Pickup Base Plate Mounting Hole Problem

asimmd

Hi All

The base plate pickup mounting hole in one of my Kinman pickups has gone oversize,

so if any pressure is put on the pickup from the scratch plate,the pickup falls into the guitar body.

It's only one side of the pickup at the moment.

Anyone have any idea how i can fix it please?

Thanks

Alan

ecc83

asimmd said:

Hi All

The base plate pickup mounting hole in one of my Kinman pickups has gone oversize,

so if any pressure is put on the pickup from the scratch plate,the pickup falls into the guitar body.

It's only one side of the pickup at the moment.

Anyone have any idea how i can fix it please?

Thanks

Alan

ecc83

Attach a picture Al'? Hah! Hah!

But which Pup and how has it "gone" oversize? Sounds like a mnfctring fault Kinman should help with. I would at least make them aware.

Dave.

asimmd

I would attach a picture but the pickup is in the guitar,hanging on at the moment,so while it is ok i will 

leave it alone.

Next time i change strings i will post a picky.

. Fired off an email to kinman,will wait and see what they say. Alan

GuitarMonkey

(i) run a little superglue into the hole and rethread using the screw as a tap.

or (ii) superglue a small piece of pickguard plastic to the back of the baseplate, drill a hole just smaller than the screw diameter and use the screw to tap the thread as above.

asimmd

Guitar Monkey Both good ideas,thanks. I have read about using a piece of Dowel,and drilling that,but I like your idea of using a piece of Scratchplate

GuitarMonkey

I should have said with (i) let the glue dry of course before you try to thread the screw! 

ICBM

Same as GuitarMonkey's (i), but squeeze the fibreboard (assuming that's what the baseplate is!) with a pair of flat-nose pliers or a small G-clamp or something after you put the glue in and before it sets. That should bring it back to about 'new' levels of firmness and allow the screw to cut a new thread.

If it's a metal baseplate, hammer the flat part with the hole on an anvil of some sort, which will close it up slightly.

Plastic ones are tricky, but you can usually do it by heating the plastic gently with a lighter flame or similar and squeezing with pliers.

asimmd

Thanks everyone,I think I get the idea.

GuitarMonkey

I think that Kinman pickups have a green phenolic base plate which isn't squeezable, malleable or meltable.

ICBM

GuitarMonkey said:

I think that Kinman pickups have a green phenolic base plate which isn't squeezable, malleable or meltable.

Having thought about it I think you may be right...

In which case, use gently heated high-strength Araldite instead of superglue.

ecc83

Still can't see what we are talking about!

Still, if they have put a thread directly into "Bakerlite" then they want shooting. Proper way is brass bushes threaded ~ M3 or the Colonial equivalent thereof.

Dave.

asimmd

In such expensive pickups,(£235) set of three,I would have loved bushes. Would have saved me a lot of trouble. Can you get extra long mounting screws?

asimmd

Hi All

Received a reply from Kinman regarding the baseplate fix,here are the solutions they advise.

"The simplest fix for a stripped screw thread is to put a (6-32 UNC) nut under the baseplate and use a drop of epoxy glue to hold it (don't let it into the thread though)

Failing that the pickup should be sent to us to have a new Baseplate fitted.  Unfortunately that requires the lower coil to be replaced.

Lest option, we send you a new Baseplate which you fit over the existing one.  The screws currently must be poking out the bottom of the existing baseplate by 2mm for this  to work".

I would still need screws that are 1" long rather than the 3/4,and mine are Gold not stainless.

Your comments appreciated.

Alan

ICBM

You could also try a 'spire clip' or 'speedclip' -

http://www.pedparts.co.uk/c/products/RAW/Universal_Self_Tapping_Screw_Speed_Nut.jpg

You can get them in various sizes. I might have a spare one about right for a pickup screw if you can't find any locally.

asimmd

Thanks ICBM

My biggest problem is finding a screw a bit longer than the original.

I think the original is 6/32X3/4,I am looking for one 6/32X1",otherwise

i won't get the pickup height adjustment,thats how i found out it was not right when

i tried to lower the pickup and it fell out of the baseplate.

ICBM

If you put the spire clip on upside down (as it is in that pic) it will shorten the length of screw you need by about 1/8", which might be enough. That's not the 'right' way to do it normally obviously, because it won't be anywhere near as strong, but it should be plenty for a pickup height adjustment.

asimmd

Thanks ICBM

Will try our local DIY shop tomorrow,but i live in a village so i don't hold much hope

of them having one.

ICBM

PM me your address if you can't get one and I'll pop one in the post - I've got a few here that fit standard Strat pickup screws.

asimmd

Thanks ICBM