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Post subject: Working/Non-Working pickups....
Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2014 6:24 pm
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I've got a bunch of Tele pickups from the past, and know that some of them definitely don't work. I'm building a Tele project guitar now---how can I tell which are any good without installing em in and out? I don't have a multi-meter---just a soldering iron.... Thanks.


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Post subject: Re: Working/Non-Working pickups....
Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2014 6:30 pm
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A multimeter is so cheap and so useful there's just no reason not to have one!

But to answer your question ... hold the pickup leads on the tip and sleeve connectors of a cable plugged into an amp, tap a magnetic screwdriver on the pole pieces and if the pickup's working then you'll hear a thump through the amp.

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Post subject: Re: Working/Non-Working pickups....
Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2014 6:33 pm
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Thanks, Frankie!


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Post subject: Re: Working/Non-Working pickups....
Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2014 6:43 pm
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And when you buy that multimeter, put it on the kiloOhms range and hold the probes on the pickup wires. It'll read around 5k to 10k if the pickup is working.

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Post subject: Re: Working/Non-Working pickups....
Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 12:58 am
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GilgaFrank wrote

Quote:
A multimeter is so cheap and so useful there's just no reason not to have one!


Me neither lets start a campaign group to get one in every household........... :)

......... say how do you test that darn fuse? Wrap it in silver foil and if the device makes a noise or bursts into flames we know that pesky fuse was toast!


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Post subject: Re: Working/Non-Working pickups....
Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 12:32 pm
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Another question, guys---I'm all out of grounding paint, so I'm going to ground all the cavities of this Tele body with copper tape---the 2 pickup holes and the one under the control plate. So, how do I best reduce hum on this guitar project? Solder a lead from each ground lead of the pickups and connect it right to the copper, and even ground the bridge and control plate the same way? Thanks in advance.


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Post subject: Re: Working/Non-Working pickups....
Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 1:35 pm
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Unless you have expensive equipment and are really good with the iron you're not going to be able to solder directly to the foil. There just is not enough mass in the foil to take the heat required to solder the ground wire. Solder a lug to your ground wire and screw the lug to the cavity wall right through the foil.

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Post subject: Re: Working/Non-Working pickups....
Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 2:09 pm
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This is what I use. Screw into place through the copper and solder on a ground wire.

http://www.electronelec.co.uk/acatalog/Solder_tags.html

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Post subject: Re: Working/Non-Working pickups....
Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 3:52 pm
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Thank you all for the advice!
One last question---I have a Tele neck from the 60s or 70s that I want to bolt onto a Squier body. The Squier slot is alittle too narrow for this beautiful neck. So, I obviously need to cut the slot out a tiny bit, right? All the mounting holes match, thankfully.
Don't worry---I ain't shaving this neck down.


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Post subject: Re: Working/Non-Working pickups....
Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 5:02 pm
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Let's just make sure we're talking about the same thing here.
You want to put a Fender Tele neck on a Squier Tele body? Or a Squier Strat body?
Necks and bodies from Strats and Teles are not easily interchangeable.

You want a neck pocket that is nice and snug.
Try to work the neck into the pocket just using the strength in your hands and arms.
Unless you are a body builder and routinely bench 300 you're not going to have the strength in your hands to damage the heel of the neck by trying to force it. If you can't work it into the pocket and you decide to shave the pocket, do so in very small increments. Remember you want the pocket to be tight if at all possible.

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Post subject: Re: Working/Non-Working pickups....
Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 6:00 pm
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Yep, we're talkin' about a 60s or 70s Fender Tele neck going into a recent Squier Tele body.
I don't want to create cracks on this mint condition butterscotch body, so if I can't muscle the neck in there, yes, I'll carefully cut the pocket down on the sides, a millimeter at a time. In the end, it'll be snug as a bug.


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Post subject: Re: Working/Non-Working pickups....
Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 7:48 pm
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GS37 wrote:
Yep, we're talkin' about a 60s or 70s Fender Tele neck going into a recent Squier Tele body.
I don't want to create cracks on this mint condition butterscotch body, so if I can't muscle the neck in there, yes, I'll carefully cut the pocket down on the sides, a millimeter at a time. In the end, it'll be snug as a bug.

work with a file, do a couple strokes on one side, then the same on the other, to keep them even, keep alternating until you get to your desired width. this way you keep the screw holes centered.

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