Steel plate under bridge pickup

[Dennism]

The bridge pickup on my Road Worn Jazzmaster sounds great, but it could use a bit more low end, to "keep up" with the bottom end the neck pickup produces. Fender makes the Telecaster with the copper or steel plate under the bridge pickup, and that is partially what gives it that meaty sound.
I've done it with my Strat bridge pickups, a plate put out by a local pickup manufacturer, and it is supposed to add about 10% more bass to that pickup. I have done, it and it works.
Has anybody done the same to their Jazzmaster?
I would like to try it. it is a reversible mod, in that the plate is held in place by magnetism, with a little soldered on ground wire to the ground terminal, or anything that is grounded on the guitar. a series of holes are drilled to make clearance for the pickup magnets.
Any thoughts out there?
Dennis

[Peckhammer]

I would have thought a steel plate would make the pickup sound colder, and emphasize treble, but you say you've done it before. Suppose it's worth a try. If I were looking to add more bass to the bridge pickup - and I can see why you'd want to - I'd buy a Lollar P90 that's made for the Jazzmaster.

[Dennism]

I did it; made a steel plate from a rack panel what is used in effects racks. A lot of cutting, filing, drilling (would have been nice if I had a milling machine!) drilled out the clearance holes for the magnets. Cut it to fit, applied some wax, and put it all back together, plugged it in and it made a bit of difference. Made the lead pickup a little warmer. Going to try it at band rehearsal in a few nights and see how it blends with everything thrown at it, mix and sound wise.
My second reaction to this mod is that it seems to have taken some of the bite and snap out of the lead pickup. It's as if it tamed it down some. Not sure if I like it. Someone else might, but what makes (made) this Jazzmaster so appealing to me is that very sharpness and the afore-mentioned bite and snap.
Oh, well; like I said, try it out at rehearsal tomorrow, see how it blends. I can always take it out . . .

[antisymmetric]

Interesting, might give it a try. Thanks for posting.

[Dennism]

I tried it, and it didn't do the trick for me. Took some of the bite and the sustain out of the lead pickup. So out it went. Chalk it up to experimenting. I wouldn't recommend it.

[Dennism]

Here I am five years later and revisiting the issue of installing a steel plate under the bridge pickup of my road worn jazzmaster!
I read my post from 2017 and realized my mistake, drilling clearance holes for the magnets poking through the bottom of the pickup. The steel plate is supposed to sit snugly against the magnets; they did not when I first tried it, that’s why it didn’t work.

So this time, I first soldered the wires of the PU to a bare output jack, and then plugged the pickup into an amplifier (before installing it into the guitar) and tapped the magnets on top of the PU with a small screwdriver, and listened for the tone. I then held the plate against the bottom of the PU, and tapped again, taking note of the difference. A little more volume, a little more low end than before. Bear in mind, the plate is held firmly against the magnet on the bottom of the PU.

So it does work. Problem is, I can’t do an A B test like above with the PU installed in the guitar, just have to accept that once the PU is installed, and steel plate in place properly, the sound will indeed be louder and a little more low end than without said steel plate.

Hope this all helps!

[jvin248]

.

The steel plate reflects the magnetic flux lines of the magnets. Gives more output since you have more flux crossing the string path.
Thickness of the steel is important, as is the type of steel. I find you need at least an eighth inch thick steel. Best ones I made out of octagon house electrical box covers cut by hand. You want the magnets contacting the plate.

[JackFawkes]

Probably not relevant, but you reminded me of this interesting thread at TDPRI:
Telecaster bridge plate testing; brass, steel, thin, thick

[madlovepickups]

Some reading this might be interested in my jm-tb pickups which use a longer magnet and 5mm steel plate inspired by pickups in travis bean guitars which were attached to a large steel plate. The steel plate does add a fair amount of bottom end and also some additional output without losing too much of the top. I especially love it in the neck position.

[CorporateDisguise]

Tim from Saunday Handwound made me a JM pickup with a tele base plate. I haven’t heard the pickup without the base plate, so I can’t quantify its contribution to the tone. But overall, the pickup has a bit more authority than a standard JM. Turned out to be exactly what I wanted.