How Are Older Neck Pickups Mounted?

[Amishius]

Hi all-

I'm sure this is covered, but I'd rather ask because I'm really enjoying the forum and got a lot of wonderful feedback after my last question:

How are older neck pickups mounted? In my soon to be owned MIM, there are two screw holes for the neck pickup, but how are older style pickups mounted?

Are there advantages to the new style or old style?

The reason I ask is because I'm curious if I can change my pickguard to an old style and mount the same pickups. What new hardware would be required?

Thanks in advance!

[Suicideking]

Instead of mounting the pickups to the plastic pickguard like your new Tele with the 2 holes on either side of the neck pickup. The older 5 hole pickguard Teles mount the neck pickups straight into the bottom of the pickup cavity wood. The advantages are all specific to peoples own ears some say none some say it makes the world of difference mounting it to the wood. I would say try it yourself and see what you like..

[Amishius]

That sounds like a lot of work- or maybe just drilling. I'm a little scared to drill~

[leftiecaster]

Originally Posted by Suicideking

Instead of mounting the pickups to the plastic pickguard.......with the 2 holes on either side of the neck pickup. The older 5 hole pickguard Teles mount the neck pickups straight into the bottom of the pickup cavity wood...

If that had change occured in the 70's, would it have been refered to as a 'CBS cost-cutting' measure?

[Suicideking]

I am not sure exactly when the change came, but I know there are some new RI's that come with the neck pu mounted to the body. I dont think u would have to drill out a hole in your Tele, someone who knows more may correct me if I am wrong here, but you could prob just start a lil pilot then use wood screws the rest of the way..

[Bolide]

+ Easy to swap out pickguards: Have a different pickguard for all the many wonders that are you.
- Slightly more difficult to spot for drilling,
=/= Sound path through just the body versus body+pickguard: You pick-em, likely not enough difference to detect.

[leftiecaster]

What could be the reason Fender made this change with some of their Teles?

[Amishius]

If I had to venture a guess, maybe in a more factory-oriented era, it's easier to just drop a pickguard and bridge with a pickup already installed? I dunno.

[leftiecaster]

Originally Posted by Amishius

If I had to venture a guess, maybe in a more factory-oriented era, it's easier to just drop a pickguard and bridge with a pickup already installed? I dunno.

Yes,...and if that had happened during the CBS years,..the '70's bashers' would be highlighting it as another 'cost cutting' measure.

Yet,...it's,... "well it makes no difference either way".

[MickM]

Nice being able to tinker with pickup height without pulling the guard.

[Amishius]

I don't know this whole CBS debate, so I won't pretend to know what's going on, but I can only assume there is some kind of practical answer, like MickM's. I assume it's easier to just grab your screw driver. Maybe it was a cost cutting thing AND an ease thing? Is the new bridge cheaper than the vintage, or is that an ease thing? Who knows? CBS? Cost-cutting? I'd love to hear some examples.

[Ricky D.]

Originally Posted by MickM

Nice being able to tinker with pickup height without pulling the guard.

True that.

IMO it's a cleaner look to eliminate those screw heads by the pickup. For me it's worth the hassle. Converting to body mount isn't too tough if you are good at layout and can control your drill depth.

[mellecaster]

Originally Posted by Amishius

I'm a little scared to drill~

Drill Baby...Drill....

[allen st. john]

I like the cleaner look.

[Bolide]

Originally Posted by MickM

Nice being able to tinker with pickup height without pulling the guard.

d'Oh!!!!!
Missed that decidedly positive aspect.

Gracias.

[Manolete]

This bugged me for ages. As previously mentioned, the pickup is screwed directly into the wood. Not sure how you line it up with the pickguard properly on the first pass.

For this reason I'm going to go for suspended pickup on my tele build. I'm also using a Strat neck pickup, so I'm already off some folks' Christmas Card lists!

[Amishius]

Originally Posted by Manolete

For this reason I'm going to go for suspended pickup on my tele build. I'm also using a Strat neck pickup, so I'm already off some folks' Christmas Card lists!

Meh- to each his own. Yeah, I'm not sure I want to mess with the wood too much- I might just live with it suspended. How often am I going to be looking at it while playing anyways, right?

[Vizcaster]

As usual TDowns has the answer on how to locate a body-mounted pickup:

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-home...ck-pickup.html

I'd also point out that guitarpartsresource has the thin number four screws that you'd need - they'll fit where the no. 6 machine screws would go into the fiber or plastic bobbin base for pickguard mounting.

[varakeef]

The height adjusting of neck pup was relatively easy until 22 fret necks with overhang over the guard arrived. I think the height adjustement screws thru the guard was a solution to that.