TL- electronic or pickup upgrades

[RocknRolf]

Hi Guys,

Finally got to modding the TL.

The black fibreboard of the Tonerider bridge pickup does not fit through the kits bridge plate by about 1mm.

1. Would you sand the fibreboard back?
2. Would you widen the bridge plate?
3. Would you order a different bridge plate?


The same actually goes for the shaft of the push-pull pot.


Thanks, and Merry Christmas to you all!

[McCreed]

The holes in the stock control plate are drilled for metric pots with 8mm diameter threaded bushings. If you got an imperial size replacement pot (CTS, Bourne etc) they will have a 3/8" threaded bushing (approx. 9.5mm).
You can drill the control plate holes out but you want to do it incrementally (8.5mm > 9mm > 9.5) and drill from the front at a medium speed. The sharper the bit, the better. This will help minimise damage to the chrome plating (lifting/flaking).

As for the bridge and bridge pickup, that's something I've never encountered. I'm not at home atm, otherwise I'd check a Tonerider tele p/up against a spare PBG bridge I have. I would think the PGB bridge would be a standard opening unless there was defect in manufacture.

So the bobbin won't fit through the hole even passed at an angle? (ie: not perfectly perpendicular).

FWIW, all my tele bridge pickups are adjusted so the bobbin is above the bridge plate. So with the coil being narrower than the bobbin, it may not need to pass through squarely. If that makes sense

In all these years I've never paid attention to the relationship of the hole/bobbin size. Pickups have always mounted just fine with having to think about it.

edit to add:

I would not sand the bobbin. I'd be concerned about the fibreboard not liking it. Maybe delaminating, or going "fuzzy" (???)

[RocknRolf]

Thanks, I would appreciate it if you could check your tonerider.
I have tried on the angle, all ways possible. As I said I just miss about that 1mm clearance to squeeze it in.

I'll have another go tomorrow morning see if I missed something, but I am 97% sure there was no other way.

I'll post some pics and measurements too.

[Simon Barden]

Being a left-handed bridge, there's a chance it may be slightly different in hole size to the right-handed ones. Logically it shouldn't be, but anything can happen with these kits.

[McCreed]

Being a left-handed bridge, there's a chance it may be slightly different in hole size to the right-handed ones. Logically it shouldn't be, but anything can happen with these kits.

Ahhh, good point! I forgot about the lefty aspect. As you say, it shouldn't be... but...

[McCreed]

Thanks, I would appreciate it if you could check your tonerider.

Likely won't be home until Tuesday-ish, but happy to give it a go if you don't find a solution before then.
Post a pic if you can. Maybe an email to PBG too.

[RocknRolf]

Likely won't be home until Tuesday-ish, but happy to give it a go if you don't find a solution before then.
Post a pic if you can. Maybe an email to PBG too.

Thanks, I will keep you updated.

[RocknRolf]

Ahh of course! The curse of the lefty :-D

I will check measurements with other bridges and with tonerider.

Will try once more to carefully wiggle it through. I stopped as I was getting worried damaging the pickup, as the coil was jammed against the hole in the bridge plate while squeezing through the fibre top.


Edit: ps. The kit pickup has been in there for 1.5yrs.

[McCreed]

Ahh of course! The curse of the lefty :-D

I will check measurements with other bridges and with tonerider.

Will try once more to carefully wiggle it through. I stopped as I was getting worried damaging the pickup, as the coil was jammed against the hole in the bridge plate while squeezing through the fibre top.


Edit: ps. The kit pickup has been in there for 1.5yrs.

Ah yes, I forgot about that. I suppose it could be a wonky bobbin. Maybe compare bobbin dimensions while you're at it. I'll be interested to see what your measurements are.

[RocknRolf]

I have put all the measurements of the kit pickup, TRT1 and the hole in the bridge plate in the visual below.

Comparing the kit bridge plate with Gotoh and some other bridges on the market I found out they all use the same measurements. As you can see in the visual from Tonerider the measurement I took and those given by Tonerider match(+/-).

So the question becomes: If all the bridges are the same and tonerider makes their pickups in this slightly larger size, how do other people squeeze them through?

Again it is likely a matter of 1mm to clear, but I feel uncomfortable pushing one side of the coil harder up against the hole in the bridge plate, whilst trying to squeeze the other side through.


I could always ask tonerider if this is a familiar problem, or sand a bit from the bridge away, or a bit from the fibreboard.