Any experience with StewMac metal pup rings?

[mattsblues]

I ordered a set of Stewmac gold pickup rings for archtop bodies - Metal Humbucker Mounting Rings For Arched Bodies at Stewart-MacDonald

I was under the impression that the carve on the ring would match the carve on my Gibson LP Custom. After pulling the old rings and sitting the new metal ones on I quickly realized there is about 2-3 mm worth of space on each side of the ring where it is not touching the body. This is on both bridge and neck pups.



Does anybody have any experience with this and getting these rings to work? The guy at Stewmac said lay sandpaper down on the body (face up obviously) and rub the ring back and fourth till you said the proper carve. This just seems like an awful idea. I do have the option to send them back which I may do. Anybody know of an easy way to make them work or a vendor to purchase ones that will work?

[captain amazing]

just go ahead and screw it in, then it should be fine

[mattsblues]

I was set on making these work so I broke out some ingenuity and went to work. Scary!

The neck ring is thin enough I could bend it with pressure to make it fit perfectly. The bridge ring on the front (towards the headstock side) needed some bending down. After making somewhat of a 'jig' I used a heavy piece of lumber to bend them down a bit. Both fit pretty good now, bridge still has a very small amount of spacing but not enough to bother me. You don't notice it unless you look hard and very closely.

[mattsblues]

The shadow on the left of the bridge pup ring makes it look much higher than it truly is but you get the idea.

Time to pull off the black poker chip

[jrnic]

That's a good job. Looks good. BTW: I seriously doubt you'd be able to sand down the center of those rings, being that they are metal. You'd be sanding for a long time!! He was probably refering to plastic pickup rings.

[mattsblues]

Originally Posted by jrnic

That's a good job. Looks good. BTW: I seriously doubt you'd be able to sand down the center of those rings, being that they are metal. You'd be sanding for a long time!! He was probably refering to plastic pickup rings.

I think he presumed they were aluminum. None-the-less I still thought it was a dumb idea. The rings took a bit of persuasion but finally got it. Measure a few times, bend a little bit, put back on guitar, measure, bend a little, etc, etc.

[Mr. Snappy]

I put a set of chrome rings from Stew Mac on my black Custom and they fit perfectly with no mods. It may be due to the fact that the tops of the guitars are hand sanded. Just a thought.

[Quill]

Wow, that guitar is gorgeous - especially with those rings.

This sounds nuts, I know - but do you or Mr. Snappy notice a difference in sound with these rings?

It is an important coupling. Players say all kinds of things about the effect of different kinds of pickup mounting on the tone, and some of the more serious vintage-guitar nuts swear that the original M69s have a sound that is different from most of the repros ... of course if I'd just spent what one spends on original M69s, I'd be open to some powerful suggestions too ... anyway, all that madness aside, I've wondered about the metal rings and I'm curious about anything you might notice.

[Mr. Snappy]

I didn't notice a difference because the very first thing I did to the guitar was change everything out to chrome. Sorry I can't be of any help with that.

[jrnic]

I once changed from plastic to metal rings on a Jackson dinky once, and I swear I noticed a difference. Seemed almost like there was a little more sustain. I guess it's similar to the way they say that direct mounted pickups sound better than when suspended in plastic rings. The vibrations of the body are better translated to the pickup because of the metal ring. Maybe I'm crazy, but I think there was a difference.

[Thundergod]

Cool!

What we need now is some more pics

[mattsblues]

Originally Posted by Quill

Wow, that guitar is gorgeous - especially with those rings.

Thanks. I'll see if I can find some time to get a few more pics of the guitar.

Originally Posted by Quill

This sounds nuts, I know - but do you or Mr. Snappy notice a difference in sound with these rings?

It is an important coupling. Players say all kinds of things about the effect of different kinds of pickup mounting on the tone, and some of the more serious vintage-guitar nuts swear that the original M69s have a sound that is different from most of the repros ... of course if I'd just spent what one spends on original M69s, I'd be open to some powerful suggestions too ... anyway, all that madness aside, I've wondered about the metal rings and I'm curious about anything you might notice.

I didn't notice any chances in the sound, I did it for purely aesthetics. I have ALWAYS loved the white Customs since I was a little kid (wanted one since I was 10) but I just don't like all the black so everything is gold

Anyone have any good ways of removing the poker chip without screwing up the finish? I saw in this thread (Replacing parts?) someone mentions prying or dental floss but just curious if there were any more full-proof methods. I'd hate to screw up the finish.

[kingedb]

Originally Posted by mattsblues

anyyone have any good ways of removing the poker chip without screwing up the finish?

you shouldn't have to pry it. just unscrew the switch nut and it should come right off.

are you replacing it with a white or chrome one? if not you will have to be careful tightening the switch back with any tool.

[mattsblues]

Originally Posted by kingedb

you shouldn't have to pry it. just unscrew the switch nut and it should come right off.

are you replacing it with a white or chrome one? if not you will have to be careful tightening the switch back with any tool.

I would remove the chip and not replace it at all. I thought they were glued on as well?

[kingedb]

Originally Posted by mattsblues

I would remove the chip and not replace it at all. I thought they were glued on as well?

they are not glued. just held there by the nut like a washer.

[mattsblues]

Easy enough, I didn't know if there were glued like the Epis are. Thanks man.

[Quill]

Originally Posted by jrnic

I once changed from plastic to metal rings on a Jackson dinky once, and I swear I noticed a difference...

I put flat metal rings on a guitar once, and thought it changed things a bit - but it was ages ago. I still have them, somewhere ... changed the pickups too, when I took them off, but I might try them again ... thanks for the post!

[5F6-A]

cool rings!

[nadzab]

Yeah, more pics...I love a white Custom.

[ehamady6]

I had the same problem with chrome rings. I returned them and got two thin flat chrome rings which I installed on top of the black rings on my Custom. I get a lot of compliments on it over the thicker chrome rings for their looks and cleverness. And there isn't a distracting reflection on the body like there was off of the thicker metal rings.

[mattsblues]

Originally Posted by nadzab

Yeah, more pics...I love a white Custom.

I'll see what I can do. I only have my iPhone to take pictures currently.

[mattsblues]

Originally Posted by ehamady6

I had the same problem with chrome rings. I returned them and got two thin flat chrome rings which I installed on top of the black rings on my Custom. I get a lot of compliments on it over the thicker chrome rings for their looks and cleverness. And there isn't a distracting reflection on the body like there was off of the thicker metal rings.

Sharp looking Custom! I do like that idea of yours, I never thought of doing that. Thankfully some elbow grease (A LOT) bent the rings enough to fit the carve on the top. I wouldn't of put them on if there was the big spacing since IMO that would look retarded.

[ehamady6]

Bending them will work. I was going to do that but I wanted only the bottom of the ring to be arched and have the top remain flat. I didn't know how to do that so I changed my gameplan. Another trick is to get the metallic plastic rings. They'll easily conform to the body.

I'd definitely like to see a full picture of your guitar. Customs rule.

[mattsblues]

Originally Posted by ehamady6

Bending them will work. I was going to do that but I wanted only the bottom of the ring to be arched and have the top remain flat. I didn't know how to do that so I changed my gameplan. Another trick is to get the metallic plastic rings. They'll easily conform to the body.

I'd definitely like to see a full picture of your guitar. Customs rule.

It did slightly arch the top but you can only tell if you look at it on the same plane. I was worried about that but thankfully only had to bend them ever-so-slightly.

I'll get pictures this weekend of it. I've loved white Customs, ever since I was a little kid I've wanted one.

I have a Epi LP Custom that is white but I am thinking about stripping it and doing a gold top and setting it up to play side on since there isn't any point in having 2 guitars the same color IMO - at least in Alpine White

[mattsblues]

Here's a pic from out playing last weekend. Pre-metal rings. I'm trying to find someone who has the tulip-head tuners in stock, I just love the way they look.

[kingedb]

those white customs are really growing on me. can't wait to see pics of the changes.

[mattsblues]

Originally Posted by kingedb

those white customs are really growing on me. can't wait to see pics of the changes.

I'll see what I can do.

Anybody have any tips to "accellerate" the aging of the white? I love the yellowish Customs. Let it spend lots of time around cigarettes and sunlight?

[mattsblues]

Got a new picture finally

[Hedcrash]

I'm not really surprised that the rings didn't fit right. I believe that the tops of LP's are done manually by hand after the initial carve with an industrial-sized belt sander that runs over the body. Each guitar is unique, with small differences.

One of the more knowledgeable types can correct me if I'm wrong about that.

[kingedb]

the rings looks great. i say you swap out the toggle cover too. a gold one (randy rhoads style) would complete the look in my opinion.