Design Issue with the EBMM Axis

[Fiesta Red]

I bought a couple of EBMM 30th Anniversary models. Wanted to keep one with stock pickups and put different ones in the second guitar. It's turning out that's not as easy as it sounds. This is a mount pickup directly to body setup , but unfortunately the cavity for the pickup is incredibly shallow -- a fraction over 1/2 inch. Short legs pickups are a little too close to the strings. In addition, the wiring from the neck pickup travels though the pickup bridge cavity allowing for even less space below the bridge pickup. I installed a DiMarzio Super Distortion but the pickup was too close to the strings with no way of lowering it. The SD is a bit of a thicker pickup than most.

It would seem there should be a "canyon" routed at the bottom of the bridge cavity to let the neck wire settle into so it doesn't interfere with the mounting of the bridge pickup. It also seems the bridge cavity should be deeper. I hate to get in there and do surgery.

Here are some pics.

 

[Alpha Stryke]

Time to breakout a pin router or Dremel if you want it to work. Not trerribly complicated but you'll void any warranty if one.
Ole hammer n chisel dat bish.
Never seen the neck pup wire under the bridge pup like that. Cheese-O-matic.

 

[Geo]

Can you just shop a pickup with the same dimensions as the one you took out?

 

[napalmdeath]

This is why I hate Wolfgangs. Especially if you need to shim a neck.

 

[itsme]

I think the stock pickups are perfect in those guitars. Obviously Ernie Ball does too?

 

[SoooRad]

yes this is a common complaint of the EVH/Axis models.

 

[jb44]

I don't like this feature about the Axis. Had to find out the hard way as the OP, back in 2016 on my first Axis.

 

[Rick Lee]

The old EBMM EVH DiMarzios were two conductor wire. But the new ones are four, so they can be rewired for coil splitting, which I've done. If you send your stock pickup to some of the custom builders, I bet they can make some drop-ins for you. I had Wolfetone make me some Marshallheads that dropped right into a Wolfgang. I bet Jalen can do it too. I ordered a '78 Custom from SD for one of my Axes. They said it would drop right in, but it took some trimming of the cavity to make it fit.

 

[JimAnsell2]

i hate shit like that. you think its going to be a simple pickup swap then that happens.
i had 2 ibanez rga121's back in the day that i wanted to do the same thing to, and i remember running to cavity routing issues too. sucks cause you don't want to hack up the factory stuff, or remove ANY wood if you can help it. plus not everyone is skilled enough, have the tools, or confident to do it, so they gotta pay a tech an extra 40 or 50 bucks for the routing work if you decide to take it to a tech.

 

[cardinal]

As mentioned, shim the neck to push the strings away from the pickup. Problem solved.

 

[DrewJD82]

hahahahah that’s because they figured 99% of people wouldn’t touch those pickups once they got the guitar.

So speaking of…..whatcha doin’ with those pickups?????

 

[Geo]

hahahahah that’s because they figured 99% of people wouldn’t touch those pickups once they got the guitar.

So speaking of…..whatcha doin’ with those pickups?????

It reminds me of Les Paul saying he didn't understand why people changed the pickups in Les Pauls.

He said if you didn't like them, change the amp not the pickups.

 

[Mike Oxhuge]

Same issue I had with a JP6. Ended up rebending and redrilling the legs to match the factory pickup. Installed a Breed and it worked excellent with the guitar.

 

[Fiesta Red]

As mentioned, shim the neck to push the strings away from the pickup. Problem solved.

This was done during the pickup change -- problem not solved

 

[rsm]

If you make a route for the wire in the cavity to allow the pickup to sit flush would that make enough clearance?

DiMarzio humbuckers "should" just drop in...guess not.

 

[DanTravis62]

This is a well known (and loathed) issue

Good luck man

 

[cardinal]

This was done during the pickup change -- problem not solved

Just use a larger shim for the neck then.

 

[DrewJD82]

It reminds me of Les Paul saying he didn't understand why people changed the pickups in Les Pauls.

He said if you didn't like them, change the amp not the pickups.

TBF, I changed my LP’s pickups.

It’s just with the Axis, you can’t buy the damn pickups anywhere else. Dimarzio still won’t sell them.

I’m actually going off a 30 year memory of what it was like playing Richie Castellano’s EVH sig when I was in high school and loving the pickups, I’m not even sure I’ve played an Axis-named EBMM. I’ve seen 2 dudes buy an Axis just for the pickups then flip the guitars.

 

[cardinal]

I thought the At-1 and the Air Norton were essentially the axis pickups. Seems like they'd be close enough.

 

[heath]

I thought the At-1 and the Air Norton were essentially the axis pickups. Seems like they'd be close enough.

They are the closest they sell, but still some differences.

Supposedly the Axis is the same as the AT-1 with the virtual vintage dummy slugs removed from between the actual slugs/screws. This would make the Axis bridge a little more aggresive in the upper mids and relax the lows a little.

I have heard that the Neck is the Air Norton but only aired on one side, instead of both sides. This would make the Axis neck a littler fatter sounding with more output.