# How do I ‘direct mount’ an EMG?



## Acaciastrain360 (Aug 9, 2019)

Hi, I have a guitar I’m overhauling, the EMG 81 was previously mounted on a plastic pickup surround, but I want to change the pickup slot in the guitar so I can mount the pickup to the body without a plastic cover....
Any light on how to do this will be greatly appreciated 
Tah


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## Demiurge (Aug 9, 2019)

^Find a nut that fits the mounting screw and attach it inside the pickup route. Mounting screws can run long, so you can always snip them for aesthetics. You can stuff a block of foam underneath to get the same effect as springs with w/plastic surround.


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## Tisca (Aug 10, 2019)

You'll want to drill out the threads in the pickups. Then use a mounting plate or just wood screws direct into body. Foam under.


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## Adieu (Aug 10, 2019)

Drilling out an EMG 81 = not recommended

Because it's a rivet-looking threaded insert in epoxy, not a hole in a metal baseplate


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## Albake21 (Aug 11, 2019)

Demiurge said:


> ^Find a nut that fits the mounting screw and attach it inside the pickup route. Mounting screws can run long, so you can always snip them for aesthetics. You can stuff a block of foam underneath to get the same effect as springs with w/plastic surround.


Out of curiosity, how would you attach the nut? Glue?


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## c7spheres (Aug 11, 2019)

On my guitar with 707's, it's shimmed with wood at exactly the height I wanted them at (like a little picture frame all around the edge of the pickup underneath, leaving enough space for the connector and a little chiseled out of the body to accommodate. In the middle there is foam in case I want to raise the height ever so the foam pushes it up. This way, If I do raise the height ever I can just add a couple shims to each side where the screws are if I still want it locked down tight/direct mounted, and it keeps the pickup where i'd want it so I can measure for the additional shim height. If it's floating it's not really direct mounted. There is a difference, especially in the low end resonance and sustain aspect. I'm an odd ball as I actually like my Emg's pretty far from the strings. It's setup around my heaviest picking I'll be ever be doing with power chords so they become extremely dynamic that way. It does make you work a lot harder to pay attention to dynamics though, but it also let's you know when you're playing something wrong. Very responsive and dynamic this way.


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## Demiurge (Aug 11, 2019)

There's also this:
http://www.fu-tone.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=96&products_id=261
Though I imagine it doesn't work as well with bigger pickups.

I suppose another solution that approximates this is using the baseplate of shitty old pickup that takes the same screws.


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## Acaciastrain360 (Aug 11, 2019)

Jeeeez a lot of messing about isn’t it! Haha
Thanks for all the input! I’ll get to work


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## soldierkahn (Aug 11, 2019)

Adieu said:


> Drilling out an EMG 81 = not recommended
> 
> Because it's a rivet-looking threaded insert in epoxy, not a hole in a metal baseplate



I always used the screws to remove the metal bushings from the holes, but its dicey getting it out without breaking it. But I use Lundgrens now so i dont have to bother with any of that lol


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## lewis (Aug 15, 2019)

Acaciastrain360 said:


> Jeeeez a lot of messing about isn’t it! Haha
> Thanks for all the input! I’ll get to work


Warwick sell threaded inserts in different sizes for like less than 1 Euro each


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## Winspear (Aug 15, 2019)

Having not used EMGs , can somebody enlighten me on what the issue is here? Why can't it just be mounted straight to the guitar with screws and foam/screw springs (smaller screws than usual if the pickup is threaded)?


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## gunch (Aug 17, 2019)

Winspear said:


> Having not used EMGs , can somebody enlighten me on what the issue is here? Why can't it just be mounted straight to the guitar with screws and foam/screw springs (smaller screws than usual if the pickup is threaded)?


The tabs have threaded bushings


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## Winspear (Aug 18, 2019)

Yeah, I'm just not sure why you couldn't mount it with smaller screws? If there were already holes in the guitar they would need to be filled but that's easy enough. If it was ring mounted before there may not be any holes yet. I'd just use a screw that is slightly smaller than the pickups threads.


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## c7spheres (Aug 18, 2019)

Winspear said:


> Yeah, I'm just not sure why you couldn't mount it with smaller screws? If there were already holes in the guitar they would need to be filled but that's easy enough. If it was ring mounted before there may not be any holes yet. I'd just use a screw that is slightly smaller than the pickups threads.


 You can do that, but the thing is that direct mounting will usually make the pickups to far from the strings for what is considered "normal" for EMG pickup height. It depends how deep your routes on your guitar are. You could do what I did though if it's to far from the strings (see my previous post here for what I did). Foam and springs is not direct mounting. It has to be a solid connection to the body to be considered direct mounted.


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## Winspear (Aug 18, 2019)

Oh, ok! That is something I never knew  I thought direct mount just meant without rings.


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## Chris Bowsman (Aug 18, 2019)

Winspear said:


> Yeah, I'm just not sure why you couldn't mount it with smaller screws? If there were already holes in the guitar they would need to be filled but that's easy enough. If it was ring mounted before there may not be any holes yet. I'd just use a screw that is slightly smaller than the pickups threads.



EMGs use machine screws. Mounting directly to the body requires wood screws, or an insert of some type.


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## Science_Penguin (Aug 19, 2019)

My RG Premium used to have EMGs. The guy who used to install my pickups had to force the little brass inserts out of the screw holes to get the wood screws to fit. Then to compensate for lack of springs, he put foam blocks underneath them, which might be standard procedure for direct mounts- I dunno, all my stuff is pickguard-mounted these days.


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## sharedEQ (Aug 20, 2019)

Remember when they marketed this as sounding better?

It probably just saves some money on manufacturing. I don't like seeing the routed edges of the holes.


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## Chris Bowsman (Aug 20, 2019)

sharedEQ said:


> Remember when they marketed this as sounding better?
> 
> It probably just saves some money on manufacturing. I don't like seeing the routed edges of the holes.



People flip out about having pickup rings now. Kinda weird.


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