Pickup Mounting: Ideas for better sound transfer from wood?

[SausageofPower]

Just curious, in reading, did you encounter people who have done ABX testing of the same guitar with the only variable is direct mount vs ring mount?

Not quite. I did run into was a post (here actually) about wooden pickup rings though:

http://www.jcfonline.com/threads/84119-Wood-Pickup-Rings-a-review

Originally I was just gonna try that and see if it yielded a real difference, but I started thinking along those same lines but with a different application. I found a local store that carries basswood, mahogany and hard maple in small 1/8" boards. I'm gonna grab a piece of each, cut pieces to the right size and give it a shot. I'll do some basic recordings before and after to see if there's any appreciable objective difference. It's a cheap project, and who knows, maybe it'll have some small impact.

[Chief_CrazyTalk]

I have two JBs, one ring mounted and the other direct, both in alder bodies. Both have Floyds. I can't hear a difference between the two.

[SausageofPower]

Yeah, I don't expect a night-and-day difference. Still, we do all sorts of stuff for tone (sustain blocks, fret material, nut material, etc), so I figure a project like this isn't a huge investment and might be worth the scratch. Plus, I love messing around with my axes so it all works out.

[jgcable]

john, how so? i do a lot of session work and haven't noticed anything. i am curious to get more details on your opinion.

I spend most of my time in the recording studio. Direct mounted pickups pick up every little noise from the guitar. Anything from your fingers brushing up against the body to more pick noise and especially if you have a trem system. You get all kinds of squeaks and noises, spring noises and even Dunlop strap locks can be an issue if you are standing and recording.

[JACKSONFREAK]

I have both ring/guard mounted and direct mounted pups. The direct mounted are more articulate and suttle things come thru better. There's more push to the sound and more character and texture to the sound. The others are ur typical sound of a off the rack guitar.
Gil

[Chad]

From what I've read, direct mounts are more prone to rattling and that makes them more prone to microphonics. Is that a good thing considering people (high gainers especially) wax pot their pickups to reduce microphonics?

[Chad]

I have both ring/guard mounted and direct mounted pups. The direct mounted are more articulate and suttle things come thru better. There's more push to the sound and more character and texture to the sound. The others are ur typical sound of a off the rack guitar.
Gil

On the same guitar(s) with the only variable being the change in pickup mounting method?

[SausageofPower]

From what I've read, direct mounts are more prone to rattling and that makes them more prone to microphonics. Is that a good thing considering people (high gainers especially) wax pot their pickups to reduce microphonics?

Assuming your pickups are potted though, the unpleasant aspects (read: the coils vibrating and causing feedback) of microphonics are eliminated. You get the tonal nuiances reestablished without having the howling that caused suspending mounting of pickups to begin with.

I haven't had a chance to do this yet, but I intend to before the month is out.

[adampone]

Lee Roy Parnell (sp?) has a video up for his new LP model that has what he calls a 'tone throne'. he has wood in his pickup cavities that appear to literally be a 'seat' for the pickups to rest up against... there are even holes for the pole pieces to go into. from how it looks, it's as if the pup height is pre-determined and these 'seats' are a factor in the routing process so that it's actually a part of the body.

a video can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgVgr20cYHg FF to about 4:30 mark