Direct mount pickups - improving adjustability

[Elwood]

Are there any usable system to improve using direct mount pickups. A couple of wood screws and some foam seems a little low tech. Has anyone had any luck with mods that allow for better contact to the body and better pup height adjustment?

 

[odibrom]

You could try wood inserts. As for keeping the pickup away from the bottom, springs and foam are the most common solutions. Personally, I don't think there is much to improve. I have my guitars with wood screws and foam of some sort. Have it as a simple system for a low and easy maintenance. If the wood thread wears out, a drop of super glue inside the hole and you're done. Simple and effective.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

There's this: http://www.fu-tone.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=96&products_id=261
But its benefits are mostly practical as far as mounting is concerned. Not much perceived improvement necessarily on a tone perhaps, but that is subjective.

 

[stratjacket]

There's this: http://www.fu-tone.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=96&products_id=261
But its benefits are mostly practical as far as mounting is concerned. Not much perceived improvement necessarily on a tone perhaps, but that is subjective.

Thanks for posting, that is a pretty cool little gadget for mounting pickups. After watching the little video they had, you'd have to remove (or severely loosen) the strings and remove the pickup to adjust the height. That seems like a hassle. I guess you could just use the block and screws with springs on the screws so you could adjust on the fly if needed. Also, looks like they just have 6 string size.
But I may try one to check it out anyway.

 

[Elwood]

Thanks guys, i'm not so much looking for a tonal improvement just a better/sturdier way of mounting.

 

[Elwood]

https://youtu.be/cIBEh0jp9kk?list=UUU0cjzt01UjY9y_LqlBHQAA

Has anyone tried the FU mounting system? Was it worth the cash?

 

[Lasik124]

I just had this thought a couple days ago to myself installing a new pickup.

Cutting up foam with trial and error heights like "Why hasn't anyone come up with a better system"

 

[Jeffbro]

I just had this thought a couple days ago to myself installing a new pickup.

Cutting up foam with trial and error heights like "Why hasn't anyone come up with a better system"

Because it's extremely easy, extremely cheap, and extremely effective

It literally takes a minute and doesn't need to be exact at all to work properly

 

[rowsi]

You can mount inserts into the wood, thus preventing the wood from getting all worn out from frantical height adjustments. Imho more sophisticated techniques aren't required, as a pickup ring will only hold a pickup by two screws either.
You don't have to cut up new foam all the time, as the foam pushes the pickup up, the screws push it down. If your foam is thick enough, you can adjust the height of your pups with the screws as usual.

 

[Yodel]

50$ for a piece of metal and two screws is pretty steep

 

[Nag]

50$ for a piece of metal and two screws is pretty steep

it's tonemetal though

I dunno if asking 50 bucks for a few grams of steel is more scandalous than a custom shop asking 500 bucks MSRP for a maple top. It's easy to ask for a lot of money for a product... if someone buys it you can just be like "eh, you didn't have to, so don't bitch about it"

 

[9Lives]

Not sure if some one answered this, but I always put a piece of foam under the pup and add springs to screws. Make sure foam thick enough to slightly press up on the pup. Works great

 

[Elwood]

Foam isn't really direct mounting the pickup - it can still wobble about. I doubt it'll have any affect on sound it just seems like a temporary solution.

 

[rami80]

The best solution I've found so far is using threaded inserts with a machine screw that is not completely threaded. When the top of the screw does have a thread the pickup will stay between the threaded part and the screw head.

 

[7 Strings of Hate]

Has anyone tried the FU mounting system? Was it worth the cash?

Looks like hocus pocus shit. There is a reason there isn't a better solution to buy. Its not really needed. You could use inserts, but you could bust out the back if your not careful installing them. And for what? Seems like your making a problem that isn't a problem.

 

[Elwood]

Looks like hocus pocus shit. There is a reason there isn't a better solution to buy. Its not really needed. You could use inserts, but you could bust out the back if your not careful installing them. And for what? Seems like your making a problem that isn't a problem.

I agree on the hocus pocus about sound but a solid base and better adjustment for direct mount pups would be no bad thing!

 

[marcwormjim]

Another pickup add-on? In my day, we didn't need help picking up guitars.