Aftermarket pickup rings don't fit late 90's Jackson ring screw holes

[Administrator]

I've got a late 90's import Jackson Dinky with Floyd Rose.

The pickup rings are slanted and put the pickup at a slant where I need to have flat (non-slanted) pickup rings to keep the pickup parallel with the strings.

In the past I got new regular humbucker pickup rings, but it appears the Jackson rings/holes are spread further apart than the screw holes for a regular type humbucker pickup ring. So the new pickup rings holes length wise were a few millimeter too short and I could only get one side of the new pickup ring screwed down.

Anyone else have this problem?

I was thinking of measuring the Jackson screw holes to get a template. Then getting some new regular pickup rings, where they document the screw hole spacing measurement so I know it will be exact.

Then making a template of the Jackson screw holes, and the new pickup screw holes. Then getting some toothpicks to press through the Jackson holes template onto the guitar. Then getting a metal pick to press a small impression where the "new" 4 holes are marked on the template. That way all the new holes line up perfect.

Then I was thinking of getting 2-part epoxy glue to fill up the Jackson screws holes and let that cure. Then carefully drilling the "new" screw holes for the new pickup rings.

Anyone else do that?

Also, does anyone know the center to center (vertical/horizontal) screw hole measurements of what Jackson used for their pickup rings on late 90's imports? I figured this may already be documented somewhere to save me from measuring wrong and the new pickup ring being off.

[kamanda]

Yup, I had this problem on one of my Charvel's when I (thought) I'd lost a pickup ring.

Toothpicks, glue, and a drill...

[Administrator]

I think what I'll do is put the Jackson pickup rings in a scanner to get a png picture of them. Scan them at 1 to 1 scale.

Then in a vector program like Corel Draw, open up the pickup to vectorize the pickup outline and put a dot right in the middle of the 4 holes.

Luckily places like ALLparts and others give screw hole spacing dimensions, etc. with their pickup rings. So I'll get the dimensions of the typical humbucker flat bottom/top ring I plan to use. And draw the specs in the Corel Draw to make a drill template.

So I have the Jackson "drill holes" and I have the new humbucker ring "drill holes" on the same file.

So I print that out on clear transparency plastic. Then use tooth picks to press through the dots on the Jackson ring and press the toothpics into the factory holes on the actual guitar.

That is so everything is lined up. Then on the plastic template, there will be 4 dots of where the drill holes should be for regular humbucker pickup rings. So I'll get a metal pick, and press a dimple into the guitar where those dots are at.

Then I'll look at filling the Jackson screw holes up with 30 minute 2-part Epoxy. The 30 minute because that will give more time for the epoxy to absorb into the wood, thus giving it a stronger bond.

Then I'll drill new screw hole into the dimples made into the guitar.

Will have to figure out the depth of the screw hole and the diameter of the drill bit to use.

Does anyone know of a website that gives the typical standard style dimensions for Guitar humbucking rings? i.e. hole spacing, etc. I figure a guitar builder out there probably has the specs or a template telling the dimensions of the hole spacing to be drilled into a fabricated guitar.

[kamanda]

Sounds like a hell of alot of work for a pickup ring...but go for it!

Also, Unless you have one hell of a scanner, they often cannot do true 1:1.

[Guitarkid8]

Measure the screw spacing. Go on eBay search for "Jackson pickup rings" and find one. Ask the seller for measurements. Done.

[Administrator]

Measure the screw spacing. Go on eBay search for "Jackson pickup rings" and find one. Ask the seller for measurements. Done.

I don't want these Jackson pickup rings. They are angled when they should be flat. So the pickup is off at an angle compared to the strings.

I need flat pickup rings. Also will have to look if I can do both neck and bridge same height. Or if I need or shorter one for neck. Haven't checked that out.

So main reason for getting new pickup rings is because I want flat pickup rings so the pickup is parallel to the strings. And also because I plan on doing a lot of pickup swapping out. So my plan is to have a few extra pickup rings so I'll already have the pickups mounted and the swap out will be a lot faster. Plus I wouldn't have to adjust the pickup height every time I do a pickup swap anymore.

[Guitarkid8]

Jackson isn't going to put an angled pickup ring in a guitar that doesn't need it. Are you convinced there is a big enough difference between slanted and flat?

Try this: http://www.fretsonthenet.com/Pickups...htm#OV:32rings

[Administrator]

Jackson isn't going to put an angled pickup ring in a guitar that doesn't need it. Are you convinced there is a big enough difference between slanted and flat?

Try this: http://www.fretsonthenet.com/Pickups...htm#OV:32rings

All I know is that the strings run pretty much parallel with the body. It's got a Floyd Rose trem on it. The Jackson pickup rings with the slant puts the pickup at an angle to the strings. So the pickup isn't parallel with the string. Need non-angled pickup rings. Who knows what Jackson was doing.

Years ago tried different pickup rings and the length-wise screw holes on the "new" pickup rings were too short. i.e. the Jackson pickup rings are a little longer. Recently some of the screw holes started stripping, which means they would need to be plugged and drilled. And so I figured might as well take the opportunity to just drill new holes for "regular" non-Jackson pickup rings.

I know of fretsonthenet. What I wanted to do was get several pickup rings so I can go ahead and mount all of my pickups in the rings. Because I frequently change pickups and so that would be quicker pickup changes. Plus I wouldn't have to mess with re-adjusting the pickup height anymore everytime I changed pickup rings. fretsonthenet would be too expensive for that when I can get cheapo rings for like $3 a set or something.

[Axewielder]

I can get cheapo rings for like $3 a set or something.

That's great except they don't fit that guitar.

[Administrator]

That's great except they don't fit that guitar.

Yes of course, no stock pickup rings on the planet fit this guitar other than the custom spaced rings Jackson had custom made for their guitars during that time. It was just dumb Jackson using a custom spaced ring instead of a standard off the shelf one. I'm guessing these are the same rings from when Jackson had those oversized pickups, and they just kept using the same oversized rings years later.

[toejam]

Does the guitar have a non-recessed Floyd or tune-o-matic bridge? That might explain why the rings are slanted (due to the tilted back neck angle).

[Axewielder]

I have the opposite issue. All the Jackson factory oversized pup rings I've ever seen are flat. But they don't match up will with the angle of nr trems. So I get massive custom oversized angled pup rings made by FotN, often with a custom inner radius as well. How bout dah!

[Administrator]

Does the guitar have a non-recessed Floyd or tune-o-matic bridge? That might explain why the rings are slanted (due to the tilted back neck angle).

It's a recessed Jackson branded Floyd Rose. The guitar is a late 90's Dinky import.

Some of the screw holes are already stripped out. I've already done measuring and I'll also see what happens if I scan the Jackson pickup rings in the scanner to map out the exact screw holes in a vector program.

Then there are non-angled pickup rings I can pickup that they list the measurements for. And use those screw hole measurements to map that out in the vector program to map a template I can print off on clear transparency plastic paper. That template will have 8 small dots on it. 4 of the Jackson holes, and 4 of the new holes. Then get toothpicks or something and put through the hole for the Jackson holes, and then press those toothpicks into the holes in the guitar to line it up. Then use a metal pick to mark the "new" holes. Then get something like 30 minute 2-part epoxy glue to fill up the Jackson screw holes. Then drill the new screw holes.

Already did look around to see if there already were flat rings that had the same hole spacing, but didn't find it.

It's not too big of a deal as I already have the guitar tore apart to install shielding.

[Guitarkid8]

Just seems like an awful lot of work.

I would just buy cheap generic flat pickup rings, fill the existing holes. Install new ring onto pickup and center in the cavity. Drill 4 new holes.

[Administrator]

Just seems like an awful lot of work.

I would just buy cheap generic flat pickup rings, fill the existing holes. Install new ring onto pickup and center in the cavity. Drill 4 new holes.

The pickup would probably be off-center or crooked doing it that way as there would be a lot of wiggle room. Also the other reason for doing it this way as you don't have much room for error as you could end up with part of the pickup cavity showing. As I'm going from larger rings to slightly smaller rings. As Jackson used bigger rings than standard.

I pretty much already have the Jackson rings hole spacing measured. Lots of places selling flat rings have a diagram showing all the measurements that I can use to get the new hole spacing easily. I'm already half done.

It's not a big deal compared to the time saved as I have like 10 different pickups I swap back and forth. And it would be a time saver if they were all already mounted in a pickup ring.

I'm also going with the SD Liberator so I don't have to do anymore soldering for passive pickup swaps. Since I'm shielding the control cavity, I may just solder the bridge ground wire to the control cavity shielding as sometimes I put in EMG's and so I wouldn't have to mess with the ground wire anymore as EMG hardware don't use the ground wire.