Pickup Swap

[starscream67]

Hi All,

I just finished swapping pickups in my 2016 SE Custom 22 - this is one of the factory mistakes where I got a bonus push/pull on the tone knob.

I bought SD Whole Lotta Humbuckers to replace the Tone Furnace pups.

Despite my initial confusion on how to wire the new pups, I’m amazed it all worked first time as before today I’ve never used a soldering iron.

Do you guys hang onto the stock pups or do you sell them on? Should I keep the old pups in case I ever sell the guitar?

 

[AP515]

Congrats on your initial soldering job! Some sell the original pups for around $50. Some keep them to put back in for selling later. It's really up to you. I keep them.

 

[starscream67]

Um so I’ve just noticed my strings don’t line up with the pole pieces of the bridge pickup - anyone know why this would be? Does it matter? Can it be fixed?

Before and after pup swap:

 

[charliefrench]

Looks like the bridge pickup is not F spaced. What I mean is both pickups are say 50mm and not 50mm + 52mm for the bridge. This is quite common and nothing to worry about. While we like things to be picture perfect, the difference it makes to the magnetic field and sound is barely measureable, if at all.

Congratulations. Wasn't too hard was it

 

[starscream67]

Thanks charliefrench. I bought the SDs as a set so figured that would be the correct pups to replace both pickups. I was very worried I would have to reverse the install and send them back. It is going to irk my ocd for sure tho lol

 

[charliefrench]

Yes, some manufacturers make them as mentioned above and some not. Just took some digital calipers to a LP with SDs that is close by. Pole pieces on both pickups are exactly the same.

As for the old pickups, well that's up to you if you sell them or not. I usually start selling them when my parts box begins to swell or if I am certain that I will never want to use them again. And sometimes regret doing so. If you sell the guitar with the Seymour Duncans they will not add significant value to it, will sell faster maybe, so it is sometimes a good idea to keep the originals and drop them back in.

Rock that bad boy!

 

[starscream67]

I guess I learnt the hard way the difference between a Humbucker and a Trembucker. Not sure you can get a F spaced bridge pup in a set. I guess I can always correct it down the line by replacing the bridge pup with a Trembucker. Still, maybe this thread will help someone else who’s not done this before.

I think you’re both right about keeping the stock pups, I might want to put the SDs in something else one day.

 

[Dusty Chalk]

It is going to irk my ocd for sure tho lol

Well if it bothers you enough, now you know what to do.

And sure you can get sets with f-spaced bridges. Honestly, I'm not seeing how on the Seymour Duncan site, but they were very helpful with me in another area. They have something called a "shop floor custom", which isn't a full custom, it's just a common, minor modification they can provide for a nominal fee (I needed Benedetto pickups with 4 wire hookups, in my case -- I think it was like $25 additional, but honestly don't remember).

I know you can do it with D'Addario pickups, and a lot of the smaller pickup companies provide it as a standard option.

 

[starscream67]

I can’t find a WLH Trembucker in the UK, so I’ll have to contact a shop and see if I can order one.

 

[mad monk]

It looks to me like you have a little room on the treble side of the ring. If you remove the the pickup from the guitar, you can gently bend the legs so that it cants a little to that side. I've done it on several guitars. In your case, bend the pickup leg on the treble side in towards the body of the pickup, and the bass side away. No too much.

 

[starscream67]

Thanks mad monk, I’ll try that.

 

[starscream67]

For anyone interested, a Trembucker isn’t perfect either but closer than a Humbucker. I put a JB Trembucker in the bridge and it only just fits through the pickup ring.