Pickup Rings

[Bella]

Hi Guys, I've been lurking around the forum for a while, but this is my first post, so apologies if this is in the wrong place or has already been covered (couldn't find it anywhere though!).

I'm changing over the plastics on my Les Paul Studio to cream, as I wasn't too keen on the stock black ones. However, my Bridge Pickup Ring arrived this morning, and the bottom of it is flat rather than curved... It's a Gibson part, and as far as I can tell from the website, the only shape ring they make. As my LP has a carved top, and the current rings have curved bottoms, is it going to fit, or have I bought the wrong part?

After several google searches this morning, I've established that a few places do curved bottom rings, but I really wanted to stick with Gibson parts if possible.

Thanks!
Bella

[Mule Train]

Look for Seymour Duncan and luthiers videos on youtube and the like. They cover all kinds of guitar projects.

[Xavier_32]

Sandpaper.

[ehamady6]

Some people tape sandpaper to their guitar and rub the rings on it.

[kylehnewman]

there supposed to be. theyll curve after you put them on.

[kylehnewman]

im purty shure

[dspelman]

Originally Posted by kylehnewman

there supposed to be. theyll curve after you put them on.

Noooooooooooooo!

And they're NOT supposed to curve on TOP after you put them on, either. This is one of the easiest ways to tell if some goofball has been hacking at the guitar.

The bottoms should be curved, the tops should be flat when properly installed. You should have a thick one and a thin one (the thin one should go next to the fretboard, the thicker one next to the bridge). The flat pickup rings must be trimmed or sanded to match the arch of an carved-top guitar. Check out this StewMac newsletter: Trade Secrets! Newsletter at Stewart-MacDonald and scroll down nearly to the end, where you'll find the secret to getting those flat pickup rings to fit correctly.

[zontar]

Originally Posted by dspelman

Noooooooooooooo!

And they're NOT supposed to curve on TOP after you put them on, either. This is one of the easiest ways to tell if some goofball has been hacking at the guitar.

The bottoms should be curved, the tops should be flat when properly installed. You should have a thick one and a thin one (the thin one should go next to the fretboard, the thicker one next to the bridge). The flat pickup rings must be trimmed or sanded to match the arch of an carved-top guitar. Check out this StewMac newsletter: Trade Secrets! Newsletter at Stewart-MacDonald and scroll down nearly to the end, where you'll find the secret to getting those flat pickup rings to fit correctly.

The rings will break if you don't do something like this to curve them.

I replaced the cream ones on my LP copy with black ones and used a utility knife to cut them after marking the curve. Then I sanded them.

I probably didn't do as good a job as in that Stewmac link, but they fit, and they work.

[EasyAce]

Originally Posted by Bella

I'm changing over the plastics on my Les Paul Studio to cream, as I wasn't too keen on the stock black ones. However, my Bridge Pickup Ring arrived this morning, and the bottom of it is flat rather than curved... It's a Gibson part, and as far as I can tell from the website, the only shape ring they make. As my LP has a carved top, and the current rings have curved bottoms, is it going to fit, or have I bought the wrong part?

You got the same problem I had when I wanted to change my Studio's rings to cream---you got rings that would work on an SG (flattop). I found out the hard way when I took it to my nearest tech to do the work. (I was scared shitless to do it myself!) Fortunately, he had a pair of Les Paul curved rings to swap and he did it gladly. Did wonderful work on her, too.

But definitely make the change. Here's how a Studio looks in the classic cream . . .



(Yep---that's my Bessie!)