Direct mount humbucker screws?

[morningstar]

What type of screws thread into the inserts to direct mount pickups on an 80's shredder body?

The screws I have for my ESP buckers (not Ltd) don;t thread into the inserts, and appear way too long.

Thanks

\morningstar

[Jem]

#4-40 - easy over there, a pain in the arse to get over here !

[morningstar]

Thank you!

morningstar

[morningstar]

Screwed again haha...

4-40 thread perfectly into the lugs. So do the full length HB screws that came with the Pups.

The 3/8" screws are too short. They won't reach over the cable from the upstream pickup(s) and I like to put a piece of foam under direct mounted pickups. Screws are cheap, I will get more lengths.

The other problem is the 4-40 screws DO NOT thread into the Seymour Duncan factory threads. I have read at the SD forum that people just ream out the factory tapped holes then tap em for the 4-40's. I will if I must, but I'd rather have the correct screws.

Does anybody know what screws (size and thread) that SD actually uses?

Thanks

morningstar

[Jem]

Oh yes, you do have to ream out the holes on SD pickups, not sure how you can get round that.

[atquinn]

Yeah, for direct mounting, you have to drill out the tabs; just the way it is IME. I think some people on the SD forum have gotten around it by keeping a set of direct mount baseplates and transferring the pickup guts to that, but that seems like more trouble than it's worth to me.

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Austin

[Jem]

Just to say i don't re-thread the mounting lugs, i just make them bigger than the screws as the springs will maintain the height. Oh, and foam's good - lots of small time bass builders use high desity stuff lots to direct mount pickups.

[atquinn]

Just to say i don't re-thread the mounting lugs, i just make them bigger than the screws as the springs will maintain the height. Oh, and foam's good - lots of small time bass builders use high desity stuff lots to direct mount pickups.

As far as I know, that's what everyone does? Doesn't really make sense to have threaded tabs if you're direct mounting. BTW, I've had to drill out all sorts of pickups, so it's not a Duncan-specific thing. Once I started doing it, it made me see the importance of asking if a used pickup I was looking to buy had been direct-mounted or not. Some people don't know the difference, so it's always good to ask.

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Austin

[morningstar]

Okay so I will ream them.

I will also solder nuts on the plates that fit the 4-40's and make sure I keep four screws of proper length in the case for future swaps. Should be easy, just thread 4-40's onto nuts, pass through the plate, cinch another nut below the plate, solder on the top nut, take the bottom nut off, back out the screw. Ta-da.

I am sure I will find a way to foul it up.

morningstar

[atquinn]

Okay so I will ream them.

I will also solder nuts on the plates that fit the 4-40's and make sure I keep four screws of proper length in the case for future swaps. Should be easy, just thread 4-40's onto nuts, pass through the plate, cinch another nut below the plate, solder on the top nut, take the bottom nut off, back out the screw. Ta-da.

I am sure I will find a way to foul it up.

morningstar

I've used JB Weld for this in the past. Easier for me to manage than soldering, though you do have to wait a day or so for everything to firm up.

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Austin