RANT: Why does anyone make a pickup with ONE hole per side????

[PowerTube44]

As the title says... I have three Carvin guitars. One has the stock humbucker, one has an M22SD, and one has a Duncan TB-4, all direct-mounted.

I decided I wanted to try a DiMarzio in the one that currently has the Duncan, maybe a Tone Zone or Super Distortion. But guess what? Every pickup I see on the DiMarzio website has ONE hole on each side. Just one. Even if I wasn't direct mounting, how the hell does anyone set the LEVEL of a pickup with only ONE hole per side?

These pickups are built by machines. I can't believe it's an issue to have the machine drill three holes per side instead of just one.

Duncan is also guilty. The SH-4 has one hole per side, while the TB-4 has three on each side. They're the same pickup otherwise. WHY?????

 

[mickeydg5]

I am trying to figure out why it matters.
Please explain.

 

[PowerTube44]

I am trying to figure out why it matters.
Please explain.

It's very simple. My Carvin ST300 bridge pickup has three screws, two on the bass side and one on the treble side. It wouldn't matter on the treble side with the one hole, but on the bass side, the holes are drilled for the two, with no hole in the middle. So I would have to drill a new hole, which isn't a big deal, but you also can't level a pickup with only one hole on each side.

If they would just drill three holes per side, then everyone's happy.

 

[mickeydg5]

It's very simple. My Carvin ST300 bridge pickup has three screws, two on the bass side and one on the treble side. It wouldn't matter on the treble side with the one hole, but on the bass side, the holes are drilled for the two, with no hole in the middle. So I would have to drill a new hole, which isn't a big deal, but you also can't level a pickup with only one hole on each side.

If they would just drill three holes per side, then everyone's happy.

Ah, ok.
Well chisel punch a spot and drill.
My direct coupled/mounted pickups do not level. They are direct to wood, period. I adjust the poles.

 

[PowerTube44]

Ah, ok.
Well chisel punch a spot and drill.
My direct coupled/mounted pickups do not level. They are direct to wood, period. I adjust the poles.

I may decide to go that route because I really want to try a DiMarzio in this guitar.

 

[PowerTube44]

Actually, I spoke too soon. It looks like the tabs on the DiMarzio pups aren't wide enough to support doing that:

 

[PowerTube44]

So I guess this leaves me with another question. How can you level direct-mounted pickups with only one screw on each side?

 

[mickeydg5]

The nice thing about wood is you can spot a placement, drill a pilot and just screw it down.

 

[mickeydg5]

So I guess this leaves me with another question. How can you level direct-mounted pickups with only one screw on each side?

As I said above, direct means to wood. If it is leveled with a screw some how then it is not direct all the way. I guess the right flat washers could be used to level the entire pickup itself.
I myself go straight to wood and adjust poles in the pickup.

 

[PowerTube44]

As I said above, direct means to wood. If it is leveled with a screw some how then it is not direct all the way. I guess the right flat washers could be used to level the entire pickup itself.
I myself go straight to wood and adjust poles in the pickup.

My Carvins are all direct to wood. They have one screw on the treble side and two on the bass side. The two on the bass side let you level the pickup so that the strings run consistently across it from the bridge to the nut. Make sense?

I have no interest in adjusting the poles in the pickup. They're not there for leveling purposes.

 

[Leonard Neemoil]

So I guess this leaves me with another question. How can you level direct-mounted pickups with only one screw on each side?

Imo and ime, you're thinking about it too hard. Just install it with 2 screws and rock on.

Cheers mate!

 

[mickeydg5]

My Carvins are all direct to wood. They have one screw on the treble side and two on the bass side. The two on the bass side let you level the pickup so that the strings run consistently across it from the bridge to the nut. Make sense?

I have no interest in adjusting the poles in the pickup. They're not there for leveling purposes.

No, it does not make sense.
I have one screw on each side of my pickups providing a solid tie down to wood.
My bridge is set and then saddles are adjusted for each string for action and intonation.
Every string has its own setting for intonation and action. Then I set the poles on the pickup for the string volume I want.
At least it is how I do it.

 

[Georgiatec]

Actually, I spoke too soon. It looks like the tabs on the DiMarzio pups aren't wide enough to support doing that:

View attachment 107760

I own a lot of pickups and they all look like the one in your photo. I don't understand how, if there are two holes you can adjust the pickup height with one screw when another is holding it down to the wood?

 

[mickeydg5]

I own a lot of pickups and they all look like the one in your photo. I don't understand how, if there are two holes you can adjust the pickup height with one screw when another is holding it down to the wood?

Shhhhh!
You are making this more complicated.

 

[PowerTube44]

No, it does not make sense.
I have one screw on each side of my pickups providing a solid tie down to wood.
My bridge is set and then saddles are adjusted for each string for action and intonation.
Every string has its own setting for intonation and action. Then I set the poles on the pickup for the string volume I want.
At least it is how I do it.

What I'm talking about has nothing whatsoever to do with string height or intonation. I'm talking about not having the pickup tilted too high or low on either the bridge side or the neck side.

In other words, I want the two coils of the pickup to be the same height, not tilted with one higher and one lower. That's easy to set when one side has two screws, but I've had issues with them wanting to tilt when there's only one screw per side.

 

[mickeydg5]

Does your pickup routings look like Rocky Mountains or something?
If so, ditch the guitar.

The plane should be flat.

 

[PowerTube44]

I own a lot of pickups and they all look like the one in your photo. I don't understand how, if there are two holes you can adjust the pickup height with one screw when another is holding it down to the wood?

Okay, a very quick and dirty illustration:


I'm not adjusting the pickup HEIGHT with one screw. I'm adjusting the height with all three, and the TILT with the two that are on the same side. I've seen pickups in bezels that work the same way.

 

[Georgiatec]

What I'm talking about has nothing whatsoever to do with string height or intonation. I'm talking about not having the pickup tilted too high or low on either the bridge side or the neck side.

In other words, I want the two coils of the pickup to be the same height, not tilted with one higher and one lower. That's easy to set when one side has two screws, but I've had issues with them wanting to tilt when there's only one screw per side.

Ahh...get you mean, you don't want them to rock back and forth. I use foam under the pickups to stop this when mounting in a Gibson type pickup ring. I would think if you are screwing them hard to the body of the guitar, they aint gonna move even with only one screw in each side.

 

[Georgiatec]

Okay, a very quick and dirty illustration:

View attachment 107762
I'm not adjusting the pickup HEIGHT with one screw. I'm adjusting the height with all three, and the TILT with the two that are on the same side. I've seen pickups in bezels that work the same way.

I have seen this on some pups, but it's uncommon...most just have one hole per side and you block them underneath with foam to stop them rocking, or indeed, to set them at a desired angle.

 

[PowerTube44]

I've heard of that method. My Carvin direct mounts don't have foam or anything under them. They're just resting on the screws with a spring under each one.

I'm not against the foam idea, but I would prefer to keep them this way if possible. It looks like it can't be done with a DiMarzio.