it unwaxed first. I also have a Duncan Antiquity '55 bridge pickup which Duncan advertises as unwaxed on the baseplate. The pickups I have used this on unwaxed are no more microphonic than that Duncan pickup. I decided I like it unwaxed so I'm leaving it that way.

I had tried this with the thicker Allparts plate and then with the thinner Stewmac ones. I believe the thicker Allparts plate makes it a little louder and a tad boomy. (Makes me want to try removing and replacing the plate on my AlNiCo Squier pickup with one of these, to see if it sounds better!)

With the baseplate added I hear a nice difference. Something like additional harmonics and/or a little extra upper mid coloring.

The hardest part was measuring to locate the appropriate position for the holes. Beyond that, the drilling was somewhat difficult for me because I did it without a drill press or even a vise.

This isn't something I'm trying to sell. It's not difficult and the parts are cheap. So many of you reading this can go repeat the process and make your own, and I think that would be great. Although I think it is an interesting idea, that someone could probably figure out how to make these more professionally and sell them for not much more than the plates cost from Stewmac now.

[aznxtasy341]

.. for basplates all we need to do is sandwhich it under the pickup between the screws? or is there soldering required in that and where

i have another question but dont feel a need to make a whole thread for it: i have a pair of 50's classic p/u's and what would the attributes be to staggering the poles? and how could i stagger them im working with a 9.5 radius neck.

[yegbert]

Originally Posted by aznxtasy341

.. for basplates all we need to do is sandwhich it under the pickup between the screws? or is there soldering required in that and where

Place the pickup down on a table upside down as in the picture.

Place the baseplate on the pickup.

Insert the two screws in and tighten.

Not so much a sandwich unless you think of it as an open sandwich, maybe more like cheese toast. The pickup is the single slice of bread and the baseplate is the slice of cheese on top. The magnetism actually pulls the baseplate in like cheese getting melted on the toast.

No soldering required in fixing the plate to the pickup. The screws hold it on.

Sorry I didn't take a pic of adding the ground wire, that's what get's soldered onto the baseplate.

Originally Posted by aznxtasy341

i have another question but dont feel a need to make a whole thread for it: i have a pair of 50's classic p/u's and what would the attributes be to staggering the poles? and how could i stagger them im working with a 9.5 radius neck.

Fender staggered the poles for vintage 7.25" radius necks I believe to balance the output, so that the strings that would otherwise have a weaker output have a stronger output.

Theoretically they shouldn't be as necessary for a 9.5" radius neck. But staggered poles or flat poles are IMHO a matter of preference, folks use staggered on flatter radius necks and flatpole on 7.25" radius necks. Some folks set string heights using saddle height adjustments lower or higher to achieve string volume balancing instead, to use flatpole pickups on 7.25" necks.

If you want your D and G to be a little louder you might want to try a staggerpole.

Since the staggerpole Classic Series bridge pickup is essentially identical to the flatpole other than the polepiece heights, possibly the simplest way to try staggerpoles on your is to get a staggerpole Classic pickup to replace the flatpole one. You can find them for $25 or less easily, might even find someone here who would give you one because Fender made a whole bunch, and enough folks don't like them that they are in plentiful supply.

Or you can find a steel nail the head or body which is about the same diameter of the magnetic poles, cut some off in varying thicknesses and smooth them flat and stick them on. The magnet will hold them on for a short test or use a tiny drop of superglue to hold them on somewhat more securely.

[aznxtasy341]

do i need the buy this whole kit thing from stew mac? or is there somewhere where i could just get the plate

[yegbert]

Part number 5973, Tele bridge flatwork, is what I have bought.

It only has two extra parts, the top and bottom fiber flatwork.

I don't know of a cheaper source for a bridgeplate, with or without those extra parts. It's only $4.34 USD plus shipping.

[ErnestT]

Did you solder the ground wire to the base plate, or use one ot the mounting screws to hold it?

[yegbert]

Originally Posted by ErnestT

Did you solder the ground wire to the base plate, or use one ot the mounting screws to hold it?

I soldered it.

[robt57]

Originally Posted by yegbert

I soldered it.

Considering this Bill Lawerance Text:
"The steel baseplate also transmits from the steel bridge mount via the steel mounting screws some of the body vibrations into the pickup, resulting in that typical Tele twang."


What did you find twang wise after yo added your plate?

Also see my TDPRI Thread Here for reference

[yegbert]

An update: in my more recent experiments with adding a baseplate, I have used plastic screws instead of metal:

[boris bubbanov]

Very professional looking, Yegbert!

After the first one (where I had no mount fastener to baseplate connection) I changed course and instead snipped off the doubled part of the plastic bobbin to create a flat surface, then Shoe Goo'd the chromed steel Allparts base plate flat onto the bobbin, making sure the magnets did not touch the plate. And I re-tapped the holes in the base plate to 6-32 machine hardware and to the extent the existing threads in the plastic got wiped out, that was not considered important so long as the mount screws aligned well.

Some have a jumper, some have a separate ground lead to the control plate for switching purposes ( or potential purposes ).

I took Robt57s post of Bill's text to heart and decided a metal to metal connection was for me.