Guitars feature numerous pickup types that can have an immense effect on their tone. When upgrading or changing to different pickup configurations, this may require routing the instrument body for their new pickups.
Clear acrylic routing templates make this task simple: just align their laser-etched centerlines with those on your guitar’s markings and route according to the depth recommendations printed directly on their surface.
Pickup Templates
Installing a pickup in a bass guitar requires having an appropriate template to guide you during hole cutting. A template helps make holes of proper sizes for each pickup and ensures smooth installation. While some luthiers prefer drawing their own templates, using pre-made ones may be simpler and faster.
These pickup routing templates are specifically designed to fit various common pickup shapes. From Jazz Basses and Precisions basses, to Music Mans and Soapbar basses – even Xtender basses! Each template’s dimensions are slightly larger than its actual pickup to accommodate for any slight differences between manufacturer sizes and still ensure that your pickup fits.
StewMac offers templates laser-cut from 1/2 inch MDF that feature centerlines to ensure accurate placement on either the body or pickguard. Furthermore, their templates feature depth measurements so it is easy to estimate how much material should be routed into the body for pickup holes.
Templates are extremely straightforward to use – all that’s necessary for proper routing is double-stick tape or flat head screws in counter-sunk holes to keep it in place as you route. Once ready, simply lower your router bit into its body and make several shallow passes until its bearing can smoothly ride along its edge; once this has occurred, remove the template and rout to the recommended depth as indicated on its edge.
Before using a pickup template, it is a wise idea to test-fit the pickup in its hole in your guitar body before starting the cutting process. This way, you can be certain it fits as expected and won’t become damaged during installation. In addition, cutting body cavity and neck pocket openings a bit larger than necessary allows for wood expansion/contraction during this process.
Holes Templates
When installing one or more bass pickups into a guitar body, routing templates are required to locate their mounting holes precisely within its body – this allows for accurate positioning of pickups as well as proper fitting of pickguard overtop.
To make the process go more efficiently, rout cavities when your body blank is still rectangular rather than cutting to its final form. This allows for easier centerline alignment between template centerlines and those drawn on your body and easier routing on flat surfaces than curved ones.
Holes should always be cut slightly larger than the pickup to account for possible differences in manufacturer sizing, and to leave enough room for its reveal once installed. Doing this allows for adjustment or tilting and also prevents wood expansion/contraction that could otherwise result in tight fits or even cause cracking of the body itself.
Choose a reveal size that works for you – typically 1mm will suffice on most pickups. A stepped router bit should be used when routing for this reveal to avoid chipping or overheating of the router bit and create the best results.
Some pickups require an increased step size when routing holes to accommodate deeper mounts, and EDGECAM software facilitates this by matching step sizes with pre-saved hole feature templates using the Match To Subset drop-down list in the Hole Steps dialog. By doing so, this hole feature will include a dummy step at its base to accommodate for depth changes without needing to open its original CAD file and manually edit individual steps – simply delete or modify them as necessary!
Control Cavity Templates
Control cavity routing templates are essential tools for any guitar maker. With them, you can create custom control holes that perfectly match the size and shape of your pickups for flush mounting as well as direct electrical flow paths.
Most control cavity templates are intended for use with a bearing guided router bit, typically made of clear acrylic with center lines to guide it during cutting, as well as depth measurements for routing the cavity. Even without one of these bits available to you however, this template can still help remove material from a guitar body, although multiple passes with your bit may be required in order to achieve success.
Templates are available for many different kinds of bass and guitar pickups, including standard Jazz bass pickups as well as Soapbar and Xtender style models. Their easy use will help create a precise cavity within your guitar body.
When using a control cavity template, it’s crucial to follow the manufacturer’s instructions when installing and mounting your pickup. Always test-fit your pickup before making any final decisions about its placement; properly installed pickups provide optimal sound quality.
Routing a control cavity requires you to work slowly and carefully, using a low to medium speed router with a low-grit cutting bit and working at low to medium speed speeds for optimal results. In order to protect the pickups, be sure to apply shielding paint once your work is complete – this will protect them from electromagnetic interference that could alter their tone and tone of your instrument.
Mudbucker Templates
Structure (the way a pickup fits in its body) is one of the main determinants of its tone, depending on factors like magnet style, winding specifications and coil capacity. Unfortunately, some instruments cannot easily accommodate your desired pickup configuration; in these instances routing may be necessary so your replacement pickups fit properly within their bodies.
Woodworkers must exercise great caution when routing. A rush job can quickly damage both the template and bass guitar body that it’s attached to, so making sure all four corners of the template are securely mounted is key; double-stick tape may help secure them against movement while router bits should be slowly lowered into holes with short passes to avoid smoking or burning of wood.
Once a hole has been routed, it must be cleaned of wood shavings before sealing it to protect against moisture damage. A clear lacquer finish works exceptionally well on these cavities.
Finalize installation by attaching pickups. It is crucial to remember that reveal around each pickup should be sufficient for proper leaning; generally speaking, 1mm should suffice.
A high-quality bass guitar mudbucker template will be constructed of sturdy plywood or MDF and feature countersunk holes with countersink screws for anchoring it securely to the body of the bass guitar. Easy to use, these templates are an essential asset to any luthier or guitar repair shop installing pickups in basses; their centerlines make aligning them with markings already drawn onto the body easier while their depth measurements take away any guesswork about pickup cavity dimensions – Stewmac bits work just fine when installing pickups into basses!