Blu Tack question

[brewster]

hi, i just got an old '30's 19 fret acoustic gibs beater archie that came with a free standing krivo double pole PAF pickup jammed under the FB xtn. pretty tight, enough to kill some of the acoustic sound. pup doesn't have the side mount tab. also, poles are almost 3/8" below the strings when jammed under the xtn.

i need to find some blu tack (unsuccessful local searchs so far) to both hold the krivo and to elevate it closer to the strings. basically make a ring under it to lift it up a bit closer. it seems to have a decent enough output to get to an amp but closer to strings would be better i'd think. jason said want it maybe 1/16" below string at highest fretted position so i'm way way low.

looking at blu tack as i seem to remember that whit smith uses it on his floater pup.

questions:
1) on line i found a blu tack description that says it may leave an oily residue, removable with chewing gum remover(!). have any of you users had an issue with the potential residue?

2) is there an equally suitable option to blu tack? all i've found in stores so far are strips and squares of stuff from loctite, gorilla glue, etc but i'm not sure that they are reusable, stay pliable, residue free, and not nitro damaging? i'd guess some of those products are more generic in their hold up posters application than blu tack or the green stuff schertler uses.

3) how to locate this double pole HB pickup, relative to the 24th fret location? front or back pole under the 24th imagined spot, or centered btwn the poles?
i read the recent thread where some say location doesn't really matter, just stick it at end of FB, considering if your playing will bang on the actual pup if put there. i happen to naturally play at the end of the FB as i like the tone there. so is the 24th fret spot really a sweet spot, at least for the open strings?

thanks for you suggestions and comments. b

[vernon]

I had a Krivo pickup for my metal dobro that came with blu tack and it worked pretty well. I sold the pickup and the residue came off easily enough. Don’t know of alternatives…

[sgosnell]

I've been using Blu-Tack for years, and the only residue issue I've seen is that small bits of it can stick hard and remain, and can take some effort to remove entirely. It sticks so firmly that small bits can refuse to come off without persuasion. I've found that a fingernail works pretty well for this.

I got a lifetime supply of it from ebay, for a couple of dollars. I haven't seen it locally, but it may be available in craft and hobby stores. It's often used to secure posters or paper pages to walls or other locations.
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw...023.m570.l1313

I see that it has gone way up in price since I bought mine years ago, but that's not a huge surprise. Still under $10 for more than you will ever need.

You can put the pickup wherever it's convenient. I like mine at the end of the fretboard, but it's not a law enforceable by the jazz police. The 24th fret isn't a great spot IMO, because nodes vibrate less than other locations, but that's just my opinion. In practice, if you don't like the pickup in one location, it's easy enough to move it. The Blu-Tack holds it securely enough but also allows easy removal and replacement. I have no actual experience with other brands. They may be fine, but I can't say because I don't know.

[pcjazz]

I use both bluetac and the Schertler green putty but I don’t leave them on the guitar. When the rehearsal or job is over I remove the pickup, pull off the still-pliable putty and put it back in the tin. I have been using the same lump of putty for more than twenty years without a problem.

[Jabberwocky]

Quakehold or Museum Putty should do ya.

[GuyBoden]

DON'T USE 'BLACK TAC'