Pickup Mounting Screws. Springs or Tubing?

[Paul in Colorado]

Since I don't want to pull the bridge on my '52 RI, would someone tell me if you use surgical tubing or springs on a Tele lead pickup? What size screws and where do you get your tubing? I can tell you how the pickups are mounted on most of my other guitars but I can't remember how the Tele works.

[Russinator]

Most modern MIA and MIM Teles use tubing. MIJ's seem to use springs. Screw size varies with country of origin also. If you buy a new pickup all the stuff comes with it. And if not you usually can reuse what's on there now. :)

[GilmourD]

Regardless of what was on there from the factory, all my guitars have (or will soon have) surgical tubing. I find that it's a little stiffer than a spring, and actually reduced feedback in both my Teles when on the bridge pickup.

[Teleologist]

All the MIA's I've seen use tubing. I don't like the stuff SD and some other PUP makers supply - too wimpy. I found some at a medical supply store that matches the stiffer stuff Fender uses. Be carefull not to compress too much of the stuff on the rear 2 screws of a Tele bridge PUP - it can damage the leads from the coil to the eyelets. I usually cut it about 50% longer than it will be when compressed.

Fender PUP screws are non-magnetic(plated brass?) so they don't interfere with the PUP. On vintage style Teles where the string ground goes thru the height screws, clean the wax out of the threaded holes in the bottom plate and on the screw threads. I once had a ground problem caused by excess wax acting as insulation.