mydeadblues Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 I just got a new Matsumoku Epiphone Casino. The action was set up to about medium height, so I wanted to lower it some for preference. After adjusting the bridge and lowering the action, I noticed that the higher strings hit the bridge pickup when played on the higher frets (around the 17th fret). I haven't had any issues like this with any of my other Casinos. Has anyone else encountered a similar problem? This Casino actually has the 16th fret neck/body join unlike my others. I was wondering if I might be able to replace the pickup covers, or maybe a longer trapeze tailpiece could help. What do you guys think? P90's don't have much room for adjustments other than the individual pole pieces, which are already low. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spamonkis Posted March 2, 2014 Share Posted March 2, 2014 I would check to see if someone has put shims under the pickup to raise it up. Other than that, sounds like you would need a new bridge pickup. I don't see how a different tailpeice would make any difference. God bless, Spamonkis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Posted March 2, 2014 Share Posted March 2, 2014 I agree with Spamonkis. I read this earlier and was scratching my head thinking why would they build a guitar like that? Something must be up with that pickup. Tailpiece is not a factor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mydeadblues Posted March 3, 2014 Author Share Posted March 3, 2014 I'm not sure what I was thinking a longer tailpiece would achieve...there isn't a shim underneath, I'm going to pull out the pickup and see if there's an unusual amount of room in the cover. Hopefully I can get away with swapping the covers or sanding the existing cover down because I really like the sound of these pickups! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frenchie1281734003 Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 It sounds like you have one that has a shallow neck angle. Of the three Matsumoku made Casino`s that I have owned, one had the same issue that you have mentioned. On the 82 that I had, if you fretted on the 21/22 fret the strings would touch the front edge of the bridge pickup. However on the plus side that guitar had the best balance between pickups of any Casino I have played. It was a problem I couldn`t solve, and ended up just playing around the issue. Although I did toy with the idea of getting another neck pickup cover, and using that in the bridge position. Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougg330 Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 Steve Morrill, the great luthier in Boston, always put a riser under the bridge pickup of every Casino or ES-330 I've owned - and there have been at least 7 or 8 in total. Raising the pickup even a little gives you much better response without having to crank up the polepieces too far. He always shaped the riser to match the pickup, too, so it didn't look awkward like the old platform Gibson used in the 50's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mydeadblues Posted March 4, 2014 Author Share Posted March 4, 2014 It sounds like you have one that has a shallow neck angle. Of the three Matsumoku made Casino`s that I have owned, one had the same issue that you have mentioned. On the 82 that I had, if you fretted on the 21/22 fret the strings would touch the front edge of the bridge pickup. However on the plus side that guitar had the best balance between pickups of any Casino I have played. It was a problem I couldn`t solve, and ended up just playing around the issue. Although I did toy with the idea of getting another neck pickup cover, and using that in the bridge position. Steve. Yes, it is the same problem. I was thinking about trying a neck pickup in the bridge position, hopefully the angle does not alter the tone too much. I don't want to route the bridge position to lower the pickup into the guitar but I guess that would also be an option. I think I'll try the neck pickup idea and maybe create a shim to decrease the angle. I'm not in any rush because I really love the sound of the bridge pickup and the action really isn't too bad…I just wish I could lower a little more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mydeadblues Posted March 4, 2014 Author Share Posted March 4, 2014 It sounds like you have one that has a shallow neck angle. Of the three Matsumoku made Casino`s that I have owned, one had the same issue that you have mentioned. On the 82 that I had, if you fretted on the 21/22 fret the strings would touch the front edge of the bridge pickup. However on the plus side that guitar had the best balance between pickups of any Casino I have played. It was a problem I couldn`t solve, and ended up just playing around the issue. Although I did toy with the idea of getting another neck pickup cover, and using that in the bridge position. Steve. Yes, it is the same problem. I was thinking about trying a neck pickup in the bridge position, hopefully the angle does not alter the tone too much. I don't want to route the bridge position to lower the pickup into the guitar but I guess that would also be an option. I think I'll try the neck pickup idea and maybe create a shim to decrease the angle. I'm not in any rush because I really love the sound of the bridge pickup and the action really isn't too bad…I just wish I could lower a little more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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