Neck pickup height drops while playing

Johnlovesbeer

New Member
Joined
Jan 31, 2016
Messages
5
Hi all, my first post.
The neck pickup on my recently acquired SE Dave Navarro is winding itself down during the course of every gig. I reset the height before each gig but by the end of the night the pickup has somehow lowered itself down to be flush with the surround.
Has anyone else experienced this and are there any suggestions to fix it other than using glue on the screws?
Cheers.
 
I've had this happen on a few pups over the years, including a circa 1990 PRS single coil. One of two things is happening: screw threads are damaged/stripped, or thread holes in the pickup are stripped. Solution I've tried that works: find matching nut for pickup height screw, epoxy to underside of bent metal pickup tab. Not pretty but it's out of sight.
 
I've had this happen on a few pups over the years, including a circa 1990 PRS single coil. One of two things is happening: screw threads are damaged/stripped, or thread holes in the pickup are stripped. Solution I've tried that works: find matching nut for pickup height screw, epoxy to underside of bent metal pickup tab. Not pretty but it's out of sight.

If this is the culprit (which sounds very likely), then check if it is the screw thread or the hole thread which has been stripped first. Can't imagine it being the screw, but IF it is, then the fix is easier (just a replacement screw).
You may have to drill out the hole, though. Be sure the center of the nut coincides with the axis of the old hole
 
I had the same problem on my #1 , an SE Tremonti Custom.The solution was to buy stiffer pickup springs on eBay. I won`t use glue on electronics, and I can tell you from experience that loctite will work its way loose because of the pickup vibrations. I also think it made a difference in the way the pickups sounded, for the better.
 
I had that problem with the bridge pickup on my S2. The springs weren't long enough. Swapping them out for longer ones did the trick.

You could also get a set of USA PRS rings for good measure. I love the recessed screws.
 
My simpler fix was to put a small piece of foam below the pup. This puts a constant force against the screws from inadvertently unwinding.

Never had a problem since, about a year or two...
 
Thanks for all the replies people.
I'm now thinking springs, just interesting that it's happening on a guitar that's only 4 months old and on the neck pup only. Could the springs be of budget quality given that the instrument is on the lower price scale for PRS?
I'll swap the springs out for longer ones and see if it makes a difference. I like Brian's foam idea also.
Cheers.
 
It is not right that it happened in a 4 month old guitar. Not sure what the warranty is on SEs, but that should be covered through the authorized dealer.
 
I had this happen once. The screws weren't the correct size. I didn't realize it. The screws were just big enough to adjust pickup but vibrations from playing would allow pick up to fall down.
 
I've settled for a drop of super glue on the under side of the pup screw hole. Hopefully will hold but also will break easily if needed. I'll post how it goes after this weekend's gig.
 
I don`t see how this could be a warranty issue on an SE, but I`ve been wrong before. The stiffer springs cost very little. I liked what they did so much that I`ve put them on another guitar where the pickups don`t fall. To paraphrase a luthier we know, everything affects the sound.
 
Hi all.
The drop of super glue worked on the weekend. I'll see how it goes over the next few weeks. I will eventually replace the springs.
Thanks to everyone for your replies and suggestions.
Cheers.
 
Hi all.
The drop of super glue worked on the weekend. I'll see how it goes over the next few weeks. I will eventually replace the springs.
Thanks to everyone for your replies and suggestions.
Cheers.

I am having this same issue. What did you finally settle on for a fix??
 
he used super glue. check posts just before yours.

yes i saw that but he mentioned he was going to use that for a few weeks and possibly replace the springs. Was just seeing if he settled on the glue or did something else...
 
I just replaced the strings on the bridge pickup of my SE 30th Ann cu24. This is the second guitar with one set of bad springs. I opted for the really expensive springs. It cost me $6 for 4 of them. The Tremonti still hasn`t budged.
 
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