Advance warning: this is more of a guitar question, but… you folks are all I got!
I’m swapping out acoustic guitar pickup systems for a buddy/bandmate. Currently installed and coming out is a K&K Pure Mini system. It consists of three small transducers which mount internally below the bridge plate —
in this case installed with some sort of glue (I’m assuming some variant of CA/super glue). Jammed my phone inside and got a pic:
...the pickup may be a lost cause, but I'd like to get it out in workable condition if possible. Worst case I snip the wires.
I was thinking acetone may do the trick, but wasn't sure if there are any terrible side effects of using it on wood? It's in an awkward spot and if I'm even able to get the transducers off, not sure how well I'd be able to clean any acetone residue off...
Appreciate any thoughts or advice you may have. I've never attempted to use acetone to dissolve glue before, and in the is case, not sure it would even work... awkward position on the wrist to be in there with a razor, which I'm thinking would be needed to get to the glue under the transducers...
New system is an LR Baggs M80. It's a drop-in-the-sound-hole-style magnetic pickup combined with a transducer that senses the body's vibration via the clamps which affix it to the sound hole...
i currently have the LR Baggs installed and connected to a 1/4" jack on the bottom strap pin, with the jack from the old K&K system temporarily wire-tied to the pickup body of the new system. He's lived with it a bit, as I wanted make sure he loved it before potentially mangling his old system. And he does -- likes the base tone better, and the feel (slightly compressed/spongier attack of the magnetic pickup).
So, going to install the new one a bit more permanently, get the old bits out... if possible, in working condition as he'd like to use the K&K in another guitar. Though that is more of a nice-to-have, he moreso just wants the K&K's jack assembly and extra wiring out.
Edited by - TimFoster on 04/21/2025 20:44:34
Given the placement and difficulty of dissolving the glue, if you don't need to remove them and they are not in the way, I would just leave them. Acetone will remove paint and degrease. It would stain any paint it touched, so don't accidently drip it on your finish.
Rick
As Riick noted, acetone eats finish. I wouldn’t use it anywhere near a guitar.
click this link, then scroll down to Sec. 3.
It says to use a razor blade "wedge", get it under the pickup disk, probably just pops right off
Depending on what the guitar finish is, acetone will either destroy it or ignore it.
'Traditional' lacquer guitar finishes are immediately ruined by contact with acetone, 'modern' poly... finishes for the most part are unaffected by acetone.
Acetone does not stain wood, so if the guitar is an inexpensive poly finished example, you can try acetone, but I don't know if it will work. Report back if you do and if it does!
When faced with this situation I use my "bent chisel" (see Frets.com) tool that I made for removing guitar bridge plates. I don't think I have ever removed them without breaking the wires.
My first try with removing any glue is to start with a bit of heat.
It is unusual for CA glue to leave thickness, so my guess is that is NOT CA glue.
Thank you kindly.
Thank you all for the helpful advice! The guitar is a 70’s Guild, nice enough sounding but plenty of aesthetic wear/scratches on the top.
Sort of reaching in the sound hole blindly and going by feel, so no easy way to apply heat etc... But I think I will try reaching in there with a cotton ball, dabbing a small amount of acetone on one of the transducers and seeing if it will pop off without too much force… depending on how that goes, I may just snip the wires and be done with it!
Edited by - TimFoster on 04/22/2025 09:54:22
It is tough to get out a K&K without destroying it, don't use any heat or solvents as that will destroy the pickup. Your only chance to save the pickup is to use a razor blade or the bent sharpened chisel, as earlier mentioned... (It looks to me like the glue is epoxy)
Ahh — okay, thanks staceyz . Duly noted, I’ll try to pop it off per the prior response and will hope for the best.
If it doesn’t survive… c'est la vie
Edited by - TimFoster on 04/22/2025 12:22:11
K&Ks are designed to be used with CA (superglue). Acetone dissolves CA and is the recommended solvent for removal. Of course, that's not the only substance it dissolves.
Thanks Mike… Popping it off without any sort of solvent was definitely not happening. Perhaps I’ll give it a shot with acetone after all…
Ahhh well… Acetone seemed to have no effect on whatever was used to mount the K&K, so perhaps it was some sort of fully cured epoxy…
I wound up snipping the wiring as close as possible to the transducer bodies and called it day. Appreciate all the thoughtful advice in either case -- thank you all.
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