Strat bridge Pickup Base Plate NOW WITH DEMO!

benmurray85

DO THIS MOD!!!!

I bloody love it. I have tried to do a before and after video but I think I've messed up the recording of the audio/video so I'm gonna try and salvage it. If I do I'll try and post something here.

But for now, it really is a great mod. Its very hard to explain exactly what it does but if your complaining about your bridge s/c pickup being thin or weedy on your strat then this is the cheapest and easiest mod for you.

When I was mulling it over @richardhomer described it as similar to a vintage tele sort of vibe? I'd agree with that. Ive played teles solely for years and have since fallen for the "comfort" of strats at gigs. This mod puts me in the same sort of ball park sound wise as well.

I got mine from Oil City Pickups and it cost about £4 or so + postage? (dont quote me on that!) sure it goes without saying but service from them was top notch.

hopefully ill try and get the vid together soon because I put a bit of effort into sorting the sound out. in the meantime thanks to @TheGuitarWeasel for the service and parts and @richardhomer for the tips and advice. Both stand up gents....

EDIT: The activity on this blog made me pull my finger out. So here it is in all its mic clipping, out of sync glory TEH DEMO!

Niallmo

Just ordered one, glad to hear it gets glowing reviews!

richardhomer

@TheGuitarWeasel - is now a good time to discuss the Richard Homer signature base-plate deal?

Thank you for your kind comments @benmurray85. Glad it's worked out well for you.

xmrchi

Whats this baseplate all about then?

Richardj

Have also done the base plate mod to my Blade Texas. More dynamics, more tone, just 'more' really. Simply do it, you won't regret it.

OilCityPickups

Going to run out of this batch soon lol ... I've been banging on for ages about how it is the best thing since sliced bread for Strat bridge pickups ... if you have a good one start with that is ... 

The science is that ferrous material in the magnetic field increases inductance and shifts the resonant peak down a little ... plus actually increases your perceived volume slightly.

Richardj

@TheGuitarWeasel, can you put one to one side to go with the new Tele pickups I'm about to order?

benmurray85

richardhomer said:

@TheGuitarWeasel - is now a good time to discuss the Richard Homer signature base-plate deal?

Thank you for your kind comments @benmurray85. Glad it's worked out well for you.

hahaha have a lol

For anyone considering it just do it. its cheap, easy as all hell and I think Im right in saying its completely reversible should you not enjoy the change?

benmurray85

richardhomer said:

@TheGuitarWeasel - is now a good time to discuss the Richard Homer signature base-plate deal?

Thank you for your kind comments @benmurray85. Glad it's worked out well for you.

hahaha have a lol

For anyone considering it just do it. its cheap, easy as all hell and I think Im right in saying its completely reversible should you not enjoy the change?

OilCityPickups

Richardj said:

@TheGuitarWeasel, can you put one to one side to go with the new Tele pickups I'm about to order?

You got it!

benmurray85

now with added demo!

OilCityPickups

Thanks for putting up a demo geezer :-)

The baseplate is £6.50 +P&P and as far as I know Callum and Lindy Fralin do base plates ... but they will cost a fair bit more with postage from the US.

The effect varies slightly depending on the power of the pickup, but personally a baseplate, and hooking up the bridge pickup to the tone control has been my standard Strat setup for some time now.

benmurray85

@TheGuitarWeasel Yeah apologies I got the price wrong in the vid. Either way its a stupidly cheap mod for great results. I have a tonne of gigs coming up over the next month and I cant wait to see how it soudns at gig levels.

I was going to wire the tone pot to the bridge pickup but im not even sure its worth bothering now I have the baseplate on!

crunchman

TheGuitarWeasel said:

The baseplate is £6.50 +P&P and as far as I know Callum and Lindy Fralin do base plates ... but they will cost a fair bit more with postage from the US.

I got a Fralin one in Chandlers a few years back.  As stated by others it does make a difference.  The Fralin one was more expensive than £6.50 though.  I'd just get it from @TheGuitarWeasel these days.

Charlie Chandler also has the Fralin one for a tenner.

english_bob

TheGuitarWeasel said:

Thanks for putting up a demo geezer :-)

The baseplate is £6.50 +P&P and as far as I know Callum and Lindy Fralin do base plates ... but they will cost a fair bit more with postage from the US.

The effect varies slightly depending on the power of the pickup, but personally a baseplate, and hooking up the bridge pickup to the tone control has been my standard Strat setup for some time now.

@TheGuitarWeasel - sounds interesting. Your website somewhat cryptically says that installing the baseplate "requires some skill". More so than replacing pickups? How so?

benmurray85

@english_bob seriously if i can do it anyone can. It is stupildy easy to do! I had to take the neck off my strat but thats coz I have big stupid hands. Even so, I stuck a capo on so I didnt even have to change string. The baseplate comes with double sided tape fitted. You literally stick it to the back of the existing pickup. Then the only "tricky" part is applying some solder to the lead attached to the plate and solder it to the back of the volume pot. THAT IS ALL!!!!

PRO TIP scratch up the back of your volume pot with a small file of screwdriver to help solder flow nicely

OilCityPickups

If you can replace a pickup you can fit a baseplate ... one always has to build an idiot factor in :-)

Some people prefer to use wax or hot melt glue to fix the plate ... rather than the double sided tape I provide ... I don't find it necessary if one cleans the bottom of the pickup well first ... this of course may lead to ham fisted breaking of wires, hitting oneself over the head with a fridge ... all sorts of health and safety risks ;-)

digitalkettle

Similar story here from Tuesday evening...I had restrung last week then had the brainwave to get a baseplate so I wanted to keep the strings on: slack off a bit...capo at the first fret...remove neck (and do that relief adjustment that you've been meaning to do for ages).

Be cautious when you lift the scratchplate: one of my existing ground wires came loose despite gentle handling...I wrapped this loose one with the new one and soldered them both at the same time.

Make sure the underside of the pickup is clean and flat.

Make sure you get a proper melt on your solder.

Jobzagudden.

OilCityPickups

Nothing is foolproof ... but it's as easy as mods get ...

If anybody is really wimpish about it, Send me your pickup ... and I'll pot on a baseplate ... for the cost of the base plate and return postage ... can't say fairer than that!