What Do You Guys Use To Shim Pickups

[shogun]

I want to raise the new pickups i put in my RG, just wondering the different methods of shimming.. i dont want my pup to be all wabbly and loose, id like to put something underneath them so that the screws are tight, but at a good height.

[shogun]

anyone?

[newbieguitarmaker]

the rubbery foamy stuff that they usually use for pickups. let me try and find a place that sells them.

[toneboy]

Just go to a Home Depot/Lowe's/your local hardware or home ware store and get some high density weather stripping foam. The stuff they use to cushion pups is nothing special.

[timi_h]

if you are really keen you could get some wood and make it the right thickness to put the pickup at the right height. since wood conducts sound better than foam it must have a positive effect on sound?

[GilkyBear]

I have often wondered about this. You always hear that body mounted pickups get more of the tone from the body as it vibrates, but I never understood that. I think that the magnets on top are reading the vibrating string and that's it, nothing more nothing less. A magnet and some copper wire will not react to vibrating wood. Anyone else have an opinion on this?
I do prefer body mounted pickups, but my reason is because it is easier to take my pickguard off when I'm cleaning my guitar

[S-man]

Hmmm....I'm not sure direct pups do not have an affect on the tone.

Have you ever tapped on your pickup with a plastic pick?

You can hear it through the amp.

[toneboy]

Originally Posted by S-man

Hmmm....I'm not sure direct pups do not have an affect on the tone.

Neither am I. The only way I could judge for myself would be to try the same guitar with the pups direct mounted and mounted with rings. It's completely subjective and I only mount them direct for aesthetic reasons.

[OLIE_ROCKS_THE_80'S]

I use cotton or rubber foam to shim the pups, that has always seemed to work out for me!

[djpharoah]

I use a sponge, the kind without the scrubber on the back. Just cut them up and voila!

[Martallica]

Originally Posted by djpharoah

I use a sponge, the kind without the scrubber on the back. Just cut them up and voila!

I do the same works just fine.

[jb4674]

Someone needs to post a tutorial on how to do that with plenty of pics, IMO

Jimmy

[toneboy]

Originally Posted by jb4674

Someone needs to post a tutorial on how to do that with plenty of pics, IMO

Jimmy

You're kidding right?

[jb4674]

Not at all. Just because it may seem like an easy thing to do, I'm sure there are some people out there who have never done it.

Jimmy

[timi_h]

Originally Posted by GilkyBear

I have often wondered about this. You always hear that body mounted pickups get more of the tone from the body as it vibrates, but I never understood that. I think that the magnets on top are reading the vibrating string and that's it, nothing more nothing less. A magnet and some copper wire will not react to vibrating wood. Anyone else have an opinion on this?
I do prefer body mounted pickups, but my reason is because it is easier to take my pickguard off when I'm cleaning my guitar

yeah but i guess wood contact must affect it as there is something to the guitar sound other than just the vibrating strings, gotta be some body sound to it.
id be interested in anybody that knows exactly how the pickup picks up more than just the string vibrations though, cos as far as i can see the pickup is pixed in place and the strings oscillate with a given frequency which induces current in the pup right?