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Post subject: Pickup just stopped working! Please help!
Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 8:37 pm
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Hi. I have a 62 RI with CS Texas Special pickups. I was playing and suddenly the middle pickup just stopped working. The B, G, and D strings sound a little bit, but the E strings and the A don't make a peep.

I've never had any problems with these pups and I treat the whole guitar like a baby.

What could be wrong? What should I do?

Thanks for your advice. This is pretty frustrating.


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Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 11:09 pm
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Could be a loose wire or in the worst case the pickup is dead.... I would take it to a tech .......


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Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 7:28 am
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I checked the wiring. All looks good. If the pickup is dead, is that the end of it? I just need to replace it?


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Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 7:49 am
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If the pickup is completely dead it could be that the hair width copper wire coil has broken where it attatches to the base of the pickup.

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Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 9:13 am
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It's not completely dead. The second, third, and fourth pole pieces seem to pickup the vibrating strings, but the others do nothing.


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Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 11:14 am
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Open up the pickguard and test the pickup for resistance, if it has no resistance a winding is broken. The residual sound that can still be heard is from the magnetic field. Turn the tone knob down, if all poles go completely silent then definitely the pickup is dead.


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Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 11:16 am
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Double post.


Last edited by atolleter on Fri Apr 24, 2009 12:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 12:38 pm
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Yep I had a pickup that went dead on me and usually the symptom is ... you will still hear some of the strings but at a really lower volume than normal... not saying that is your case but to make sure it is dead you will have to take it off and measure it for resistance like it was already mentioned :)


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Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 12:43 pm
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You mean like it was mentioned twice in a row? :)

Sorry about double post everyone. I blame the site...


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Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 2:28 pm
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atolleter wrote:
Sorry about double post everyone. I blame the site...


It's easy to just delete a post if you post it twice just click the "delete" button..

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Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 6:14 pm
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Some time it does not show right away. You only find out when someone replies but by then it is too late, the delete option is gone.


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Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2009 2:09 pm
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SO I FOUND OUT THE PROBLEM.

I took it to a tech and he did a bunch of different tests and nothing normal was wrong. Then he figured it out. The pickup got demagnetized!!!!

He suggested buying a new pickup. I'd prefer to just fix it if I can. Anybody know about remagnetizing a pickup? I saw a couple things online. Just wondering if anyone has any more input.


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Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2009 3:31 pm
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Yes, they can be remagnetized.

I think Stew Mac here has instructions http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Clamp ... ml#details

More interesting question is how did they get demagnetized at the first place...


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Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2009 5:58 pm
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atolleter wrote:
Yes, they can be remagnetized.

I think Stew Mac here has instructions http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Clamp ... ml#details

More interesting question is how did they get demagnetized at the first place...


Unfortunately, using Stew Mac's methodology where you have to buy all that tooling is surely cost prohibitive for a one time operation.

Oftentimes, remagnetizing by interfacing the polepieces (magnets) with a very powerful speaker magnet for a period of time will work. You could use a weak, cheap magnet to verify proper polarity before attaching the pickup's magnets to the speaker. The longer you leave the poles on the speaker magnet, the stronger the charge of the pickup's magnets will be.

Some electrical current carrying devices such as (but not limited to) a drill, a hair dryer, a soldering gun, etc, operating in too near proximity to a pickup will demagnetize it. So will playing around with other pickups face to face where the stronger magnet(s) will suck the magnetism out of the weaker one(s).

Sometimes, the magnetism is sucked out to the bare minimum of where the pickup still may function but in these cases, time and the continued exertion of the magnet(s) eventually peter what's left of the magnetism down and ultimately, out. Frankly, this condition seems to fit your pickup's symptoms perfectly.

This is an educated guess: The person who installed your pickups got too close to the pickup's magnets with a soldering gun.

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Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2009 8:39 pm
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Martian wrote:
Unfortunately, using Stew Mac's methodology where you have to buy all that tooling is surely cost prohibitive for a one time operation.


The magnets cost about $11 (two at $5.50). He can make a homemade jig out of a piece of 2-by-4 or do like they show: use a C-clamp or vise (a lot of people have those things).

atolleter wrote:
More interesting question is how did they get demagnetized at the first place...


I'm curious about that too. srvjh47, did any of the things Martian mentioned get close to your pickup? Are the other pickups any weaker?

I would have wagered the problem was a cold solder joint at the pickup eyelets.

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