Installing Pickup Ring Springs - What’s the Secret?

Dirty_Boogie

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Trying to replace my McCarty pup rings, and am finding it impossible to compress the springs enough to thread the screw into pups. Like, I’m either going to gouge the rings with the screwdriver, or lose an eye when the spring shoots out. What’s the secret to getting the pickups mounted to the rings?

(feeling embarrassed that I even have ask this!)
 
It is tricky and maybe someone else can express in print how to do it. Just know that I've literally changed pickups hundreds of times and I still haven't found a super easy way to do it. I've just figured out a couple easier tricks that I'd really have to show someone, rather than explain it.
 
I've been changing my rings around for a mod I've been doing, I finally changed to Gibson springs. They are slightly weaker which helps a little. The guy on the PRS maintenance site does it easily. I've tried to mimic what he does, and it has helped a little!
 
I've been changing my rings around for a mod I've been doing, I finally changed to Gibson springs. They are slightly weaker which helps a little. The guy on the PRS maintenance site does it easily. I've tried to mimic what he does, and it has helped a little!
Thanks - good info. I found a couple of similar links on YouTube. The biggest issue is that in addition to the strings being really long, they are so much stiffer than other springs I've worked with. Will give it another try...
 
It's tricky, but it is something of a learned skill with PRS pickups, due to the shorter screws and longer springs. The method I hit upon was the run the screws through the ring, then the springs onto the rings. If you notice, the screw holes have a little stump that will hold the springs. With screws and springs on the ring, cup in the palm of your non-dominant hand, then carefully press the pickup onto the springs. It's usually easier to push one end down first. Turn your hand over, then use a screwdriver to engage the screws into the pickup legs. Your fingers help to keep the springs from splaying or shooting out the sides. Plastic rings are flexible, so no worries about breaking them. I do it slightly differently with wood rings...

I saw a factory tour video a while back in which Skitchy Zimmers (PRS PTC staff) showed the tour group how he mounted the pickups. It was essentially the same as noted above. There's no magic tool or clamp. Just hands and a screwdriver.
 
I use 2 fingers under the pickup thumb on the ring squeeze enough to get the one side JUST started then same on other side, it does take some practice to get faster at it.
 
I have an idea but I've not tried it yet.

Buy E clips that fit the screws and use those to keep the spring compressed enough to start the threads.

Use needle nose to pull E clips off once threads start.
 
Just last night I did my first pup replacement ever and it was certainly a challenge. Used the fist grip method. The problem for me was getting the screw to line up with the hole as I was pressing pup and ring together. Took me probably an hour to do the two rings, but will certainly go faster in the future ;~)) At least 10 minutes of my time was finding the springs when they got launched due to my fumbling ;~(( All good now and they look fantastic (ebony rings for my core CU24)!
 
I tried to put new pick up covers on my guitar yesterday and they wouldn't fit. no matter what I did to try and stretch the new chrome covers. Ending up ruining one so I took them off, cleaned the silicone off the bare pup on the neck pick up and then had to put everything back together. Ugh...... I feel the pain!
 
The problem I was having (that prompted this thread) was that the replacement rings PRS sent me were incorrect - the bridge ring was much “taller” than the original on my MyCarty. The implication was that when I put the mounting screw through the hole, there was effectively less screw thread exposed on the bottom side. That, coupled with the excessively long (brass?) springs they use, made it absolutely impossible to mount - just too much spring for the available space. Unfortunately, I had gone through every trick on the internet when I realized that the ring was the issue. Once PRS sent me the correct rings, I was able to get them installed - but still had to use the plastic straw technique. What a PITA!
 
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This is what I do.
Buy a pair of aligator clips to do both at the same time or a single aligator clip to do one side at a time.
Put the screw thru the pickup ring.
Flip pickup ring upside down or place on its side if still in guitar.
Place spring onto screw and push down to compress spring and expose threads
Place aligator clip onto threads mid screw to hold compressed spring.
Now the threads are showing and you should be able to place back over the pickup and use screwdriver to simply thread screw into pickup
Once threads catch enough, remove aligator clip to release compressed spring
Repeat for other side
I can post some pics when I get a chance.
 
This is what I do.
Buy a pair of aligator clips to do both at the same time or a single aligator clip to do one side at a time.
Put the screw thru the pickup ring.
Flip pickup ring upside down or place on its side if still in guitar.
Place spring onto screw and push down to compress spring and expose threads
Place aligator clip onto threads mid screw to hold compressed spring.
Now the threads are showing and you should be able to place back over the pickup and use screwdriver to simply thread screw into pickup
Once threads catch enough, remove aligator clip to release compressed spring
Repeat for other side
I can post some pics when I get a chance.

Came here to post this. I saw this trick on Ted Woodford of Woodford Instruments' youtube channel. It works just as well as the $300 spring installation tool from stewmac, that's for sure. If I can find a vid where he does it, I'll post a link here. Pretty sure there was one recently that shows it.

Well it's not recent but that doesn't matter. Go to the 10 minute mark.

 
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Came here to post this. I saw this trick on Ted Woodford of Woodford Instruments' youtube channel. It works just as well as the $300 spring installation tool from stewmac, that's for sure. If I can find a vid where he does it, I'll post a link here. Pretty sure there was one recently that shows it.

Well it's not recent but that doesn't matter. Go to the 10 minute mark.

Thats the ticket. Thx Wound Up
 
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