The Electra Forums

I have a 2221 in which I'd like to replace the pickups (ideally with true humbuckers). The reasons are many-fold, I think; I like to tinker, I want to see what the guitar sounds like with various pickup combinations, I'm not a fan of the stock pickups. The current pickups seem to work -- there's no short or anything*. The issue is, as you probably already know, that the pickups are not of any standard pickup size. By my measurements:

pickup mounting ring: 4 1/4" L x 1 3/4" W
pickup mounting screws: 3.5" between
pickup (cover) size: 3" L x 1 3/8" W

Is there a pickup that will work in this thing? Is it possible to modify the mounts of an existing pickup such that it will screw into this space?

Semi-related: how difficult is it to replace the pots and other wiring? Are the pots a 'standard' size? (I've a bit of electronics/wiring/soldering experience, as I'm an effects pedal tinkerer, as well.)

Thank you very much, in advance, for any help you might provide. X189player warned me that my quest may prove Quixotic, so I'm prepared, I think, for that outcome (though my fingers remain crossed).

* I hope it's not blasphemy to want to take an all-original Electra to something that is _not_ all original!

I don't have any recommendations for pickups, although I wouldn't lose sleep over changing them out, keep the parts and offer them with the guitar if you ever go to sell it, that usually pacifies a buyer. It would be a different story on a later guitar as the MMK's are actually pretty hot little pickups.
I've never done it, but as it's been explained to me, you attach string to the pots before tugging them out, and then you can use those strings to fish the new parts into place.

I agree that Humbuckers are the way to go, but I'm not familiar enough with that body to tell you whether you'll have to modify the pickup route to get it to fit. Measure twice, cut once says the carpenter! Good luck, Mike.

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That's a great tip! I hadn't thought of that. Thank you!



Maybe I just need to take the pickups out and get a look at the hole and the mounting ring to get a better idea of what I'm working with. From what I think I know, the current mounting ring is a bit too narrow and too long for a traditional humbucker. Ideally I'd just cut the mounting ring instead of the hole in the guitar! Haha.

Thank you, Mike!