D holes with magnetic pickup question

Buco

@crookedpinky thanks, I'll pass this along

Scoredog

I used to putty a Krivo as close to the neck as possible. Not a perfect solution but I survived a number of loud gigs this way. Just another solution. I hate the idea of permanently mounting something which I have seen before.

CraigHensley

Has anyone tried the Miller Flèche d'Or on a D-hole? They sound great and have a much smaller profile than the Peche and others.

I've used the Krivo micro manouche with some success, but I don't care for the putty system. Messing around with putty while setting up for a gig is an annoyance. They should offer a clip-on accessory that mounts to the top like a Peche or Miller.

Buco

I said this elsewhere and I still think I'm pretty sure I'd just get rid of the fretboard extension if I was having a same dilema. How hard can it be? Right around fret #20. Then you'd have enough space for mounting a pickup; putty, clip or similar. I really like them aesthetically but they're obviously pita.

CraigHensley

I agree. It's really a useless design flaw at this point with all the great pickups out there. Some guitars are more easily modified than others. The Altamira I'm playing now could be modified by removing the fretboard after the 19th fret, it's just a floating slab of ebony. Cut if off with a hand saw or fine tool, and apply a hot iron to the fingerboard extension to release any glue from the top. The JWC I recently had was much different, the fingerboard extension was supported by additional wood mass built into the neck block.

wim

Don't think just lopping off the extension will be enough, sadly.

An oval hole guitar will usually have about an inch of space between the end of the fingerboard and the hole, where the clip grabs on (and where the pickup partially sits on). But usually the fingerboard on a D hole goes right up to the edge so there's still no space for the pickup.

crookedpinky

And there's the issue of the top brace as well. On a couple of guitars this was so close to the soundhole that it impeded the clip of the pickup.

CraigHensley

True, It's a complicated scenario. A custom built guitar would be the way to go. I don't keep guitars long enough to really justify chopping off the fingerboard anyway.

juanderer

https://www.djangobooks.com/forum/discussion/comment/109890#Comment_109890

Every now and then ( last night was one of those "thens," actually) I think of removing the extension - does anyone plays those high notes, anyway? I'd be keen on knowing the method and results if your friend pulls through with it.

Buco

Yeah this would only be a good idea if the guitar is a keeper or in your hands for the long run. But if the job is clean then it shouldn't really affect the value of it.

I'm nudging him to get it done. If you cut it at fret 19 or even 20 I think you'd have enough space to putty the pickup. Or come up with something to clip it

I wonder how tall can you make the pole piece on a magnetic pickup. If possible, and that would be a very custom job, then you could mount the pickup underneath the extension with the pole pieces going through the fretboard extension by drilling the holes for them, I think just high E and B strings. Biggest part of the job would be getting a custom pickup.

Or sell whatever you have and order a custom guitar. That's the most fun solution. Better yet, just buy that Favino style D hole @geese_com is selling.