Official Luthiers Forum!

Here is the latest Luthier Tips du Jour video - The topic is how to install a K&K pure mini pickup in your guitar.
This video as well as all my other videos are available via my website, http://www.obrienguitars.com/videos , LMI's website or on youtube.
Enjoy!

Well done as usual. Thanks!!!

Thanks again, Robbie.
I like the little jig. It may save one from gluing a finger to the bridge plate.

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Give me 50 cents worth of regular.
Check my oil too, if you don`t mind,,,

Thanks, Robbie! Looks easy, especially when you see it done!

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

Thanks Robbie. I know you didn't have much choice in this case but the instructions that come with the pick-ups specifically say not to install them on the other side of the bridge pins. Can you comment on how well they sound in that position?
Pat

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There are three kinds of people:

Those that make things happen,
those that watch things happen,
and those that wondered what happened.

It sounded fine and I didn't notice any difference in sound quality than a normal installation.

Thanks Robbie, that's good to know. I'm sure there'll come a time when I'll need to install these a little bit away from the optimum recommended location.
Pat

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There are three kinds of people:

Those that make things happen,
those that watch things happen,
and those that wondered what happened.

Another good video, Robbie. Thanks for posting it.

I installed one of these pickups for the first time a couple weeks ago and would like to add a couple things that others might find helpful.

The first has to do with the diameter of the hole for the end pin jack. In a previous thread, David Collins made an excellent case (including a bunch of great photos) for drilling the hole to 15/32" instead of 1/2". I suggest anyone looking to install an end pin jack read his post about 1/4 of the way down the first page and decide for yourself: http://luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=44971&hilit=end+pin+jack In addition to his reasons for using 15/32", his advice also happened to save my butt with my specific pickup installation as described below.

If the the tail block is much more than 3/4" thick, you have a problem because the threaded portion of the jack is not long enough to span the block and leave enough exposed thread for the lock washer, the tail block thickness adjustment nut, and cap that go on the inside end. The instruction manual says that longer jacks are not available on the market. In my case the block was 1" thick. I lucked out though because I had reamed the hole to 15/32". It turns out that the cap that threads onto the inside end is 1/2" in diameter. I have the StewMac stepped end pin hole reamer so I used it to widen the inside end of the 15/32" hole to 1/2" to a depth sufficient for the cap to thread onto the jack and have the outside end of the jack flush with the surface. Because the reamer is stepped, it left a ledge in the hole for the end of the cap to butt against and keep the jack from sliding out. If I had originally reamed the hole to 1/2", I would have been SOL. Since I couldn't use the lock washer that should go on the inside, I wrapped the threads on the inside end of the jack with several layers of pipe thread tape to create enough resistance so that the cap can't back off on its own over time.

The installation of the sensors was easy as pie and I like the sound of this pickup better than the under saddle pickups I've heard.

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Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right - Robert Hunter

Full disclosure... I know someone who works at K&K.
If you have a need to do a non standard location install, you should consider calling K&K. You don't have to take their advice but they know a lot about their pickups in different situations.
I have heard that they are very helpful.
Dave

Another option for a too thick tailblock is a reverse spotfacer. I got mine at The Yard Store, an aircraft tool outfit. You can ream in reverse from the inside. Gives a nice clean countersink as opposed to jury rigging a spade bit.

You can ream a big enough countersink so there is room for the nut and lock washer.

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

At the time, I did wish that I had a reverse spot facer big enough to to do the job. I agree that would be the most elegant solution.

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Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right - Robert Hunter

Easy to make back-wards cutting spade bit like this to counter-bore the tail block:

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Ken Cierp

http://www.kennethmichaelguitars.com/

Good idea, Ken! If you can slide a bushing over the shaft, it would cut down on the chatter.

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

Nitpicking, I know, but counterboring and countersinking are two different processes.

Just sayin' ...

I've fitted about 20 sets of these to guitars now, the first three I did as K&K instruct, since then I have used my own jig in a similar process but fitting all three transducers in one operation. It is so much easier than putting them on one at a time. My jig registers through the two E string pin holes with index marks for each transducer position marked on the jig.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Here's the JJB clone being installed three at a time

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHnrFppYyfY

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Ken Cierp

http://www.kennethmichaelguitars.com/

Aw here I was thinking that the reverse spade bit was all my original idea. I made one of those at least ten years ago and it still gets occasional use. Great minds think alike

Course now they have reverse Forstner bits too.

As for the K and K's they have become quite popular. I think I've installed 5 of them in the last few weeks. I think they sound great especially the Trinity with the condenser mic and preamp mixer. IMHO they are the best thing going for amping up your acoustic. I've been forced to install them behind the bridge pins too and I don't think I would be able to tell the difference.

Not sure where I first saw the shop made reverse cutting bit -- but Likely something Don Teeter used for some sort of repair.

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Ken Cierp

http://www.kennethmichaelguitars.com/

Cutting the back end of a spade bit has been around a long time. I was first shown that by a guy I worked with while doing finish work in Colorado in the 70's.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"