Quote:
Originally Posted by Corndog
It's a matter of getting one's hand in the guitar to actually install it.
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I have large hands, which can be a blessing, or sometimes a curse.
I can usually reach the bridge plate with a couple of fingers if required. I'd love to see any alternate jig used to install K&K Pure Mini transducers, though. I'm always open to new ideas.
Fine point #1.
A big "Yes!" to adding auxiliary protection in the form of masking tape or even thin cardboard taped to the instrument top where glue might "accidentally" be dripped. Better safe than sorry in this case.
Fine point #2.
Latex or synthetic gloves are a necessity for me. No gel superglue needs a chance to muck up my "baby's bottom" smooth fingers. (No need to experience the abject horror of realizing you've accidentally super-glued your fingers together...
)
Fine point #3.
I glue in a short section of dowel where an existing end pin hole is. It doesn't need to be long, 1/4" long is sufficient. I then apply blue low tack painter's masking tape over the entire end pin area and use the glued in dowel to center a 1/2" Forstner bit. Once the bit establishes a hole it no longer needs a center, so the 1/2" hole itself serves as a guide for the bit. The tape is just added insurance against clumsiness until the hole is established.
Yes, a 31/64" bit is fine, but many folks will be buying a single bit for drilling the jack hole and this one is sometimes difficult to locate. A 1/2" Forstner bit is usually available at all the big box stores and is much kinder when the bit exits the inside of the tail block. Common twist drills like the aforementioned 31/64" can be brutal to the exit area of the hole. It that really what you want to subject your baby to? Use the 1/2" Forstner and go SLOW when you get to the other side of the tail block.
The 1/2" hole is slightly oversize, but since many will drill the hole not perfectly 90 degrees to the tail block it allows the jack to center in the hole even if it's a few degrees off kilter. This makes for a more secure installation of the jack with less concern about the nut coming loose from contacting the surfaces slightly askew, which can happen if you're shooting for a really tight hole.
Fine point #4.
Stick in a small mirror and lay it down against the back of the instrument so you can use a flashlight to see what you're doing. It's really pretty easy, and some of us that do this regularly keep a folding mirror made up of two sections that you insert in the sound hole and open up once it's inserted. (Not really a necessity, though...)
Fine point #5.
This one is important. I've personally walked a couple of folks through the "fix" for a non-working pickup after installation.
If you've done a few of these you already know that it's IMPORTANT to set the jack depth so the outer part that serves as the strap button allows the threaded part of the jack to FULLY reach the outer edge of the hole in the button. If it's shy of full depth then the plug can't be inserted fully, and the pickup either will work intermittently or not at all.
I add this because of the number of times I've fielded "the phone call". I stop them before they even complete explaining the symptoms and tell them "I know how you can fix this...".
Fine point #6.
Do yourself a favor and use a 24" length of 1/4" dowel for jack positioning. Shape one end to a truncated cone to insert in the jack to hold it as it is guided into position. You insert the dowel until the cone shaped tip is under the sound hole, stick it in the jack hole, and then easily guide the jack through the drilled hole in the tail block. Using this setup, it's easy to remove the outer nut, push the jack back to the sound hole to adjust the inner nut that you didn't set correctly BEFORE installation to avoid the "Fine point #5" problem!
Fine point #7.
In most cases I use a mirror to look inside and give the output jack a twist so the wire makes a nice loop between the transducers and the output jack. It usually takes anywhere from a half turn to a turn and a half before the wire assumes the correct shape. The idea here is to form the wire into a neat loop so it does not contact the top or rear of the body. If the wire touches it will create sound in the transducers that isn't gonna help your guitar to sound its best.
Fine point #8.
Nine times out of ten a K&K Pure Mini will sound great without using an additional "pre-amp". Try it first, and THEN waste your money!
I got more, but this is most likely TMI for the average casual forum reader...