Side mount or neck mounted floating pickup

**nbevan3** · 12-06-2023, 01:05 PM

Any experience of mounting a floating pickup to the end of the neck or to a scratchboard (side mounted)? Which is easier to setup and maintain consistency in time?
Kent Armstrong Handwound Pickup
… vs ..
Kent Armstrong Handwound Pickup
(for example)
Thank you

**ThatRhythmMan** · 12-06-2023, 01:16 PM

Originally Posted by nbevan3

Any experience of mounting a floating pickup to the end of the neck or to a scratchboard (side mounted)? Which is easier to setup and maintain consistency in time?
Kent Armstrong Handwound Pickup
… vs ..
Kent Armstrong Handwound Pickup
(for example)
Thank you

Personally, I would just go with the side mount. You don’t have to drill any holes into the neck, and if wanted you can put the entire assembly onto a pickguard that can be removed and even easily swapped with another if you want.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

**bluejaybill** · 12-06-2023, 01:45 PM

Originally Posted by nbevan3

Any experience of mounting a floating pickup to the end of the neck or to a scratchboard (side mounted)? Which is easier to setup and maintain consistency in time?
Kent Armstrong Handwound Pickup
… vs ..
Kent Armstrong Handwound Pickup
(for example)
Thank you

Not sure what you mean by consistency in time?

I have the pick guard mounted version of that pickup, it is held on with two screws. The output runs to Schatten volume and tone pots mounted under the pick guard, and then to an endpin jack. it works and sounds great, but it probably requires a professional installation.

Side mount or neck mounted floating pickup-img_4102-jpeg

Side mount or neck mounted floating pickup-img_4102-jpeg

As said, the neck mount requires drilling two holes in the guitar, which may or may not matter to you. You still have to figure out the output situation.

**nbevan3** · 12-06-2023, 01:49 PM

Originally Posted by bluejaybill

Not sure what you mean by consistency in time?.

Do you find that the side mount is stable enough (a good enough fixing to the pick guard)?

**Klatu** · 12-06-2023, 02:45 PM

Originally Posted by nbevan3

Do you find that the side mount is stable enough (a good enough fixing to the pick guard)?

If you have the pickup attached to the pickguard properly and keep the guitar in the proper conditions, the pickup shouldn't move at all. You should have all the stability you need with either neck or pickguard setup.

**Hammertone** · 12-06-2023, 02:45 PM

Originally Posted by nbevan3

Do you find that the side mount is stable enough (a good enough fixing to the pick guard)?

Yes.

**omphalopsychos** · 12-06-2023, 03:13 PM

Neck mount is the kind of thing that could affect resale value.

**bluejaybill** · 12-06-2023, 10:09 PM

Originally Posted by nbevan3

Do you find that the side mount is stable enough (a good enough fixing to the pick guard)?

Generally the pick guard is firm if mounted properly, as is the attachment of the pickup to it.

What you can't see is that on the other side of the pickup, underneath, there is a piece or two of filler, usually cork or adhesive backed felt, or both, that maintain the height of the pickup on that side. Very solid.

**Cunamara** · 12-06-2023, 10:48 PM

My belief, scientifically unsupported I will add, is that mounting the pickup to the pickguard a la Benedetto decouples the pickup from the instrument, resulting in a stringy and typically bright/thin tone. It's pretty much just reading the strings. I don't like it, but many people seem to go for this sound. I've not liked this with multiple pickups on my archtop.

Mounting the pickup to the neck a la the Gibson Johnny Smith sounds fatter and warmer because it is less isolated from the vibrations of the body.

Mounting the pickup to the top sounds fattest and warmest because the pickup is integrated into the vibrations of the instrument. Think L-5, ES-175, etc. The old DeArmond 1000, 1100, etc, were sandwiched between the neck rod, top and pickguard so they got it all.

Each step in that series creates more complex signal to the amp.

I'm assuming that you don't want to cut a hole in the top to mount the pickup. An alternative would be mounting the pickup to the top using something like Blue Tack. It's a good compromise, involves drilling no holes at all, is stable over years in my experience. And it takes minutes instead of hours to set up. I can't remember who on the forum that I got the idea from, but it's slick. Also a great way to experiment easily with different pickups.

**nbevan3** · 12-26-2023, 02:52 PM

Originally Posted by bluejaybill

... on the other side of the pickup, underneath, there is a piece or two of filler, usually cork or adhesive backed felt, or both, that maintain the height of the pickup on that side. Very solid.

I have just installed the pickup. It sounds great.

Thank you for all your advice.

**bluejaybill** · 12-26-2023, 04:57 PM

Originally Posted by nbevan3

I have just installed the pickup. It sounds great.

Thank you for all your advice.

Glad it worked out. Did you get the 12 pole? I find that to be the first pickup (of 3) that I've had on my guitar that truly allows me to balance the strings. Plus it has a fatter sound than the two GS types I had before. The Lollar GS sounded very good but I just couldn't get the balance between the strings the way I wanted it.

I have to old Fenders that I have to be careful of and adjust my picking for the louder 3rd string, to then switch over to an archtop where I had to play the 3rd string louder- that was more than my old brain could handle!

Very happy with the Armstrong as well as the custom one on my Borys- not crazy about the black color so much.

EDIT: Just wanted to add that I think adjusting two rows of pole pieces are the reason the balance dials in so well, instead of adjusting just one row on a standard hum bucker.

**nbevan3** · 12-26-2023, 05:08 PM

Originally Posted by bluejaybill

Did you get the 12 pole? ... adjusting two rows of pole pieces are the reason the balance dials in so well

I went with this:
Kent Armstrong Handwound Pickup
It is tricky balancing all 12 poles but I am getting there.

Adhesive (cyanoacrylate) bond between the pickup tab and the back of the scratch plate.

Side mount or neck mounted floating pickup-20231226_213113-jpg

Side mount or neck mounted floating pickup-20231226_213113-jpg

Side mount or neck mounted floating pickup-20231226_213145-jpg

**GuyBoden** · 10-30-2024, 08:36 AM

I watched this video:

**garybaldy** · 11-01-2024, 04:59 AM

How does one drill the holes on the sides of the fingerboard for a neck mount - a very long drill bit or a drill with a tiny chuck?
And ofcourse a hole needs to be drilled for a pickguard attached with a pin.

**floatingpickup** · 11-01-2024, 07:21 AM

Originally Posted by garybaldy

How does one drill the holes on the sides of the fingerboard for a neck mount - a very long drill bit or a drill with a tiny chuck?
And ofcourse a hole needs to be drilled for a pickguard attached with a pin.

I had a tech install a De’Armond 1100 on a guitar with one of the short rods that attached to the side of the neck. To drill the holes on the side of the neck, he used a power drill with flexible cable that had a chuck at the end of it. I am not sure what that device is called, but I attached a picture of a similar tool.
Side mount or neck mounted floating pickup-img_0315-jpeg

Side mount or neck mounted floating pickup-img_0315-jpeg

**garybaldy** · 11-01-2024, 08:28 PM

Originally Posted by floatingpickup

I had a tech install a De’Armond 1100 on a guitar with one of the short rods that attached to the side of the neck. To drill the holes on the side of the neck, he used a power drill with flexible cable that had a chuck at the end of it. I am not sure what that device is called, but I attached a picture of a similar tool.
Side mount or neck mounted floating pickup-img_0315-jpeg

Thanks. I guess the overall diameter of the brass sleeve around the chuck can't be more than about 10mm.

**sgosnell** · 11-02-2024, 10:21 AM

I use a hand twist drill. It's tiny, with a handle ~3/8" thick, knob on the end for ease of twisting. I don't need a power drill for a tiny pilot hole, and the hand tool gives more control. Sort of like this, but mine is smaller and older.

**RJVB** · 11-02-2024, 10:49 AM

How can an electromagnetic PU pick up the vibrations from a wood body?? Maybe rather the movement relative to all strings that those vibrations induce?

Originally Posted by sgosnell

I don't need a power drill for a tiny pilot hole

Do you use self-tapping screws with that?

**GuyBoden** · 11-02-2024, 10:56 AM

I've used 2mm and 3mm drill bits with hex fittings, that can be used with a long handled screwdriver with hex socket fitting.

These.

**pauln** · 11-02-2024, 12:08 PM

Originally Posted by RJVB

How can an electromagnetic PU pick up the vibrations from a wood body?? Maybe rather the movement relative to all strings that those vibrations induce?

"The observable phenomenon here depends only on the relative motion of the conductor and the magnet,..."
A. Einstein 1905

**sgosnell** · 11-02-2024, 01:52 PM

Originally Posted by RJVB

How can an electromagnetic PU pick up the vibrations from a wood body?? Maybe rather the movement relative to all strings that those vibrations induce?

The top vibrates, moving the pickup under the strings.

Do you use self-tapping screws with that?

No, just the standard screws. The threads cut into the wood easily. Self-tapping screws are only needed with metal.

**Jim Soloway** · 11-02-2024, 02:12 PM

Originally Posted by nbevan3

Do you find that the side mount is stable enough (a good enough fixing to the pick guard)?

I've only had one guitar with a pickguard mounted pickup (a Jimmy Foster 7-string) and no, it was not stable enough. The pickguard shifted on the mounting hardware in the middle of a set and it was a major PIA to get it straighten out.