Neck pup ring bent by neck.

[Titan7]

Perhaps a silly question but is there a fix for a neck pup ring that appears to be too close to the end of the neck causing the ring to be bent in the center just slightly? The guitar is a SC250.

 

[Bill SAS 513]

If you want to try one possible fix, remove the 2 screws on either side of the pickup ring along the edge of neck where the ring is being pressed inward and , using a VERY SMALL blade, enlarge the screw holes just a little bit in the pick up ring only (Not the screw holes in the guitar body). Again, do it in VERY small increments. In the past, this has allowed the ring to seat better. Of course, if the end of the neck is actually pressing on the ring, this may not help. Remember, do a little at a time. Hope this helps.

 

[László]

Perhaps a silly question but is there a fix for a neck pup ring that appears to be too close to the end of the neck causing the ring to be bent in the center just slightly? The guitar is a SC250.

Since all the necks are cut to length by a CNC machine, which has very, very close tolerances, I kinda doubt that the ring would be bent by the end of it, especially in winter when wood tends to shrink, not expand.

Maybe the pickup ring was released from the mold just a little bit out of square?

Before drilling or cutting into the body, I'd probably get another pickup ring from PRS, just to make sure.

 

[Titan7]

Here is a photo, I think the CNC machine was off on this day as it's bent. I have owned this guitar since new in 2008. Never noticed it until this weekend, looked a a photo from 08, it been there since new. Very surprised to see this on a PRS.

 

[Titan7]

Hopefully there is an easy fix on this but judging from the look of things, the neck is too long or the pup was mounted too close to the neck. I have a call into PRS, I hate to think how this would get fixed. I searched the web and found pics of a couple others like this, but the photos are not as closeup. Guess I should rotate my guitars more often.

 

[Rider1260]

Have you tried loosening the mounting screws and pushing the pickup away from the neck a bit ?

 

[cwhenke]

I wonder if just flipping the ring would do any good...if it's a touch askew to the right, then, in theory, flipping it would make it a touch askew to the left, thus solving the problem (if the problem is with the ring being askew).

 

[László]

It's hard to tell from a picture, but I think I can see blue from the top between the ring and the end of the fingerboard. If that's the case, I think it's the ring, not the neck or the placement, but if that's not the case, seems like sanding away a bit of the plastic would be wiser than messing with the wood on the guitar.

 

[AP515]

No it's the neck. I've got the same thing on an early CE24.

I put new rings on and the neck wouldn't align with the holes until I pushed it up and bent it like the original one in the photo.

I don't have a suggestion for a fix except to ask the PTC what to do. I just left mine with the bend in it.

 

[alantig]

Is that how PRS gets that sweet compressed tone from neck pups?

Have you pulled the pickup to see what the ring does when it's not up against the neck? I would think there are two things that could be done - one is shave away some of the neck at the end, or because it looks bowed, maybe just the corners because it looks like those are pressure points. The other would be to shave away part of the ring, but I wonder if you could shave enough away without affecting the appearance, and if that would just shift the point of contact.

 

[Mikegarveyblues]

Wow, surprised by that! Personally, i'd leave it but I can also understand you wanting it to look right. Hope you can get it sorted easy enough.

 

[Titan7]

Thanks for noticing the blue paint between the ring. I loosened the screws it helped a tiny bit but I could not move the ring away from the neck much. I was able to push the ring back straight with the tip of a guitar pick so the ring is "not" being bent due to the neck being too long.
Warped ring?? I will try a new ring, If that does not work I will wait for prs. I have to eat some crow, I have bashed Gibson for years over stuff like this, never thought I would see this on a prs. I have 4 Les Pauls so I am used to looking at 3 in order to find a keeper.

On second thought if you enlarge the photo, you can see the outside edges of the neck is touching the ring, there is a gap in the middle between the neck and the ring. A new ring may not help, I will have to test it.

What a suck on a $3k guitar.

 

[László]

What a suck on a $3k guitar.

Things happen with wood. If in fact it's the fingerboard, why not have PRS fix it? Probably still under warranty.

 

[Deaj]

No it's the neck. I've got the same thing on an early CE24.

I put new rings on and the neck wouldn't align with the holes until I pushed it up and bent it like the original one in the photo.

I don't have a suggestion for a fix except to ask the PTC what to do. I just left mine with the bend in it.

I own one of these early CE24's (s/n# 0087), exactly like yours in fact (black w/ natural binding, alder body, PRS Classic Electric logo - amazing guitar!).

Back on topic: my early CE24 has the same poor fitting neck pickup ring as shown above. There's just no much room to fit a pickup ring this close to the fingerboard. My solution was to cut some relief into the top edge of the ring to allow the ring to fit around the fingerboard. Worked very well until the last pickup swap when the ring broke at the corner of the relieved area. I have since removed the section of the pickup ring below the edge of the fingerboard and it looks fine this way as well. I have a replacement set of cream PRS 24 fret sized pickup rings but I've not had much interest in swapping them in for the old ones (if it works why fix it?).

Once again - very nice CE24!

 

[Sage]

The 1992 CE 24 that I just got has this same problem, though not quite as pronounced as some of these pics.

 

[Gnal]

I have an ever-so-slight bend on all my neck pick-up covers on my SC250's (3 total). You don't really notice unless your looking for it though, unlike the CE pictured above , for what its worth, it does not seem to affect the pickup placement within the ring as there is some room to either side. It does not bother me since the guitars rock, but I can see where it would bother some folks.

 

[Goldtop]

I think if I just couldn't live with it the way it is anymore, I'd try sanding/shaving/filing the hole itself on the plastic ring. You could use a straight edge to mark a line from corner to corner, remove the ring, and gently (!!!) remove material up to the line. The hole would end up with a curved side and look odd of course, but it would hopefully appear correct once it was back on the guitar.

Another option is to try different sets of rings, (or dark ones where it wouldn't be so obvious). There's bound to be some slight differences in molded plastic parts, and you may find one that's just slightly smaller enough to work.

I think I could live with it the way it is, but I understand someone wanting things just so. Good luck with it whatever you decide to do.

Goldtop

 

[JRod4928]

I think if I just couldn't live with it the way it is anymore, I'd try sanding/shaving/filing the hole itself on the plastic ring. You could use a straight edge to mark a line from corner to corner, remove the ring, and gently (!!!) remove material up to the line. The hole would end up with a curved side and look odd of course, but it would hopefully appear correct once it was back on the guitar.

Another option is to try different sets of rings, (or dark ones where it wouldn't be so obvious). There's bound to be some slight differences in molded plastic parts, and you may find one that's just slightly smaller enough to work.

I think I could live with it the way it is, but I understand someone wanting things just so. Good luck with it whatever you decide to do.

Goldtop

Along the same lines as this, I would attempt shaving the outside of the pickup ring itself. Basically notching it out to accept the neck. It would look very clean if it's done right, almost like it's meant to be that way - I'm thinking a dremel tool with a grinding attachment, then a buffing wheel to clean up the edges.

The good part is - pickup rings are cheap, and if it doesn't work, you can always get another one.

 

[Titan7]

I will wait to hear back from PRS sent photos on Monday, have no heard from anyone.