Pickup Surrounds or Direct Mount?

[atheesan0802]

I wonder whether any of you can kindly advise me on your opinions of both the pros and cons of fitting humbucker pickups to guitar bodies using pickup surrounds or direct mounting them.

I cannot appreciate that there would be much advantage to the sound by direct mounting if the only contact with the body is via 2 screws and springs, or in my case plastic sleeves as supplied with direct mount screws from StewMacs.

The pickups I intend to install are a Dimarzio Tone Zone, HS-3 (This will have to be direct mounted in any case) and an Air Norton to an Alder rear routed JEM body.

[misplacedsanity]

Whatever you think looks better. As far as sounding diffrent, I would doubt anyone would be able to tell the one way from the other. It's just an aesthetic decision.

[crevis]

Direct mount looks alot better (plastic rings look especially bad), other than that theres no difference.

[brothersnowgone]

I like direct mount, less plastic junk to keep track of and easier to swap out...

[toneboy]

Direct mount looks "cleaner" to some folks but it can be a bit trickier to adjust the height of the pickup to the sweet spot. Also, one should consider the wood you're directing mounting the pickup in. Soft woods (e.g. like the basswood that a lot of ibanezes are made from) can have their screw holes stripped out if you're not careful.

Mounting rings make it easier to adjust the pickup's height to its sweet spot.

If there's a difference sonically, I've never been able to hear it. Even when most pickups are "direct mounted", there are pieces of foam underneath the pickup that touch the body. At least that's how the PGM's pickups are from the factory. Even if the pickups are touching the wood, the mass that pickups add to the overall mass of the guitar's body is not much at all. Based upon the way a pickup works, I can't think of any way direct mounting it would sound any different than mounting it with a ring.

The reasons that guitar manufacturers use direct mount pickups are for aesthetics and cost. Every pickup ring and 4 screws they don't need to buy is a little more profit.

Consider this - neither Satriani or Vai direct mount their pickups.

I personally think direct mount pickups are overrated. I'm getting both of my PGM301 refinished and I'm getting pickup rings installed on both of them. I'm not going to bother messing around with direct mounting any more. YMMV of course.

[brothersnowgone]

I can't really see direct mounts being any more difficult to adjust than ring mounted pup's...

[toneboy]

Originally Posted by brothersnowgone

I can't really see direct mounts being any more difficult to adjust than ring mounted pup's...

It depends on:
1) The thickness of the foam underneath the pickup. If the foam is too short, the pickup will only go so high up. If they foam isn't touching the body, it will wiggle around the tear up the screw holes.
2) How far in the screws were screwed into the pickup's baseplate wings before it was screwed into the body. When you turn the height adjustment screws, the base of the pickup moves up or down as the screws go in or out of the body. Lowering the pickup isn't really the issue but raising it is.

Both of those factors make adjusting the height of a direct mounted pickup a little trickier.

When a pickup is mounted with a ring, just turn the screws and go.

[brothersnowgone]

Originally Posted by toneboy

It depends on:
1) The thickness of the foam underneath the pickup. If the foam is too short, the pickup will only go so high up. If they foam isn't touching the body, it will wiggle around the tear up the screw holes.
2) How far in the screws were screwed into the pickup's baseplate wings before it was screwed into the body. When you turn the height adjustment screws, the base of the pickup moves up or down as the screws go in or out of the body. Lowering the pickup isn't really the issue but raising it is.

Both of those factors make adjusting the height of a direct mounted pickup a little trickier.

When a pickup is mounted with a ring, just turn the screws and go.

I see what you mean, thankfully I've never had this problem. But I'm pretty sure the foam under direct mounts will also lose it's rebound if it's adjusted down too far, another thing to consider...

[toneboy]

When I changed the pickups in my main PGM, I noticed that the screws holes weren't the most robust part of the guitar so I figured the next time I get the guitars worked on, I'm replacing them. One of my PGMs is getting refinished so it's getting it's rings replaced with ones painted to match the finish. My second PGM is going to get the same treatment when it gets refinished too. I just like being able to adjust the height of my pickups easily and be done with it. I don't mess around with their heights after it's set but since I see no advantage to direct mounting them, it's one less hassle for me.

[Jeff - CRO]

I also think that difference is purely just aesthetical.
And even if there is some slightly sound difference one from another,I think it will not be audible or recognized as it is.
However,I prefer direct mounted pickups better than ring-screwed ones.
It's a just matter of taste and personal preference.
To me,they look better and I am kind of "minimalist" guy when it comes to design...the less plastic stuff and screws on a guitar,the better.
Of course,that's just theory that works for me...


cheers!

[toneboy]

Originally Posted by Jeff - CRO

the less plastic stuff and screws on a guitar,the better.

Metal pickup rings are easy to get in chrome, black, cosmo black and gold so you aren't just stuck with plastic.

[buddroyce]

Get the Tone Zone and the Air Norton with the chrome/nickel covers and get some chrome pickup rings. I dunno why, but I like the look of an Ibanez RG body with nickel/chrome/gold pickup covers in pickup rings.

[Jeff - CRO]

Originally Posted by toneboy

Metal pickup rings are easy to get in chrome, black, cosmo black and gold so you aren't just stuck with plastic.

You're absolutley right and thank you for pointing that up.
Nevertheless,I don't like pickup rings...

[toneboy]

Originally Posted by buddroyce

Get the Tone Zone and the Air Norton with the chrome/nickel covers and get some chrome pickup rings. I dunno why, but I like the look of an Ibanez RG body with nickel/chrome/gold pickup covers in pickup rings.

+1. The biggest issue with the aestethics of pickup rings is they often don't really match the guitar's finish. Dimarzio, among others' offers a rainbow of pickup rings and if one searches hard enough, you can find pickup rings made from rosewood, ebony, maple, etc.

[waylay00]

I prefer pickup rings. I've never really liked direct mount pickups.