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Senior project / Mechanical design

Guitar Pickup Testing Fixture

For my senior project, my team and I designed a guitar pickup testing fixture to quickly swap and compare pickups in a playable guitar. I was responsible for the mechanical design of the pickup module and adjustable rail system, as well as the module-side PCBs.

Close-up of the guitar pickup testing fixture showing the pickup module and red adjustment mechanisms beneath the strings

Design decisions

The pickup module holding four different pickups, including single-coil, humbucker, and active types

Universal pickup clamping

The fixture needed to accommodate pickups of different sizes and shapes. I designed a universal jig that used their common geometry to hold different pickup types without a dedicated jig for each type.

CAD view of the pickup module showing the rail clips and packaged electrical interface

Module packaging

The module needed to package the PCBs, rail clips, and spring-loaded pressure plate into as little space as possible in order to preserve room to reposition the pickup between the neck and bridge. I designed the module in SOLIDWORKS, balancing each subcomponent’s placement, shape, and motion profile to minimize module size.

Pickup module installed between the adjustable rails beneath the guitar strings

Rail system and pickup adjustment

The operator needed continuous control over the pickup’s position along the strings and its tilt. I designed an articulating rail system to provide both adjustments and minimize module complexity.

Custom module-side PCBs connecting WAGO terminals to a magnetic pogo-pin connector

Module electrical connections

The operator needed to connect and swap pickups quickly. I designed module-side PCBs that linked a WAGO terminal block to magnetic pogo pins, allowing solder-free wiring and quick module changes.

Top and bottom views of successive 3D-printed pickup module prototypes alongside the final module with red finger grips

Design iteration and prototype testing

I refined the module through repeated cycles of CAD, 3D printing, and testing. Test results and changes to my teammates’ designs informed each revision. I also optimized print orientation to keep supports clear of the mechanisms.