Pickup Mounting and Height

Bradley Harper · Post by **Bradley Harper** » 4 Mar 2021 11:33 am

Hi guys,

Just got a wide mount BL705, but looks like itâ€™s a little long. Is it ok to just file the plate down a bit lengthways, and what type of tool is best to do it with?

Also, any ideas in terms of the best pickup height (by that I mean the distance between the pickup and strings) for a 705?

Thanks guys!

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 4 Mar 2021 2:11 pm

Every Bill Lawrence pickup I have ever purchased, 710s and XR-16, wide or narrow, have never just dropped in the cavity. They all (6 of them) had to have the baseplate filed down (I use a Dremel).

Bradley Harper · Post by **Bradley Harper** » 5 Mar 2021 4:06 pm

Thanks Richard! Iâ€™m glad Iâ€™m not alone in this lol!

Lane Gray · Post by **Lane Gray** » 9 Mar 2021 6:54 am

Another vote for the Dremel.

Aren Orsen · Post by **Aren Orsen** » 9 Mar 2021 4:50 pm

To drop the pickup lower on my Justice, I had to grind off the sides of the baseplate. The Dremel worked great.

My 705 was blowing out my effects and tubes, hence the drop. I got it to be about 5 to 6 mm from the strings, and it now sounds great to me.

Gene Tani · Post by **Gene Tani** » 10 Mar 2021 5:16 pm

can you take the plate off? You want to keep metal filings away from the magnet and windings.

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 11 Mar 2021 5:21 am

Gene Tani wrote:can you take the plate off? You want to keep metal filings away from the magnet and windings.

I found no way to remove the baseplate and still be able to screw the pickup in, as removing the baseplate also removes the mounting holes. The baseplate is plastic, not metal.