springs used on pick ups

[the dog]

When I put my new SD pups in my LP the springs on the neck pup seem as though they don't need to be that long..the springs are all coil bound to the max...I don't see a benefit in that...

Does anybody trim the springs?

[capmaster]

I only once trimmed a pair of pickup springs up to now, those of the bridge pickup of my SSS equipped Ibanez RG 430 made in 1986. The screws mount directly into the plastic covers of the pickups there, and I wanted to save the threads within the plastic.

 

In contrary, I had to use a pair of rubber sleeves per side on a N3 Noiseless Strat mid pickup I retrofitted one of my Fender Nashville Power Tele with, and also used a pair of longer sleeves for its retrofitted N3 Noiseless Tele neck pickup.

 

The pickup springs on all of my other guitars are stock. My only mod was swapping those of the '57 Classic neck pickup for each other on a Custom Shop LP of mine since one of them rattled at a certain note. The noise has gone since.

 

Inappropriate spring tension may cause feedback through supporting adverse pickup vibrations causing microphonics of the pickup as a whole, not within them.

 

I never experienced stock pickup springs going solid within a considerable adjustment range. This can happen with replacement pickups and springs though. I would tend to use different springs in this case. I'm reluctant to sacrifice tight end windings of compression coil springs through trimming.

 

Hope this helps.

[retrorod]

I usually use shorter springs. It should not harm to clip them though, as long as the base seats well enough.

[matiac]

I had an old Kent ES335 copy needed springs, and in a pinch, I used the springs out of a couple Bic-Click pens, worked pretty good.

[jdgm]

Personally I would remove the springs and use some flexible tubing of some sort, even the outer part of an old guitar lead would do. Springs under tension act like little resonators and can amplify buzzes etc. They don't need to be under much tension at all but I'd try and find some others before cutting them.

[surfpup]

Does anybody trim the springs?

 

Yes. Works fine.

[rct]

I use surgical tubing.

 

rct

[Marshall Paul]

In contrary, I had to use a pair of rubber sleeves per side on a N3 Noiseless Strat mid pickup I retrofitted one of my Fender Nashville Power Tele with, and also used a pair of longer sleeves for its retrofitted N3 Noiseless Tele neck pickup.

 

 

I re-puped one of my strats once using a hot overwound TexMex in the bridge, and the mid and neck was N3 Noiseless, and I had to do the same thing. Had to use those green rubber tubes to stiffen it up a bit. Must be something about them....