Re: Full Sized Humbuckers in Jazzmaster

debian · Post by **debian** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 6:40 pm

I have looked for threads talking about putting a full-sized humbucker in a Jazzmaster, but they never really lead anywhere (how to install from a physical perspective, not so much wiring). I've seen several people here and elsewhere do this, and just wondering what all issues there are in doing this. The first thing that I notice is that the full-sized humbucker doesn't fill the entire cavity, so people put a humbucker ring around them.

Here are the initial questions I have:
1) How do you install the pickup ring, since I assume the 4 screw holes in the ring are not mounted over the body, but are over the empty route left by the soapbar?
2) How do you get the humbucker to stay in place inside the cavity?

Feel free to add anything I might be missing outside of this.

Also, I'm not really interested in a soapbar humbucker and I would appreciate no anti-humbucker rants. I have quite a few single coils, and I just like having variety. Thanks!

theworkoffire · Post by **theworkoffire** » Fri Jun 06, 2008 2:01 am

The only way to do it with rings is with a custom pickguard - like you say there's nothing to screw it into on the original guard.
If you want to keep the original guard you need to screw the humbucker directly to the body, with foam or spacers underneath for adjustment. Rough and ready but it can look great with uncovered humbuckers. Curtis Novak makes humbckers to go under the standard JM covers.

Franco · Post by **Franco** » Fri Jun 06, 2008 1:40 pm

A standard humbucker will fit under the pup cover, and the cover holds it in place.

berlinbetty · Post by **berlinbetty** » Fri Jun 06, 2008 2:25 pm

A humbucker will fit in a Jazzmaster route if you pop off the tabs for the height adjustings screws or you could just drill holes in the body that the tabs could fit down like I did...

cestlamort · Post by **cestlamort** » Fri Jun 06, 2008 2:47 pm

could you also make a Humbucker ring sandwich on the pickguard? (PG = the deli meat, esp. good if you have ketchup tort)

The novak HBs are great, if you're thinking of that option.

-2N3904- · Post by **-2N3904-** » Fri Jun 06, 2008 2:51 pm

i would snap off the rings and use a full size HB and put it under a jazzmaster pup covers.

RumorsOFsurF · Post by **RumorsOFsurF** » Fri Jun 06, 2008 3:38 pm

berlinbetty wrote: A humbucker will fit in a Jazzmaster route if you pop off the tabs for the height adjustings screws or you could just drill holes in the body that the tabs could fit down like I did...

I haven't seen that guitar in a while. It really makes me want a B&B in sunburst.

berlinbetty · Post by **berlinbetty** » Fri Jun 06, 2008 6:28 pm

That picture was about three or four versions ago. Since then, I've put the tortoiseshell back on, I've had AVRI and Antiquity II pickups in there, I've added a middle strat pickup and put the original Jazzmaster bridge back in. As it sits right now, I have that humbucker in the bridge and the stock CIJ neck pickup, which I always really liked, but I've been thinking about hiding the humbucker under a JM cover just to make it look more uniform... I haven't made up my mind yet.

But, to get back on topic, I think the best and easiest way to put humbuckers in a Jazzmaster is just snap off the tabs and stick it under the cover with the black foam underneath to adjust the height.

kalipigeon · Post by **kalipigeon** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 9:57 pm

It seems like the easiest method would be to take a set of Jazzmaster pickup covers and cut humbucker sized holes in them and just make them the pickup rings. Then they're automatically going to fit in the old pickguard, and you still retain the height adjustment. That looks like what was done in the photo there, though as mentioned you'd have to make a hole on each side for the mounting ears to drop into. BTW, that guitar looks awesome.

berlinbetty · Post by **berlinbetty** » Tue Jul 01, 2008 1:38 pm

Thanks...

sonnengott · Post by **sonnengott** » Thu Jul 03, 2008 2:26 am

maybe you should buy humbuckers in jazzmaster size from curtis novak

ARAMP1 · Post by **ARAMP1** » Tue Jul 08, 2008 9:58 pm

kalipigeon wrote: It seems like the easiest method would be to take a set of Jazzmaster pickup covers and cut humbucker sized holes in them and just make them the pickup rings. Then they're automatically going to fit in the old pickguard, and you still retain the height adjustment. That looks like what was done in the photo there, though as mentioned you'd have to make a hole on each side for the mounting ears to drop into. BTW, that guitar looks awesome.

This is basically what I did. I had to route out a bit of the wood, but basically the pickups are mounted directly to the covers and the covers are bolted to the body in the standard fashon.

BTW, the cream pickup covers are the only ones I had at the time. I'm currently redoing them in white.

samzadgan · Post by **samzadgan** » Mon Jul 06, 2015 4:47 pm

necro bump...

but i'm looking to do this mod for my new jazzmaster...for someone that doesnt have too many tools...how did you guys cut out the hole in the the jazzmaster pickup cover?

jaz2master · Post by **jaz2master** » Wed Jul 08, 2015 3:37 am