J-tone owners: tips please on fitting to bridge slots?

[Kevsy71]

HI all, just picked up a 'J-Tone Black' pick-up. This fits into the bridge slots, but it looks like mine are too narrow, even when squeezing the pads. Any advice please, e.g. is it ok to sand the bridge slots to the point where it is a snug fit?

 

Cheers!

[Paddy Morris]

Yes, it certainly is. If it's a high value instrument then get a luthier on the case.

 

My first bass wasn't expensive, and still isn't.  And I think that J-Tone was my first pick-up too.  I used a very small file and some sand paper to enlarge the bridge wing. 

 

The sound of those J-Tones (and probably all piezo's) is very dependent on the tightness of the fit.  Too tight and they tend to be a bit bright, and lacking in tone. Too loose and they're a bit quiet. So it will require a bit of trial and error.

[JoeEvans]

If you can do it, it’s helpful to shape the slot with a slight taper, so that as you push the pickup in it gets gradually tighter. That way you can adjust the tightness and therefore the tone.

You want to use the sandpaper on something stiff and flat. Possibly you could wrap it round a credit card, or the blade from a plane would be perfect. That way you’ll end up with a flat slot. I’d use quite coarse paper myself, 80 or 120 grit.

[Kevsy71]

Thank you both! I also heard back from Alan at J-Tone with similar advice so I'll give that a go. 

[Staggering on]

4 hours ago, JoeEvans said:

If you can do it, it’s helpful to shape the slot with a slight taper, so that as you push the pickup in it gets gradually tighter. That way you can adjust the tightness and therefore the tone.

You want to use the sandpaper on something stiff and flat. Possibly you could wrap it round a credit card, or the blade from a plane would be perfect. That way you’ll end up with a flat slot. I’d use quite coarse paper myself, 80 or 120 grit.

 

I have had the same problem when fitting pickups in the slot and I used a thin file and then fairly coarse sandpaper wrapped around a steel rule to get the gap big enough. The rule is easy to grip and you can even use both hands on it, I got the idea from the Gollihur website and from material they sent with the pickup when I bought it. Go slowly and check frequently, there is a sweet spot where it fits snugly and gives good tone, you will need to experiment playing it to get the best sound. If you get it too big you can use shims, thin wood or even a guitar pick trimmed to the right shape.

 Good luck!

 

Edited July 2, 2022 by Staggering on

[JoeEvans]

A steel rule is an excellent idea.