Members bmast160 Posted July 6, 2017 Members Share Posted July 6, 2017 The pickup on this guitar is just way too high that playing up on the neck causes the strings to hit the pickup. I sanded the spacer as low as it could go but running into the same issue. P90 is just too wide to sit on top of the body. Any thin p90s (or maybe a low 4k wind jazzmaster style pickup might work)? Any issues drilling out a hole in the body to drop the pickup lower? Did the Gibson es-125s have a pickup that sat on top of the body or one that could be dropped lower? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted July 6, 2017 Members Share Posted July 6, 2017 Before you start cutting anything is the neck angle and bridge height correct? How about some pictures and measurements? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bmast160 Posted July 6, 2017 Author Members Share Posted July 6, 2017 neck is almost straight (just slight relief) & the bridge height is fairly high to compensate for the high pickup. i've read that others have had similar height issues — maybe because the guitar was originally acoustic & when godin started making them with a pickup they didnt want to redesign Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members onelife Posted July 6, 2017 Members Share Posted July 6, 2017 Have you contacted Godin? Perhaps this is a known issue with a manufacturer recommended solution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bmast160 Posted July 6, 2017 Author Members Share Posted July 6, 2017 no. found some posts that their service is horrendous and they don't even have a phone number listed so i didn't bother, so i figured i'd replace it with another pickup - potentially a shorter p90 if possible, or look into cutting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bmast160 Posted July 6, 2017 Author Members Share Posted July 6, 2017 i'll start another thread to see if anybody knows of a shorter replacement for a p90, but if anyone has any input on cutting into the godin i'd appreciate it. will this compromise the guitar structurally? will the acoustic and amplified tone change much because of the hole? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted July 6, 2017 Members Share Posted July 6, 2017 neck is almost straight (just slight relief) & the bridge height is fairly high to compensate for the high pickup. i've read that others have had similar height issues — maybe because the guitar was originally acoustic & when godin started making them with a pickup they didnt want to redesign I was asking about neck angle, not relief. I'm not familiar with that particular guitar but from the pictures I've seen it looks like a basic archtop style neck with a floating fretboard extension. In the pictures it looks like the f/b is a few mm above the neck pickup pole pieces - which tells me that at least the guitars in the pictures don't have the problem you describe. I can't believe that Godin would intentionally build a guitar where the pup sits too high - has it always been that way? You can of course continue to look for a different pickup or route the body for the one you have but at least on this forum folks seem to kind of like the stock pups (and no one mentions your clearance issues). One person did fit a floating archtop style neck pickup to his - that would be an option. http://www.jazzguitar.be/forum/guitar-amps-gizmos/36055-pickup-replace-godin-kingpin.html The link also mentions adjusting the pole pieces - have you tried that? I'd still like to see a picture of the bridge, the f/b with a straightedge sitting on it and your action specs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bmast160 Posted July 6, 2017 Author Members Share Posted July 6, 2017 pickup housing sits just slightly below the neck. if you're not doing easy finger style playing and do some serious strumming you get intense attack because the strings are too close and if you want to adjust the pole pieces to tweek the tone the strings will hit the pole pieces. i've always had the bridge height high but haven't played it much because of this. check out this post which also addresses the issue http://www.jazzguitar.be/forum/guitar-amps-gizmos/12875-just-got-godin-5th-ave-kingpin-cw.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bmast160 Posted July 6, 2017 Author Members Share Posted July 6, 2017 ....also note that in the JazzGuitar post above they refer to the bridge pickup; for this pickup one could sand the spacer to lower the pickup, but doing this on the neck pickup doesn't really work because the spacer is almost flush with the screws on the bottom of the p90 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members badpenguin Posted July 6, 2017 Members Share Posted July 6, 2017 Ok, looks to be a dog eared pickup. There is a hole in the body where the pickup sits. If you haven't done the obvious, lowering the screws on the pickup, then remove the pickup, and dissemble it from the casing/ring. Then some sanding on the bottom of the ring, and check it often as you do it. The pickup fits into the hole, the ring holds it into place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted July 6, 2017 Members Share Posted July 6, 2017 You talk about "cutting into" your Godin - are there routed cavites for the P90's already in the top? I am only familiar with ES-175 style guitars - with either p90's or humbuckers the cavity is routed into the top and is open in the bottom. There are two spruce runners that parallel the center line - they are just under where the screws for the dog ear covers go and there is a brace that crosses in between the pups (and another under the bridge). There should be no need to do any cutting, just use shorter covers. Once again, pictures would help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bmast160 Posted July 6, 2017 Author Members Share Posted July 6, 2017 already did this. could only take a tiny bit off because ring is already almost flush with screws on bottom of pickup. no hole in body for pickup. it sits on top of body. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bmast160 Posted July 6, 2017 Author Members Share Posted July 6, 2017 this guitar would be more similar to es-125 shape. for the godin kingpin the p90 sits on top of the body. does the es-125 have hole in the body for a pickup? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members badpenguin Posted July 6, 2017 Members Share Posted July 6, 2017 Ok, then you need a top mount pickup, unless you wand to grind the bottoms of screws off. That would be my first course of action. but like Freeman says, PICTURES WOULD BE HELPFUL!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WRGKMC Posted July 7, 2017 Members Share Posted July 7, 2017 This is a stock pic of the guitar. The neck overhangs the body so it seems susceptible to sagging downward forcing less clearance between the strings and pickup. If it is a neck joint or body warp issue its an expensive fix. Lowering the pickup is an interim fix. If the neck is sagging it will continue to do so. What I'd try is a different pickup or cover. I'm thinking an Epiphone Casino pickup cover might be lower. Heres the specs on it so you can compare the height and size. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Epiphone-CASINO-Front-Pickup-Cover-NECK-Position-Dogear-P90-Chrome-/201337539870 Overall Length = 4-11/16 in. (119 mm) Overall Width = 1-5/8 in. (41.3 mm) Center Height = 1/4 in. (6.4 mm) - This describes the height of the pickup cover itself, which is in addition to the slight arch in the center. Dogear Height = 3/16 in. (4.75 mm) E to E Pole Spacing, Center to Center = 1-57/64 in. (48 mm) Mounting Screw Holes, Center to Center = 3-27/32 in. (97.6 mm) If that's not a fix then I'd opt for installing a mini humbucker I believe these might cover up the P90 screw holes. If I get a chance I'll try and confirm it. I have these pickups and P90's and will check and see. If not you could make your own rings the size of P90's and simply put an adjustable height mini in there. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mini-Humbucker-Pickups-4-conductor-wiring-Nickel-Covers-Rings-/322360523838?hash=item4b0e2f3c3e:g:y2sAAOSwOgdYqeIR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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