hagstrom71 Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 I am restoring a late 60's Casino and have some 60's dogear p90's I want to install.. The problem is the neck pickup does not sit low enough as the baseplate brackets keep it from sitting down in the cavity. Casino's and 330 neck pickups were made to sit much deeper in the guitar than other p90 guitars (es125/ es175). Does anyone have suggestions on where to get a baseplate that would allow the p90 to sit deeply into the cavity or any other solutions that would allow it to sit correctly in the guitar? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamBooka Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Going through the same thing with my ES125. Sending the original to Lollar to be rebuilt. In the mean time was going to get a GFS bridge dogear and just put the base plate in a vice to straigten the legs and then rebend them. If you go that route, since you already have a vintage PU you dont want to mangle you can get dogear baseplates from Mojo I think (or maybe allparts) Lollar DOES sell p90s that fit the Casino IIRC. You can email them and ask for advice. They have always been excellent with me. The other option is to get a set of cheap chinese Casino PUs for Ebay and just steal the base plates although I dont know how well they fit so you might want to do a little homework before plunking down 40$ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hagstrom71 Posted June 23, 2011 Author Share Posted June 23, 2011 Thanks Sam I thought about possibly getting a cheap chinese p90 just for the baseplate, but I have no idea if they will work as I hope or not. I'll also try Lollar, though I'm sure they are quite busy. Let me know how it goes with bending the GFS baseplate, I hope it works for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vomer Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Have a look at this previous thread here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweed2 Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Have a look at this previous thread here Arrrrrgggghhhhh........... I had just gotten to the point where i wasn't thinking about Brian's Zephyr and you had to go and put that thread up. That does it. My Strat's going up for sale and I'm hunting one of those beauties down. Damn you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hagstrom71 Posted June 23, 2011 Author Share Posted June 23, 2011 Going through the same thing with my ES125. Sending the original to Lollar to be rebuilt. In the mean time was going to get a GFS bridge dogear and just put the base plate in a vice to straigten the legs and then rebend them. If you go that route, since you already have a vintage PU you dont want to mangle you can get dogear baseplates from Mojo I think (or maybe allparts) Lollar DOES sell p90s that fit the Casino IIRC. You can email them and ask for advice. They have always been excellent with me. The other option is to get a set of cheap chinese Casino PUs for Ebay and just steal the base plates although I dont know how well they fit so you might want to do a little homework before plunking down 40$ Thanks SamBooka, You're right about Jason Lollar.. He replied the same day. Unfortunately he said.. "Problem is the modern Epi casino neck pickups have a narrower pole spacing than a vintage P-90 so the holes in the baseplate won’t line up with the screw poles in the P-90" I've seen those mojo dogear baseplates, unfortunately the ears are not long enough to bend to get them to lower the pickup into the cavity. And yeah, I can't see mangling the vintage pickup baseplates.. This is tougher than I had envisioned. Have a look at this previous thread here Thanks Vomer, I've seen this thread but it's about spacers to raise the pickups.. I looking to do the opposite. though I did get a spacer for the bridge pickup that has been a great help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougg330 Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 Thanks SamBooka, You're right about Jason Lollar.. He replied the same day. Unfortunately he said.. "Problem is the modern Epi casino neck pickups have a narrower pole spacing than a vintage P-90 so the holes in the baseplate won’t line up with the screw poles in the P-90" I've seen those mojo dogear baseplates, unfortunately the ears are not long enough to bend to get them to lower the pickup into the cavity. And yeah, I can't see mangling the vintage pickup baseplates.. This is tougher than I had envisioned. Thanks Vomer, I've seen this thread but it's about spacers to raise the pickups.. I looking to do the opposite. though I did get a spacer for the bridge pickup that has been a great help. I ran into the problem when I tried to put Lindy Fralin P-90's into my '66 Gibson ES-330. But my friend Steve Morrill, a talented and resourceful luthier in Boston, came up with a solution. He cut off the mounting tabs and glued the PU to its black plastic cover. PU now sits down in the hole perfectly, and there's no rattle or anything. Not sure how this would work with metal covers - maybe a spot or two of solder? - but it sure worked for me. Also, you have to know that this is the last place you're going to use that pickup - if you're up for that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hagstrom71 Posted June 25, 2011 Author Share Posted June 25, 2011 I ran into the problem when I tried to put Lindy Fralin P-90's into my '66 Gibson ES-330. But my friend Steve Morrill, a talented and resourceful luthier in Boston, came up with a solution. He cut off the mounting tabs and glued the PU to its black plastic cover. PU now sits down in the hole perfectly, and there's no rattle or anything. Not sure how this would work with metal covers - maybe a spot or two of solder? - but it sure worked for me. Also, you have to know that this is the last place you're going to use that pickup - if you're up for that. Thanks Doug It's definitely an option I might have to go with.. I think if I have to go that way I will replace the baseplate to one without the tabs so I'm not cutting up a vintage one.. The non original pickups that came with the guitar were taped to the covers with double stick tape.. It sorta worked, but messed with plastic of the pickup. I also had to be very careful taking them out in fear of breaking the plastic. At this point, I think I going to install a new baseplate and try to fabricate mounting tabs of the right length. If that doesn't work I will probably have to fasten the pickup to the cover as you mention.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweed2 Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 That's how P-90s come from Vintage Vibe, glued to the cover. Pete also uses a low profile cover (with slightly closer post spacing for the neck). They have the added advantage of changable magnets for different sounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hagstrom71 Posted June 28, 2011 Author Share Posted June 28, 2011 I was able to solve the neck pickup problem I mentioned here.. Rather than mangle my original 60's baseplate, I felt better about mangling replacement pieces. From mojotone I ordered a p90 and minihumbucker baseplate. The minihumbucker base plate was cut up so I could use its side tabs. (humbucker tabs were too long). It took me several time of cutting to size and soldering, then going back and redoing it all to make adjustments so it could fit the cover and cavity. Back photo of baseplate is prior to adjustments.. side tab photo is closer to finished product. Not exactly beautiful, and I could have just used glue or tape to hold pickup to cover.. But I felt this was a strong hold that would not damage the vintage pickup when taking it in or out. I can easily put pickup back in original baseplate.. not that I plan on it... Sounds great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaSTuS Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 Glad to see you got it sorted out, good job Hag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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