Kinman P-90 Mounting Plate Instruction Manual

Installing the Kinman P-90 Mounting Plate 15-March-2020 Rev-1 8-Nov-2021
oInstalling a Mini-Bucker Soapbar Shroud Mounting Kit is in the section after this one
The kit comes to you assembled like this picture. There are a number of red spacers that are
included solely to keep pressure applied to the cone springs so they will not be dislodged from the
plate, they are held in place by a weak glue so be careful not to inadvertently dislodge them.
Included in the kit should be …
Non-magnetic plate
2 x non-magnetic short screws for securing the plate to the cavity floor
2 x long pickup mounting screws and
2 x concave metal washers only for Kinman P-90 Hx
2 x cone springs. These springs have been carefully designed to flatten completely.
1 x length of Black wire that grounds the plate
Approximately 40cm of (3mm ID) Silicon Rubber tubing for gripping and feeding the hook-
up wire through the wiring tunnel to the control cavity.
Step 1) Remove the two long screws carefully. Take care not to dislodge the springs which must
remain stuck to the plate. Should the springs become dislodged replace them immediately to the
precise place they were and they should stick to the plate once again.
Step 2) Remove the stack of spacers and put the screws back into the plate a few turns. Grip the
screws between fingers and place the plate into the pickup cavity. Orient the plate so as not to
cover the entry to the tunnel for the hook-up cable. It should be a snug fit.
In the case of replacing an existing plate go to step 3.
Should there not be an existing plate and the cavity is bigger than the plate position it in the
middle and parallel with the cavity walls. With a sharp pointed tool such as a scriber, make
Glue
Transportation
spacers
Countersunk holes
2 x Mounting screw holes
for Mini Humbucker
Pickup mounting screws (long)
Cone springs

indentations in the exact middle of two of the countersunk holes. Drill 2.3mm (3/32”) holes
perpendicular the cavity floor to a depth of 11mm (7/16”). To prevent drilling too deep and
possibly out the back of the guitar wrap a small piece of masking tape around the drill bit
the same measurement from the tip of the drill.
Perform the first part of Step 3 and do the same for the long mounting screws using a
2.5mm (7/64”) drill, or slightly larger. Remove the plate before drilling these two holes.
Compete Step 3.
Step 3) Secure the plate to the cavity floor with the 2 short non-magnetic screws that are provided,
placing one end of the Black wire (provided) under the plate first. This grounds the plate and
prevents electrical buzz noise. Lightly tighten the screws (do not overtighten).
Step 4) Remove the long screws taking care not to dislodge the springs. Poke the hookup cable of
the neck pickup and the black ground wire into the tunnel and make sure they exit into the control
cavity. Lay the guitar on it’s back and then insert the long pickup mounting screws into the neck
pickup and place the pickup into the cavity. Make sure the screws enter the eye of the cone
springs. Push the pickup onto the springs and turn the screws until the pickup is firmly sprung. Pull
the hook-up cable into the control cavity until it goes taut.
Step 5) Repeat for the bridge pickup.
Step 6) Connect the hook-up cables to their termination points indicated in the Install Guide
wirogram. Connect the Black wires to a convenient ground point eg. The back of the cover of the
volume pot or in the case of a Kinman harness into the 3rd Port (ground) of the 3 Port connector
block.
Step 7) Restring the guitar and adjust the pickups so they do not contact the strings.
Step 8) Plug the guitar into an amplifier and test all switching functions to make sure everything is
working as intended. When all is working properly tune the strings to proper pitch and proceed to
adjust the heights of the pickups.
Concerning Gibson Les Paul and similar type guitars:
Unlike other P-90's ours can tilt.
Additional piece of rubber tube springing (provided) at bridge side of
cavity will tilt pickup to be more in parallel with strings. Snip the tube
to a length suitable for your guitar
It is difficult to get it absolutely parallel because the cavities are routed
dead vertically on most Gibson type guitars, making matters worse
there is not sufficient clearance between the pickup and cavity walls to
allow much of a tilt but the amount that is accomplished with our
P-90 Hx is significant.
Guitar manufacturers should rout the cavities perpendicular to the
strings, not perpendicular to the top of the guitar.
strings

Installing a Mini-Bucker Soapbar Adapter Shroud Mounting Kit
The kit in this picture comes to you assembled solely to keep pressure applied to the cone springs
so they will not be dislodged from the plate, they are held in place by a weak glue so be careful not
to inadvertently dislodge them.
Included in this kit should be …
Soapbar to Mini-Bucker Adapter Shroud (opening is for a Mini-Bucker)
Four metal spacers and 2 flat plastic washers for retaining the spacers on the screw
Non-magnetic plate
2 non-magnetic short 3 gauge self tapping screws for securing the plate to the cavity floor
2 long pickup mounting screws
2 cone springs. These springs have been carefully designed to flatten completely.
1 length of Black wire that grounds the plate
Approximately 40cm of 3mm ID Silicon Rubber tubing for feeding the hook-up wire through
the wiring tunnel to the control cavity.
Step 1) Remove the two long screws carefully from the plate. Take care not to dislodge the
springs which must remain stuck to the plate for your convenience and ease of installation. Should
the springs become dislodged replace them immediately to the precise place they were and they
should stick to the plate once again.
Note: the long screws and the tube spacers will be retained in the shrouds and will not fall
off the shroud thanks to the plastic washers gripping the screws.
Plastic washers
Soapbar to Mini-Bucker Adapter Shroud
Tube spacers
Cone Springs
Countersunk holes

Step 2) Orient the plate on the cavity floor so as not to cover the entry to the tunnel for the hook-up
cable. The plate should be a snug fit between the cavity walls. Secure the plate to the cavity floor
with the 2 short non-magnetic self-tapping screws that are provided, while placing the end of the
Black wire with a Tag (provided) under the edge of the plate first (not the whole Tag). This black
wire is connected to a ground point in the control cavity and prevents electrical buzz noise. Lightly
tighten the screws (do not overtighten).
Should there not be an existing plate and the cavity is bigger than the plate, position it in
the middle and parallel with the cavity walls. With a sharp pointed tool such as a scriber,
make indentations in the exact middle of two of the countersunk holes. Drill 2.3mm (3/32”)
holes perpendicular the cavity floor to a depth of 11mm (7/16”). To prevent drilling too
deep and possibly out the back of the guitar wrap a small piece of masking tape around the
drill bit the same measurement from the tip of the drill. In the case of replacing an existing
plate go to step 3.
Should there not be an existing plate and the cavity is bigger than the plate position it in the
middle and parallel with the cavity walls. With a sharp pointed tool such as a scriber, make
indentations in the exact middle of two of the countersunk holes. Drill 2.3mm (3/32”) holes
perpendicular the cavity floor to a depth of 11mm (7/16”). To prevent drilling too deep and
possibly out the back of the guitar wrap a small piece of masking tape around the drill bit
the same measurement from the tip of the drill.
Perform the first part of Step 3 and do the same for the long mounting screws using a
2.5mm (7/64”) drill, or slightly larger. Remove the plate before drilling these two holes.
Compete Step 3.

Step 3) Make sure the screw holes in the foot of the pickup have been drilled to 2.5mm so the long
screws will pass through easily. Secure the two long screws in the shroud by sticking a piece of
masking tape over the heads of the screws. Remove the plastic washers from the long screws by
pulling them onto the threaded section and then unwind them as if they are threaded nuts. Hold the
shroud up-side-down to prevent the spacers falling off. Place the pickup into the shroud and
simultaneously guide both screws into the holes in the feet of the pickup. With the pickup pressed
into the shroud replace the plastic washers so the shroud is held closely to the pickup.
Step 4) If you have the ability and dexterity of an octopus the next part won’t be so bad, if you are
not related to an octopus ask someone to help you. Poke the end of the hook-up cable of the neck
pickup and the black ground wire into the blunt end of the Silicon Rubber tube with sufficient grip
that they can be pulled through the wiring tunnel. One of you holds the guitar with it’s neck in a
vertical position while the other person pokes the sharp end of the silicon rubber tube into the
tunnel so that it exits into the control cavity. Same person grabs and pulls the tube, cable and black
wire through the tunnel until the pickup is drawn near to it’s cavity. Same person carefully guides
the pickup into the cavity making sure the screws enter the eye of the cone springs. Hold the
pickup so it’s top surface is kept parallel with the guitar and then push the pickup onto the springs
and turn the two screws until the pickup is approximately in it’s final position. Pull the hook-up
cable into the control cavity until it goes taut. At this point your assistance can be relieved of duty
and the guitar can be placed face down to solder the hook-up cable to it’s destination points and the
black ground wire to a convenient ground point.
Step 5) repeat the procedure for the bridge pickup.