Trance Audio Acoustic Lens Pickup Installation Guide
- August 19, 2024
- TRANCE AUDIO
Table of Contents
Trance Audio Acoustic Lens Pickup
Product Information
Specifications
- Product Name: Trance Audio Acoustic Lens Pickup
- Installation Method: Template Method
- Recommended Guitar Requirement: Standard endpin jack hole (1/2)
- Preparation: Cleaning and preparing the bridgeplate
Product Usage Instructions
Preparation
In order to prepare your guitar for Acoustic Lens installation:
- Clean and prepare the bridgeplate by sanding it lightly with #100 grit sandpaper wrapped around a small sanding block.
- Blow out any sawdust from the inside with compressed air or by shaking the instrument upside down.
- Wipe the bridgeplate clean with a cloth lightly moistened with water or WindexTM and allow it to dry for at least 10 minutes.
- Avoid using NapthaTM, lighter fluid, or similar cleaners on the bridgeplate or pickup.
Template Creation
Creating the template for pickup placement:
- Cut a 3 x 1.5 – 2 template blank from stiff, corrugated cardboard.
- Poke holes in the template and place it on the instrument bridge to mark the location of the saddle slot.
Pickup Installation
Installing the pickups using the template:
- Apply temporary white adhesive to the red sensing surface of each pickup and trim the excess adhesive.
- Place the pickups centered on the saddle line of the template using the adhesive.
- Weaken the stickiness of the adhesive by pressing on it before finalizing pickup placement.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
-
Q: Can I use other cleaners besides water or WindexTM to clean the bridgeplate?
A: It is not recommended to use NapthaTM, lighter fluid, or similar cleaners as they may leave deposits that can affect the bond during installation. -
Q: What should I do if my guitar does not have an endpin jack hole?
A: Contact a luthier or experienced guitar repair person to add the necessary endpin jack hole to your guitar.
Trance Audio Acoustic Lens Pickup Installation Guide – The NEW Template
Method
This guide will show you how to easily and precisely place the Acoustic Lens
transducers in your guitar by creating an easy-to-make cardboard template that
fits your specific instrument.
Using this method you can install our pickups yourself with no superglue or
epoxies, no special or exotic tools, and no need to drill holes or perform any
special or complicated operations inside your instrument. Use only the
provided adhesives for pickup installation; if you need more or have
questions, contact us.
Please read the following instructions carefully, and contact us by phone or email with any questions. Prior to installing the pickups, your guitar must have a standard endpin jack hole (1/2″). If your guitar does not have an endpin jack hole, contact a luthier or experienced guitar repair person to add this. Trying to drill the hole without the proper tools will cause extreme damage to your instrument!
PREPARATION
In order to prepare your guitar for Acoustic Lens installation, you MUST clean and prepare the bridgeplate first by sanding it lightly with a small piece of
100 grit sandpaper wrapped around a small sanding block (a 9-volt battery
works well for this). Blow out any sawdust from the inside with compressed air, or turn the instrument upside down and shake it out.
Wipe the bridgeplate clean with a clean
cloth lightly moistened with water or Windex™, and allow it to dry for at
least 10 minutes. NEVER use Naptha™, lighter fluid or any other cleaners like
this to clean the bridgeplate or pickup, as these will leave deposits behind
that will destroy any chance of obtaining a proper bond. Pure Acetone can be
used to remove any stubborn adhesive left behind, but use it sparingly, and
don’t get it on the finish of your instrument.
Once you’re finished preparing your guitar, you will need the following items:
- Cardboard (1/8″ or thicker, provided)
- Scissors
- X-acto™ or other razor knife
- Cutting board or suitable flat cutting surface
- Ruler
- Golf Tees (provided, or 1/8” dowels, etc.)
- Small rubber O-rings (provided)
- Pencil or pen (fine point is best)
- Temporary adhesive tapes (provided)
- E6000 adhesive (provided)
- Small mirror that will fit through the soundhole of the guitar
- Flashlight
Using the scissors, cut a 3″ x 1.5 – 2” template blank from stiff, corrugated
cardboard. Cardboard that is thicker
(around 1/8” or so) will work better for this, as there will be more area to
grip the sides of the pickup when pressed into the template.
Using the ruler, draw a line about ¼” inside along one edge. Then place the template centered next to the bridgepin holes. Mark the position of each of the holes along the edge of the template and on the line.
Using a pen,
pencil or other sharp object, poke a hole in the outer two holes only. Using a
pen, pencil or other sharp object, poke a hole in the outer two holes only.
Making sure that the template is parallel to the top of the guitar, mark the
location of the saddle slot on each side of the template. If you can’t see the
saddle slot on each side, trim the width of the template so the saddle slot is
just visible on each side so you can mark it. 
Remove the golf tees and place the template on a
flat surface. Use a ruler to line up the two saddle slot marks on the
template, and draw a line connecting them with a pen or pencil. You may want
to create additional copies of your template including the marks for the
location holes; if you decide to make adjustments later, this will give you a
fresh blank to work from without having to recreate your work. Apply a strip
of the included temporary white adhesive to the red sensing surface of each of
the pickups. Using your thumb, press the adhesive over the entire red sensing
surface of the pickup to bond it. 
Trim the excess adhesive from the pickup on all sides,
using a sharp pair of scissors, so you end up with the tape aligned with the
edges of the pickups.
Remove the backing paper from the adhesive (an X-Acto blade can be helpful to
help peel away the edge of the paper) Place the pickups centered on the saddle
line of the template in the positions shown. Weaken the stickiness of the
adhesive first by pressing on it with your thumb for a while. The adhesive is
very sticky, and you want to be able to apply and remove the pickups to adjust
and locate them correctly without damaging the template. 
The front edge of the treble (red)
side pickup is lined up to the far edge of the hole for the high E string.
The bass (blue) side pickup is placed so the front edge is about 2/3 of the
way between the A and D strings, closer to the D string. Both pickups are
centered on the saddle line.
Make sure that the pickups are far enough away from the bridge pins
(represented by the golf tee holes on your template) so that the string ball
ends won’t crowd against them when installed. Some guitars have the bridgepins
very close to the saddle, so this is a good time to make sure that there’s
enough room. If things look too close, you can move the pickups slightly off
the saddle line towards the sound hole to make enough room. This is also worth
checking if you plan to install the pickups closer to the bridge pins.
Once you’ve
got the pickups placed correctly, use the X-Acto knife to score the cardboard
as close as possible around the pickups. The idea here is to create a cutout
in the cardboard that will hold both pickups securely in place while you
transfer the template to the inside of the guitar and install it in the proper
place at the bridge plate. Using the X-Acto knife to trace closely around the
pickups will allow you to create a template to easily do that.
NOTE: Some smaller bodied guitars will often have the saddle located more
closely to the bridge pins, and that may cause problems with the ball ends of
the string being too too close to the installed pickups. The saddle is usually
angled to provide the correct string intonation, with the saddle being closest
to the low E string. The goal is to have enough room for the installed ball
end to fit flat and securely against the bridge plate without pressing against
the installed pickup.
Using a ruler, measure the distance between the center of the low E string
bridge pin hole and the center of the saddle. This distance should be a
minimum of 3/8” to give the string ball ends proper clearance. If the saddle
is closer than
3/8”, then draw another line parallel to the line marked on your template
making sure that it is at least 3/8” from the center of the low E string
bridge pin hole.
Some smaller bodied and some older guitars have much smaller and narrower
bridge plates than more modern examples, and may provide less area to mount
the pickups. We’ve found that you can typically mount the pickups with about
1/16” of the pickup shell hanging off the bridge plate with no impact to its
performance.
In the case of an exceptionally small bridge plate, we would suggest that you
consult your luthier or repair person about making a bridgeplate extension for
you instrument.
Please Contact us with any questions!
Once you’ve finished tracing around the pickups, you can remove them from the template.
Remove the tape adhesive from the pickups, and clean off any tape residue (pure acetone works well for this). Then use the X-Acto knife to carefully cut out the outline created on the cardboard and remove the inner area. You can use the tip of the X-Acto blade to pierce the cardboard right at the traced outline, and then by using small sawing motions you can precisely cut along the shape of the pickup. Cut out the area for both pickups then trim the corners of the template so they will clear any bracing. Carefully press both pickups into their proper locations from the underside of the template, as shown below.
Install the
golf tees in the two outer endpin holes, and slide two of the supplied small
rubber grommets over each golf tee on the inside of the guitar as shown. These
will hold the tees firmly in place, and they also serve as a spacer between
the cardboard template and the bridge plate so it won’t stick to the E6000
cement during installation.
Hold the template with the pick ups installed cupped in the palm of your hand
as shown, with the pick up leads hanging down. This will allow you to position
the template inside the guitar while keeping the pickups held securely in the
template for placement. Move the template inside the guitar through the
soundhole, and using the tips of your fingers, locate the tips of the golf
tees inside the guitar, and guide them through the two matching holes in the
end of the template.
Once you have the tees placed correctly in the holes, slide the template and
pickups up until the pickups are pressed against the bridgeplate.
Check the template using the mirror and flashlight to make sure it fits inside
without being blocked by any bracing.
Practice placing the template a few times until you are comfortable with
moving and locating the template into place and installing the pickups on the
bridgeplate. 
Once you’re ready, apply a coating of approximately 1/16th of an inch of the
E6000 cement to the red sensing surface of each transducer. You don’t need a
lot of cement, but make sure that all of the red sensing surface is covered.
Don’t wait more than 1 minute to place the pickups once the adhesive is
applied as it begins to set up quickly. 
Once the pickups are placed on the bridgeplate, press each
pickup against the bridgeplate with your fingers and wiggle it around a bit to
make sure that the E6000 cement completely coats the area underneath the
pickup. Using the mirror and light, make sure that the pickups are positioned
correctly in the template, and that the template is sitting parallel to the
bridgeplate so it doesn’t stick to the adhesive.
Then, using light finger pressure, hold the two pickups in place against the
bridgeplate for 10 minutes. Don’t try to force all of the adhesive out from
underneath the pickups; you want to leave a thin layer of the adhesive between
the pickup and bridgeplate as it cures.
After 10 minutes, place the guitar on its face (so gravity is working with you
to press the pickups against the bridgeplate). A simple way is to place the
guitar back in its case and turn the case face down, then let the adhesive
cure for 6 to 8 hours, or overnight. The adhesive will be reasonably cured in
that time, and will reach a full cure in 24 to 72 hours. The sound from the
pickups will grow a bit louder and deeper during this time. Once the adhesive
is cured, carefully remove the template, sliding it up and over the pickups
and golf tees, and sliding it along the wires to the soundhole. Using the
scissors, cut the cardboard template tab between the two
pickup holes to release the template, and remove it from the instrument. Now
that your pickups are installed, you can move on to installing your Amulet
Ultra preamp and endpin assembly! Please see
https://tranceaudio.com/support/ for more info in your Amulet Ultra system’s
User Guide. 
Removing an Installed Pickup
The E6000 allows you to remove a pickup without causing any damage to the
pickup or the bridgeplate of your guitar. If the pickup has been installed for
a day or so, you can remove it by simply twisting it in either direction. The
pickup will pop loose and can then be lifted and removed. Any adhesive left
behind on the bridgeplate or pickup can typically be scraped off using your
thumbnail. Residual adhesive can be cleaned by scrubbing it with a cotton
ball lightly moistened with pure Acetone (some forms of Acetone like nail
polish removers have fragrances, oils, or other unwanted additives).
If the pickup has been installed for a few days or more, you can use a small
open end or crescent wrench to give you a bit more added leverage to remove
the pickup.
A small 10mm or 7/16” open end wrench will properly fit over the pickup, and
allow you gently apply a twisting rotation to it until it pops loose from the
bridgeplate.
Here’s a pickup that had been installed for two weeks being removed using a
small 6” crescent wrench.
