Burred pickup screws

[SICbass]

Hello All,

I have a Squier Pro-Tone V which I love. I was intending to test/check-out adjusting the pickup heights, but have come across 2 problems:

1.) The screws are quite corroded and, although they screw out quite easily, seem to not have a very firm grip i.e. they can turn and turn at both extremes (high and low).

2.) When I screw them out in order to raise the pickup, at some point the pickup stops moving upwards (I assume because the spring under the pickup has reached it's maximum height).

I'm not very skilled with tools. Is it particularly difficult to lift out the pups and put in a longer spring? Is that even the correct solution?

 

I'd be grateful of any advice or indeed diecting to an appropriate thread. I tried a couple of searches in this section but had no luck. Maybe I was using the wrong search criteria.

 

Thanks,

Paul.

[itu]

If the screw crowns are in bad shape, find a shop or a builder and buy new screws.

It may be so that there are no springs under the pickups. Many companies use just sponge or foam. You can update the system with new springs. Usually you can find them from the same place as the screws. If not, study your pens...

The change takes just some time, but it is not hard. To put new springs back to the instrument may be somewhat complicated, as pickup magnets like them. But put the screws and springs to the pickups and find a suitable angle for the instrument before the attachment, this should help you.

[rmorris]

Or you could use foam instead. Might be easier to handle ?

[SICbass]

Thanks for those suggestions guys.

[Norris]

A little tiny dab of CA (superglue) in the screw holes, and then left to dry completely, can help to strengthen the wood if the screws are turning too easily. Poke some in with a thin piece of wire (nick one of your SO's hairgrips?) and apply just enough to wick into the wood. You don't want to clog the hole, just strengthen the existing wood. 

When you get your new screws, a bit of candle wax on the thread will provide enough lubrication to avoid mashing the heads. Make sure you find a screwdriver that fits the head snuggly without slopping about

Edited March 12, 2019 by Norris

[SICbass]

Hi Guys,

thanks for all your suggestions. In the meantime I discovered that attaining the height sound wise that I liked meant having the pups at a height at which the pup-covers acted like a ramp ( a la Gary Willis) which is a feel I don’t like. 

Either I’ll live with them a tad lower or I need more powerful pups.

[BigRedX]

1 hour ago, SICbass said:

Either I’ll live with them a tad lower or I need more powerful pups.

Or you could just turn your amp up a little bit more.

[SICbass]

3 hours ago, BigRedX said:

Or you could just turn your amp up a little bit more.

The volume, as such. isn’t the issue. It’s just that I’ve recently had to change to using In-Ears and I am, for the first time, hearing my basses “up close”. It just sounds a little thin and raising the pups beefs things up. I can always adjust the eq. on the pre-amp but it struck me as logical to try and optimise the signal chain starting at the beginning. It’s not a terrible problem or anything, I’m just tweaking to see what I can improve.