K&K Sound PURE 12-STRING User manual

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PURE 12-STRING
Thank you for choosing the Pure 12-String pickup for
your guitar! This manual describes the installation
for pin bridges and pinless bridges. For pin bridge
guitars, a jig installation can be used. The jig allows
you to place the pickups very accurately.
For pinless bridges, we describe a manual
installation procedure. Don’t worry too much about
not using the jig. We ran several tests where we
deliberately installed the pickups somewhat off the
desired spots, and the system still sounded fine and
balanced.
However, please try to work as thoroughly as you
can and DO NOT INSTALL THE PICKUPS ANY
OTHER LOCATION, INCLUDING THE BACKSIDE OF
THE BRIDGE PLATE (towards the endpin jack). This
position will definitely not sound as good! On
extremely small bridge plates, the transducers may
overlap by as much as 1/16” (2mm) on the cable
side of the pickup. This is okay and does not create a
problem.
Please familiarize yourself with the handling
instructions of double-sided tape, our
recommendations regarding using superglue gel,
and with the disclaimer at the end of this manual.
Please read through the entire manual before
installation.
Please make sure you read, understand and agree to
the disclaimer at the bottom of this manual before
you proceed with the installation. Please call us if
you have any questions. If you have doubts, please
do not install this product.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Tools & Supplies Needed
2. Package Contents
3. Superglue vs. “On Tape” Installation
4. Preparation (for all guitars)
5. Removable Installation
6. Superglue Installation for Pin Bridges
7. Superglue Installation for Pinless Bridges
8. Installing the Endpin Jack (for all guitars)
9. Important Superglue Information
10. Removing Superglued Pickups
1. TOOLS & SUPPLIES NEEDED
•Superglue gel (any brand of Cyanoacrylate glue
will do as long as it is gel)
•Electric drill (for endpin jack mount)
•Drill bits, at least 3/8" (10mm) and 1/2" (12mm for
endpin jack mount) or ½” Forstner bit
•Pliers or wrench for endpin jack installation
•Large size nail for punching holes into jig
•Flashlight and small handheld mirror for visual
check
•Acetone (if bridge plate surface is dirty)
•Fine sandpaper or razorblade (if residue on
bridge plate surface or if not smooth and level)
•Some double side adhesive carpet tape or
similar (for pinless bridge only)
•3 latex gloves (for pinless bridge only)
•Double side adhesive “carpet” tape (for pinless
bridge only)
•1/16” drill bit (for pinless bridge only)
2. PACKAGE CONTENTS
•3 transducers with cable-harness and endpin jack
•Polyester foil for removable “on tape”
attachment
•Jig materials
•Manual

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3. SUPERGLUE VS. “ON TAPE”
INSTALLATION
The pickups can be installed either with superglue
gel directly to the bridge plate or with our special
foil-mount technique. Of course there is a difference
in tone whether the foil is used or not.
Pickups glued directly to the wood will put out about
20% more volume, more bass, and more midrange.
The overall tone quality using the direct installation
is probably best described as providing
“authoritative midrange” and very fundamental bass
response. Finger-stylists will like that. It is absolutely
great for flat-picked solos: every single tone will
sound very warm and “thick”.
On the other hand, an installation using the foil
provides a somewhat finer tone with less individual
tone pronunciation, which may be desired by
strummers. It sounds slightly brighter, with less
midrange and with a somewhat lower bass response.
The overall sound is still natural and the output will
still be excellent, much higher than most
competitors’ passive pickups. The signal can easily
be boosted with one of our preamps if desired.
You will find 2 silver strips (1" x 4") with adhesive
backing in the package. These 2-mm thin, super-
sturdy foil strips are made of a high-tech material,
which is specially suited for acoustic transmission. If
you attach a fitting strip to the bridge-plate and then
superglue the pickups to the foil, you can simply
remove the pickups by pulling off the foil.
If you are in doubt about which installation method to
choose, we recommend using the foil mount at first.
You may like it just fine this way. If you later decide
to give the permanent installation a try, you can
carefully remove and re-glue the pickups directly.
Please follow paragraph “Removal of Pickups”
below.
4. PREPARATION (FOR ALL GUITARS)
1. If you have a pin-less bridge, remove the stings.
If you have a pin bridge, loosen the strings and
clamp a capo on the 10th fret. Pull out the string
pins and the ball ends of the strings. The capo
will hold the strings on neck and tuners. This way
you don’t have to remove the strings entirely and
can quickly re-install them after the pickup is
installed.
2. Place the guitar on a table (use a blanket
underneath) so you can comfortably put your
hand into the sound hole and feel the inside
structures underneath the bridge with your
fingers.
3. Locate the X-bracing and the bridge plate. The
size of the bridge plate and the bracing of your
guitar might be different to the bracing structure
shown in the pictures in this manual.
4. Use a handheld mirror (one which fits into the
sound hole) and a flashlight to examine the
bridge plate area. Make sure that the bridge
plate is level, clean and smooth.
5. Drill or widen the endpin hole to ½” (12mm). In
my opinion, this is the most difficult part of the
installation. First you have to determine what
kind of endpin is currently installed in your
guitar. It may be a simple type, which is held in
place by a single screw. Or it may be a standard
¼” tapered endpin, either press-fit or glued in.
The glued in type is the most difficult one to deal
with and we recommend looking for professional
assistance.
6. Tape the endpin-hole with a piece of duct tape to
protect the surrounding area of your guitar.
7. Single screw type: We recommend using a ½”
(12mm) FORSTNER drill bit to drill out the screw
hole. This one makes the nicest cut and is most
gentle to your guitar. You also may use a step-
by-step method to widen the hole to ½” (12mm).
Use several ascending size drill bits in
succession. Make sure to use self-centering drill
bits (used for metalwork) not the single-pointed
drills for wood!
8. Standard ¼taper press fit endpin: Pull out the
endpin and use several ascending size drill bits
in succession to widen the hole step by step.
Make sure to use self-centering drill bits (used for
metalwork) not the single-pointed drills for wood!
5. REMOVABLE INSTALLATION
1. Clean the bridge-plate. We recommend to either
use fine sandpaper or to scrape the surface with
a razor blade to smoothen it. Then clean it with
acetone.
2. Following the diagrams below, stick one foil strip
to the bridge-plate. Make sure that the edge of
the foil is lining up with the edges of the
pinholes!
3. Press the foil flat against the bridge-plate and
around the edges of the left and right braces.

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92798 Cape Arago Hwy, Coos Bay, OR 97420 | 541-888-3517 | Toll Free 1-800-867-6863 | www.kksound.com
4. The ends of the foil can extend over the braces to
form grip-tabs (handy for getting a good grip
when pulling off the foil). You can also cut the
overlapping edges off with a new and sharp razor
blade.
With pin-less bridges, the foil should be installed
after the reference holes are drilled. Please smooth
and clean the bridge-plate BEFORE you install the
tape! Make sure that the foil will line up with the
saddle. You have to cleanly puncture the foil at the 2
reference holes and make sure that it sticks securely
and flat to the bridge-plate with the guide pieces
inserted. Please check paragraph for installation with
pin-less bridges. See according paragraph below.
NOTE: Pickups must be installed with a safety
distance of 1/8" (3-4mm) from the holes to allow
space for ball-ends.
Removing)the)Pickups)
Remove the pickups by pulling off the silver foil on
the bridge-plate in your guitar. Be especially careful
with the center pickup, this one has a weaker base-
plate and it might bend its edge when you pull the
tape too hard or at an angle. Please use a very flat
pulling angle and proceed carefully. You can support
by wedging your fingernail under the pickup edge
and carefully loosen it a bit if possible. Please be
aware that a bent pickup will most likely be
damaged.
Once the pickups and foil are off and out of the
guitar, peel the foil off the pickups. There will be
some silver foil and glue residue on the base plates
of the pickups. Use a scraper blade to scrape off this
residue, again be even more careful with the green
center pickup. The base-plates are made of brass
and will easily tolerate this. Do not worry about a
few minor scratches.
After the pickups are cleaned, plug them into your
amp and hold each pickup by its wire ½” from
transducer head. Test by tapping on the golden
surface of each pickup with a fingernail to make sure
that all pickups work. The tapping sound should be
clearly amplified. Every little tap must be heard. The
green pickup will be lower in volume and it has a
different tone than the black ones, this is normal. If
the test if successful, the pickups are ready for re-
installation.

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92798 Cape Arago Hwy, Coos Bay, OR 97420 | 541-888-3517 | Toll Free 1-800-867-6863 | www.kksound.com
6. SUPERGLUE INSTALLATION FOR PIN BRIDGES
Important: The photos show the Pure Mini pickups. The procedure is the same for the Pure 12-String, except
that the green pickup has to be in the middle. For jig installation in a 12-string guitar, use the front row of
pinholes (nearer the sound hole).
1. Our jig is now made from cardboard. The photos in this manual show a clear plastic jig since this makes it
easier to see the installation process.
2. The white pin needs to be inserted into the round hole. When holding the pointed end of the jig with the
round hole to the right, the white pin should go in point first. Push the pin about ¾of the way through the
jig. When using the cardboard jig, please secure the white pin with superglue, and let it dry fully before
using.
3. Insert the flat end of the white pin into the high E string pinhole. Slide the brown golf tee through the oblong
hole in the jig and through the G string pinhole.
4. With the included putty, form a small ball and stick it on top the jig,
above the point where saddle and high E string intersect.

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92798 Cape Arago Hwy, Coos Bay, OR 97420 | 541-888-3517 | Toll Free 1-800-867-6863 | www.kksound.com
5. Place one pickup on the putty with the metal side facing up and press down. It should hold the pickup in
place securely enough to allow for the installation.
Make sure the pickup sits parallel to the surface of the jig.
We recommend that you do a test run without using the glue at this point to practice finding the right
position for the jig inside the guitar.
6. Hold the tip of the white pin between your thumb and forefinger.
The golden part of the pickup should be facing up and away from
the palm of your hand.
7. Move the jig inside the guitar through the sound hole. Stick the
golf tee into the high E string from the outside with your
dominant hand and try to feel it protruding to the inside with the
thumb or index finger of your other hand. This process helps you
identify the correct pinhole to attach the pickup.

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92798 Cape Arago Hwy, Coos Bay, OR 97420 | 541-888-3517 | Toll Free 1-800-867-6863 | www.kksound.com
8. When you’ve felt the position of the golf tee, guide the white pin up through the E string hole from the inside
and secure the jig by moving the golf tee to the G string hole from the outside and finding the oblong hole in
the jig. This will align the jig exactly as was done in step 5, outside the guitar.
9. Once you confirmed that the procedure works as intended, you
can apply glue the pickup and glue it in. Please ensure that the
putty still holds the pickup firmly in place after the trial run. Use a
fresh piece of putty if necessary.
Use a good amount of glue and spread it over the metal surface of
the pickup. You should use enough glue so to cover the entire
surface of the pickup. It is best if some glue “oozes” out around the
pickup as you install it.
The most common source of sound issues and transmission
problems with the Pure pickups is using too little glue for the
pickup to bond properly to the bridge plate.
10. Once the pickup is in place,apply pressure to the jig/pickup while you slowly count to 30 to allow the glue
to cure. Release the pressure, but leave the jig in place for another 5-10 minutes to allow the glue to settle
before continuing.
11. To remove the jig, carefully wiggle it left and right to loosen the bond of the putty from the pickup. The
putty will most likely stick to the pickup. We recommend using a paper towel to wipe off the excess superglue
around the pickup and then remove the putty from the pickup. If there is some small amount of putty residue
left, it will not present a sound problem.
If you get superglue on your fingers, the easiest way to remove it is to let it dry and then buff it off with some
fine sandpaper or a nail file.

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92798 Cape Arago Hwy, Coos Bay, OR 97420 | 541-888-3517 | Toll Free 1-800-867-6863 | www.kksound.com
12. The next pictures show the posituion of the jig for the center pickup, between G and D strings. Please use a
fresh ball of putty and repeat the procedure as with the first pickup.
13. The next pictures show the posituion of the jig for the low string pickup, between E and A string. Again,
please use fresh putty and repeat the same process as with the previous pickups.
14. Here is how the finished result will look inside the guitar. You
can use a mirror and flashlight to check that the position of the
pickups is correct.
Tip: The sliding tube along the pickup cable can now be slid about 1-
2 inches from the pickup heads to keep the cables together. Once the
endpin jack is mounted and before it is fully fastened, give it a twist
or two to form a loop in the pickup cables to keep them from touching
the soundboard or bottom of the guitar.

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7. SUPERGLUE INSTALLATION FOR
PINLESS BRIDGES
Preparation)
1. Installation on pin-less bridges requires you to
drill two 1/16” reference holes in each end of
the saddle-slot. If the guitar already has a hole
in the saddle-slot for an under-saddle pickup you
can use this hole.
2. Please inspect the bridge plate inside the guitar
with a mirror and a flashlight to make sure that
there is enough room for all 3 pickups. In
addition to that, please place the 3 pickups over
the saddle on the outside to check if they fit in
between the 2 reference holes.
3. Use a fitting nail, toothpick or (that’s what I do)
the drill bit itself to stick it through the reference
holes so that it will extend about ½” or so inside
the guitar and acts as a guide on the inside.
4. Use this guide as a side-stop for your 2 outer
pickups (see diagram below):
5. The 2 outer pickups are going to be placed with
their outer edges right next to the guides.
6. Once the outer pickups are in place you can
remove the guides and install the center pickup
in between the 2 outer transducers.
7. Unfortunately, you will have to install this one
by feel only.
Practice)
1. Before you actually superglue the pickups into
your guitar, you should perform some practice
runs without using the superglue gel. This is
important for learning the correct movements
and getting the feel.
2. Find out which hand is feeling more comfortable
doing the installation procedure and put on a
latex glove.
3. Get yourself some
double-side adhesive
tape (“carpet tape”
available in your
hardware store) and
stick a small piece onto
your fingertip (see photo below); the golden side
of the pickup is facing up. This makes holding on
to the pickup and aiming inside the guitar a lot
easier.
4. Practice to place the outer pickup discs right
next to one of the guides in the reference holes.
5. Later, when doing the actual installation, you
will have to firmly press the pickup to the bridge
plate to allow the excess glue to ooze out
around the pickup’s edges. At this point, the
pickup will most likely move a tiny little bit.
Please make sure that you will be able to
comfortably perform this final aiming procedure.
The pickup has to be pressed down and held in
place against the bridge plate for at least 30
seconds.
6. The center pickup should only be installed when
the two outer pickups are glued in place. These
2 pickups need to be used as guides for the
installation of the center transducer. This means
you should practice with the center pickup only
after the 2 outer pickups are installed.
7. On occasion, with pin-less bridges, we used
double stick tape for the center pickup while we
superglued the 2 outer ones. Interestingly, the
center pickup does contribute only about 15% to
the total sound (measured with a full superglue
installation). The 2 outer transducers definitely
carry the workload. The “peel and stick”
installation of the center pickup will only have
very little effect on the sound. In fact, on the
installations we did it like this, it came out very
nice and very balanced. It is a lot easier on you
in case you would badly misplace the center
pickup with superglue.
8. Practice until you feel confident to do it right the
first time.
Final)installation)
1. Apply superglue gel to the golden underside of
the first pickup. Spread a generous layer of the
gel with the tip of the tube so it will cover the
entire surface.
2. Now install the first pickup to its corresponding
position at the high B and E strings as practiced.
Press it down and hold it in position for at least
30 seconds.
3. Repeat above steps and attach the second
transducer to the corresponding position of the
low E and A strings.
4. Check your work with a mirror and flashlight.
5. Attach the center transducer by feel between the
2 outer pickups.

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6. Check your work with a mirror and flashlight.
8. INSTALLING THE ENDPIN JACK (FOR ALL
GUITARS)
1. Unscrew the endpin jack's strap mount knob.
2. Take off the nut and washer.
3. Find out the thickness of your end block and set
the nut on the cap accordingly (see picture
below). Once in place, screw the cap in as far as
it goes.
4. Insert the jack from the inside into the endpin
hole. Tip: a chopstick or something similar helps
to get a hold of the jack and pull it through the
hole.
5. Attach outside washer and nut and tighten.
Attach the end knob.
Important: Make sure that the strap knob screws in
ALL THE WAY over the outer threaded part of the
jack, so that a tiny portion of the thread is exposed
when the strap-knob is tightened.
If you don’t do this, you might experience
insufficient signal transmission and sound, which is
cutting in and out.
9. IMPORTANT SUPERGLUE INFORMATION
Please read and follow the safety instruction for the
superglue gel. Make sure not to get superglue on
your fingers or on your guitar! It is a good idea to
cover the entire guitar top with fabric or paper, just
leaving an opening for the sound hole.
The entire golden underside of the pickup discs
needs to be covered with superglue gel. Spread a
generous amount all over the surface. Do not use
just a drop in the center, as this will not distribute
evenly. Please be aware that the amount of glue
coverage is directly related to the signal output,
balance, and sound. Careless and insufficient gluing
is the number one cause of unsatisfactory sound for
this pickup!
Don’t worry; the superglue gel will not dry
immediately after it is applied to the pickup. You
will have more than sufficient time without rushing
things. A generous amount of gel will actually be
good for several minutes. The gel will only set after
contact with another surface.
The superglue gel even allows for about 10-15
seconds of repositioning time after the pickup is
pressed onto the bridge plate surface. After the final
position is reached, hold and press the pickup firmly
down in place for at least another 30 seconds.
Excess gel will ooze out around the edges and
eventually dry -that’s fine. You can also use a rag
to wipe off the excess gel if you want. Be extremely
careful not to get the rag in contact with the guitar's
finish.
10. REMOVING SUPERGLUED PICKUPS
Removal is at your own risk. It might result in
destruction of the pickup and/or personal injury.
Experienced luthiers should be able to remove the
pickups by using a scraper blade wedged between
bridge plate and pickup discs from the pinhole side.
Be aware that this will very likely damage the
pickups.
It also is dangerous to work with a scraper blade
inside your guitar where you can’t see what you are
doing. The superglue gel does not bond super tight.
This makes it possible to remove the pickups
without damaging the wood, but you may damage a
pickup during removal. You have to carefully test
the pickups after removal and cleaning (explained
later). You can purchase single replacement
transducers from us if needed.
Removal can be tricky (and is not recommended to
unskilled persons) because we do not want you to
accidentally hurt yourself. We recommend using a
scraper blade (razor blade with a handle on one
side) to separate the pickup from the bridge plate
from the endpin side (the back of the pickup). Make
sure to get the blade flat between wood and metal
side of the pickup. This is the difficult part. The
pickup usually pops off once the blade is about 1/8 -
1/4" or so under the pickup. The glue residue on the
bridge plate can be removed with fine sandpaper or
you can carefully scrape it off with the scraper
blade.
If done correctly there should be no damage to the
bridge plate or guitar top. But again -some skill is
needed to do this. Any good luthier should be able
to remove the pickups.

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Saving)the)pickups)for)re-installation)
Be careful not to bend the pickups. Visually inspect
the pickups for bend marks or other irregularities. If
they look damaged, they may still work but we
recommend replacing bent or nicked pickups. Use
the scraper blade to scratch off any remaining glue
residue from the golden side of the transducers.
Make sure not to bend the pickups while you are
doing this. Some fine scratches in the metal will not
hurt the performance.
To test the pickups, plug the pickups into an amp. (If
you have a Trinity System you can still plug a mono
cable into the endpin and you will get the pickups
only.) Hold one pickup at a time about 3/4" (2cm)
from the pickup head on the cable and tap the
pickup with your finger. Do this tapping in both
directions, so that you tap the black side and the
golden side. You can do this quite hard. The tapping
sound has to be amplified and all pickups should
produce about the same volume. There should not
be any missing taps. There should not be any loud
"crackles." If the pickups test out fine, you can
reinstall them.
Make sure that all glue residue is cleaned off the
wood of the bridge plate or guitar top. Smooth the
wood surface until it is perfectly straight and clean.
###
DISCLAIMER
Installation or removal of the above listed products
is at your own risk. In no event will K&K Sound
Systems Inc. be liable to you or whomever you
select for doing this installation or removal in your
place, for any damages arising from your use of, or,
the inability to use these products. This includes any
possible health hazards, accidents, injury, any lost
profits, or other incidental or consequential
damages, even if K&K Sound Systems Inc. has
been advised of the possibility of such damages, or
for any claim by another party. Following pickup
installation instructions and handling instructions for
supplied superglue is mandatory.