Author Topic: (x) Help needed on pickup adjustment screw measurements (Read 865 times)

David Houck · « **on:** July 11, 2005, 06:52:36 AM »

There's a discussion within the MXY Pickups thread in the Seen On Ebay section of Swap Shop. Apparently, the distance between pickup adjustment screw holes has not always been the same; and we are trying to determine by survey what the measurements are. Hopefully we will pin down when the change took place. This will be useful for people who wish to replace their pickups. So if you have a moment, go read that thread; and then, if you have a ruler handy, take a measurement and post your results to this thread.

David Houck · « **Reply #1 on:** July 11, 2005, 06:40:29 AM »

Here's what I have at the moment with MXY's; measurements are eyeball with a ruler, center to center:

97 Essence 6 string MXY: 1/2 (12.5mm)

00 Orion 5 string MXY: 1/2 (12.5mm)

I also have a 1990 Essence 4 string which would be quite germane to the discussion but it's in Santa Rosa.

richbass939 · « **Reply #2 on:** July 11, 2005, 07:26:56 AM »

Here's what I have on my two. I also used the officially approved eyeball/ruler method.

'95 Epic 4 6-1995 95W9177 Gold embossed name (not in relief very much)
edge-hole center-hole center-edge
Approx. 0 mm - 7 mm - 24 mm - 30 mm

'98 Epic 5 DOB unknown 98W11271 Name not in any color but is in some relief down into the pickup cover.
Approx. 0 mm - 8.5 mm - 22 mm - 30 mm

Rich

David Houck · « **Reply #3 on:** July 11, 2005, 08:31:15 AM »

Rich; because the edges are rounded, I seem to find it difficult to measure from the edge, although I certainly see the value in doing so. I'm also cheating in that I'm measuring to the center of the screw rather than removing the screw; thus my results may be compromised. However, my center to center measurements at 12.5 differ from both of your results at 17 and 13.5. I'm getting confused and disoriented .

richbass939 · « **Reply #4 on:** July 11, 2005, 10:20:36 AM »

I did another, more careful measurement. I took out the screw and measured only the holes. The screw does seem to have about 1 mm movement in the hole. I measured from the edge before it starts curving around the corner.
The '95 with wider hole-to-hole spacing is approx:
0 mm - 6.5 mm - 24 mm - 30 mm
The '98 with narrower spacing is approx:
0 mm - 9 mm - 21.5 mm - 30 mm
When I measured just center-to-center I got 12.5 mm ('98) and 17.5 mm ('95). I don't trust my old eyes to see much smaller than 1 mm anyway.
Rich

(Message edited by richbass939 on July 11, 2005)

90k6259 · « **Reply #5 on:** July 11, 2005, 09:08:06 PM »

I measure .723 or 23/32 cntr. to cntr. in the pickups with the wider spaced holes. These pickups do not fit my 90 Essence. The original pickups had a narrower hole spaceing. Mica has a pic posted in I believe the questions section.

90k6259 · « **Reply #6 on:** July 11, 2005, 09:12:15 PM »

the picture is in the General discussion area.
under mxy pickup problem

bob · « **Reply #7 on:** July 11, 2005, 09:44:58 PM »

Unless my eyes are too tired, we already have a contradiction here. Rich is saying his 98 has narrower spacing (~ 12.5 mm) than his 95 (~ 17.5). However, Roy says his 90 has the narrower spacing, and the pickups he obtained that don't fit have the wider spacing (23/32 ~= 18 mm).

Unfortunately, though Mica's picture shows an obvious difference, it's not clearly stated whether the mold is new (narrow) and the sample pickup older, or vice versa.

The plot thickens?

90k6259 · « **Reply #8 on:** July 11, 2005, 10:20:00 PM »

Hi Bob;
Well if I where to venture a guess. I would say that the picture of the mold (having a narrower spacing) is more in line with my 90 Essense which has a narrower spacing then the 92 Essense that these soposed to have come from. This in all logic should render the mold the older design. maybe! Any way I can understand the potential reason for the change. My take would be that the wider spacing would allow for more precise adjustment.

sfnic · « **Reply #9 on:** July 12, 2005, 02:40:34 PM »

(Sidenote to Rich)

My tracking database shows 98W11271 as being born on 1/19/98. :-)

nic

richbass939 · « **Reply #10 on:** July 12, 2005, 05:34:43 PM »

Bob, I checked it again and the 95 has wider spacing than the 98. The 98 is a 5 string and the 95 is a 4. Maybe they had a large stash of one type of pickup shells that makes the change-over date seem off.
Nic, thanks for the birthdate. One of these days I will request a build record.
Right now I'm caressing the 95 through its trauma. My dog knocked it and its stand over onto the back of its head. I was thinking of starting a thread taking preorders for about 3 or 4 beagle skin straps but I've cooled off some. Breathe deeply, you're okay, release the dog's neck.
Rich

mica · « **Reply #11 on:** July 12, 2005, 05:51:56 PM »

Well, it's pretty hard to measure center to center by eye. With calipers, you can measure to the outside edge of each hole reliably like this:

The MXY4 pickups that were polyurethane cast are .666 (inch) when measured this way. MXY4 pickups that are cast in an ABS plastic shell (with Alembic stamped in gold) are .846 when measured as described above.

MXY56 pickups have always been cast polyurethane, and have not changed.

It seems that the company that made the injection molds used the same spacing as the AXY shell they had previously done. It wasn't actually how we ordered them, but when 5,000 show up that way, it's how you make them!

mica · « **Reply #12 on:** July 12, 2005, 05:56:16 PM »

To avoid confusion, you can still order a replacement MXY4 pickup cast in polyurethane. I've made sure that Mary, mom and Valentino are aware of the difference in mounting hole distance, not just decoration.

David Houck · « **Reply #13 on:** July 12, 2005, 06:07:17 PM »

Thanks Mica!!!

90k6259 · « **Reply #14 on:** July 12, 2005, 06:18:26 PM »

Thank you Mica greatly apreciate you clearing this up.