Pickup dimensions

Flip

I'm just completing my third kit build - started as a lockdown pastime - and while I'm content with the overall finish (considering my lack of expertise) and the overall playbility of the instruments, I sense the pickups are the weak area. Clearly I can't justify very expensive items but nor do I want to have to rout or fill the various cavities etc.

What I'd like to ask you experienced builders/modders is whether there is any element of standardisation between pickup dimensions.

Thanks for your patience.

SteveRobinson

Yes pretty much all pickups of the same form factor should be interchangeable.

What type are the pickups?

Roland

What Steve says, although sometimes you encounter fixing lugs which don’t quite fit into the routings. 

Pickups are a key element of any guitar’s sound, and it’s worth experimenting. That doesn’t have to be expensive because you can buy secondhand from the Classifieds, and re-sell for about the same money if they don’t suit.

Funkfingers

Flip said:

I can't justify very expensive items

I question this assertion.

Given that self-built guitars rarely sell for the same money as their famous name "real thing" equivalents, the notional re-sale value of a project is of little or no consequence.

Whatever you have built, you are probably stuck with it for life. Hence, you might as well create something that you will want to play often. Indulge your pickup fantasies. Maybe, even, create an exotic combination that nobody has commercialised before. 

e.g. Danelectro Lipstick and mini Charlie Christian. (Actually, there is probably a good reason why no manufacturer has ever offered that combination!)

TTony

Pickups are generally plug solder and play.  You *might* need to finesse cavities if existing units are  oddly shaped / sized, or if the existing cavities are a really tight fit, but that's unlikely to be an issue. 

If they're the pickups that came with a kit, and the kit is a typical MIC £150 kit, then your sensing re the pickups are probably correct.

If you want better, for not a lot of ££, take a look at the Iron Gear pickups.
http://axetec.co.uk/guitar_parts_uk_069.htm
 Unless I'm making something "special", these are what I'll typically use.  To get a lot better, you'll need to spend a lot (x3) more.

The website also includes dimensions for the pickups, so you can double check that they'll fit.

Flip

Thanks for the information and encouragement, much appreciated.

WezV

there mostly is some standard, until there isn't

As an example, Standard humbuckers tend to be 1 size, but within that you have a few factors that will affect fit and can sometimes catch you out

* pole spacing - usually roughly 50mm E-e.  vintage gibson spec is 49.2mm for bridge and neck.   some offer wider spacing for the bridge like SD's trembuckers at 52.6mm.   whilst the pole spacing is mostly aesthetic, you really don;t want to put a wide spaced one in a neck position

*cover or no cover... both will fit a standard humbucker ring, but a covered pickup will be a tighter fit.   if you have a guitar with direct mount uncovered pickups with no rings, don't assume a covered pickup will fit in the same route

* leg length and shape.  Vintage humbuckers have long legs with big rectangular tabs on the end.  Most have shorter legs, some have no legs at all.   They can also have small triangular tabs 

lets say I want to change the pickups on this



it has a really good fit for the chosen pickups.  If i added a vintage uncovered gibson pickups they will look much looser in the cavity and the pole spacing at the bridge will be noticeably narrower.  The big issues would be the mounting tabs, they simply won't fit, so you either have to modify the guitar, or swap the pickup baseplates out.


Strat and tele pickups tend to be easier, but its worth paying attention to the height of the coil, and any magnets underneath as that can sometimes be an issue on shallower routes.  

P-90's just have the difference between Soapbar and dog ear covers really.  some vintage variations on that but the same route can work for both, although you can get away with a sloppier fit on a dogear and its worth checking templates.  Many places sell P-90 templates that can look really bad with a soapbar as they are a bit oversized, but fine for a dogear.

Flip

Thanks for all the help. Fitted a pair of axetec Dirty Torque/Blues Engine and what a difference. Many thanks.

TTony

Flip said:

Thanks for all the help. Fitted a pair of axetec Dirty Torque/Blues Engine and what a difference. Many thanks.

That’s a good set @flip!