Fillin' the Hole...A Question

[stetto]

I'm refinishing a handmade electric and have eliminated the neck position pickup (an obnoxious SD Invader), which leaves a gaping hole...There won't be a pickguard so I'll need to fill this chasm before paint. Any clues as to what my best fill material choice should be, ie. ash plug (the body is ash), epoxy, Rock Hard Putty, wood filler, etc.? I know that the tonal character of the guitar can be at stake, but I've heard conflicting stories about different materials used.

The remaining bridge pickup is a Bill Lawrence XL-500 that for me, eliminates the need for a second pickup and the wiring headaches...

Thanks for any input...

[notbradsohner]

why not just put a chunk of wood in there to fill up most of it, then seal it with something to fill in the edges.

[stetto]

Hey not Brad, no bubble to burst...This guitar's always been a great recording instrument ('cept for the hum magnet that the Invader was), I'm just looking to make sure I don't jeopardize the great sustaining quality of the axe. My initial intent was to install a wood plug and filler accordingly, but I'd heard differing stories about the affect other materials have on the resonance of guitar slabs...In my web searches I haven't found even one article that addresses this...

...But if it ain't nothin' but a thing...

[Scottgman]

Why don't you just leave the p'up in the guitar? It doesn't have to be wired.

[grinder]

Originally Posted by Scottgman

Why don't you just leave the p'up in the guitar? It doesn't have to be wired.

I agree with this idea. Even if you were able to get a piece of wood to fit the the pup hole nice and snug, it is most likely going to expand and contract at a differant rate than the body and end up popping loose. Even if it doesn't pop totally loose, the seem will end up showing through the paint job.

[Dani Pace]

Why not just install a different pickup? It's been my experience that if I like the feel and sustain of a guitar but the sound isn't quite what i want, a pickup change is in order. Different pickups are easy to install and the wireing is pretty simple too. Why try to plug a cutout and risk messing up the sustain, utilize that hole, it's there for a purpose. ( lol, i reread that and had to get my mind out of the gutter)
If you are determined to fill it, use wood of the same type as the rest of the body and set it with epoxy. Softer glues or fillers can certainly damage the sound and sustain. Don't forget to be sure to remove any finish from the hole prior to attempting to fill it, and I do mean make sure there is absolutely none left, otherwise you will not get a propper bond and you will have some sound loss.

[gvarko]

It's the new look.. One empty pickup slot...

[Mr. C]

I'm no expert, but leaving the pickup in unwired sounds like the best bet rather than messing around trying to plug the hole. Or as gvarko said, just leave it empty. Take a look at Malcom Young's Gretsch, two gaping holes I believe and it's a hollowbody at that!

[Hard2Hear]

Find a good neck pickup and install it. It's about 100 times easier to install electronics than to do the work it would take to fill that hole and it not look crappy. Even I do a good job with electronics on guitars, but I would never touch the actual construction of one.

H2H