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Post subject: Neck pickup lost a lot of volume and tone
Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2018 7:47 pm
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I installed a set of pure vintage 65 pickups a couple of months ago. Everything has worked fine until today. I was adjusting the neck pickup height. I went too low and the pickup up fell down into the cavity. When I reinstalled it the sound was greatly decreased and it has no bottom end. It sounds like something playing through a lo-fi radio speaker or like it is out of phase. I re-soldered the wires to the switch and the volume pot, but it did not help.

Also, this strat has the s-1 and the super switch.

Any thoughts on what may have happened and how to fix it?

Thanks.


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Post subject: Re: Neck pickup lost a lot of volume and tone
Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2018 11:15 pm
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Sounds like a case of a partially-open coil to me. Those windings are *very* delicate and do not respond favorably to mishandling or abuse.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Neck pickup lost a lot of volume and tone
Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 2:58 am
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A faulty pickup is one possibility, and that should be an easy check - test with a multimeter if the kΩ's are OK.

But my first check (given the background) would be the wiring - cold solder joints, especially on the S1/neck pickup contacts. Then places where the pickup might get an unwanted ground contact (e.g. with the shield painting), and if there is a capacitor somewhere (treble bleed?) it could be broken.

BTW, it would be helpful to know which model Strat & which wiring scheme.


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Post subject: Re: Neck pickup lost a lot of volume and tone
Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 4:17 am
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Retroverbial wrote:
Sounds like a case of a partially-open coil to me. Those windings are *very* delicate and do not respond favorably to mishandling or abuse.

Arjay



my first thought too..

those little copper wires are about the thickness of a human hair. break one, and it's all over.

it can be fixed, the pickup can be rewound and it should be back to working to specs.


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Post subject: Re: Neck pickup lost a lot of volume and tone
Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 6:03 am
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The solder joints on the pickup itself are also a possibility. The joints where the coil wire attaches to the lead wires.


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Post subject: Re: Neck pickup lost a lot of volume and tone
Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 6:08 am
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Thanks for the replies. It is a 2013 Fender American Deluxe Strat. Here is the wiring diagram except my pickups have two wires instead of 3. https://p4.zdassets.com/hc/theme_assets/549136/200076499/010-1302A_SISD.pdf

I was worried that it may be something with the winding. It was hardly a violent fall, but after checking the wiring and resoldering, that is what I was starting to suspect. It must be fragile indeed, but I don't have a multimeter to verify.

What goes into rewiring a pickup? Would I be better off just buying a new pickup?


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Post subject: Re: Neck pickup lost a lot of volume and tone
Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 10:41 am
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If you can visually see the pickup you should be able to see there's any broken wire.

A number of years ago, I was trying to put a pickup cover on Seymour Duncan strat pickup, and in doing so, I accidentally snapped one of the wires in the coil wind. Could see it plan as day.. I called them, and they just suggest I shipped it back, they fixed it, (rewound it), I think it cost round trip less than 35/40 bucks and about 2 weeks. This covered freight and the fix.

If it's a fender pickup, yo may be able to call customer service for some information on how to proceed. not sure what the price to replace 1 pup would be.

There's also a guy on the Gibson Forum, (Clint Searchy) in Nashville who does this kind of work (Pickup and other restoration projects). he's a RIGHT guy too.


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Post subject: Re: Neck pickup lost a lot of volume and tone
Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 11:04 am
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I checked last night and I didn't see anything that looked obviously broken. I will check again tonight. I also ordered a multimeter. I've needed one for a while anyway.

I can get a new pickup for about $30-$40. If it is damaged, it may be easier just to get a new one.

I have also contacted Fender to see if it could be fixed under warranty.

Thanks for your responses.


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Post subject: Re: Neck pickup lost a lot of volume and tone
Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 12:02 pm
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If a coil wire was busted, you should be able to see it..

let us know how the story goes.. good luck John,,


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Post subject: Re: Neck pickup lost a lot of volume and tone
Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 2:08 pm
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A broken or "open" wire on the pickup itself will generally give you no sound at all.
If there is a high resistance in another part of the circuit due to a bad solder joint or dirty S1 contacts you will also get a reduction in output.
A situation where the wires on the coil are crushed resulting in a partial short will result in a lower output as well due to a lower resistance …. less coil to produce an output.
Likewise if there is a partial short to ground in another part of the wiring you may get a lower output or nothing at all. Check the switch contacts are not bent or short to the shielding etc.
All of these can be identified by using a multimeter an essential tool in this situation.
Check the pickup "out of circuit" first and compare it to the spec resistance for that type.
This measurement is sometimes easier done by removing one leg of the pickup.
Check also around the eyelet where the coil and the standard pickup wire connect.
If it is faulty generally the easiest route is to purchase another similar pickup though some are hard to get out of buying a full set. :D


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Post subject: Re: Neck pickup lost a lot of volume and tone
Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 4:04 pm
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jimmy_james wrote:
A broken or "open" wire on the pickup itself will generally give you no sound at all.
If there is a high resistance in another part of the circuit due to a bad solder joint or dirty S1 contacts you will also get a reduction in output.
A situation where the wires on the coil are crushed resulting in a partial short will result in a lower output as well due to a lower resistance …. less coil to produce an output.
Likewise if there is a partial short to ground in another part of the wiring you may get a lower output or nothing at all. Check the switch contacts are not bent or short to the shielding etc.
All of these can be identified by using a multimeter an essential tool in this situation.
Check the pickup "out of circuit" first and compare it to the spec resistance for that type.
This measurement is sometimes easier done by removing one leg of the pickup.
Check also around the eyelet where the coil and the standard pickup wire connect.
If it is faulty generally the easiest route is to purchase another similar pickup though some are hard to get out of buying a full set. :D


Do you have a link to a page or video that would show me how to test all of these things?

Thanks.


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Post subject: Re: Neck pickup lost a lot of volume and tone
Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 4:13 pm
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Sorry John I don't but maybe YouTube or the forum can help you thru it.
As I said first step check the pickup.
Disconnect one wire and measure across it on the resistance scale of your meter.
Most are around 6kohms.
Note somefender noiseless including the most recent are higher around 10kohms.
Start with the most likely culprit because this is what you fiddled with.
However if you removed the pickguard to put the pickup back in then look for shorts or disconnected wires. :D


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Post subject: Re: Neck pickup lost a lot of volume and tone
Posted: Sun Jun 17, 2018 8:06 am
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You could always disconnect that pickup and one of the others and swap the wiring, this would prove nothing else is wrong with the wiring. Just make a note of connections before you start. but the advice on checking the resistance (ohms) is easier if you have a meter.

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Post subject: Re: Neck pickup lost a lot of volume and tone
Posted: Sun Jun 17, 2018 11:57 am
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oldude wrote:
You could always disconnect that pickup and one of the others and swap the wiring, this would prove nothing else is wrong with the wiring. Just make a note of connections before you start. but the advice on checking the resistance (ohms) is easier if you have a meter.


I was thinking about just swapping the pickups, but I ordered a meter instead since I need one for other projects. I should get it tomorrow, then I will give an update.

Thanks.


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Post subject: Re: Neck pickup lost a lot of volume and tone
Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2018 11:10 am
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Got my multimeter today. I haven't had time to take the pickup out so I tested it using a guitar cable. Middle and bridge pickups tested around 5.8. The neck pickup gave me no reading at all.

If the pickup has no reading, why am I getting some output, though very low volume, when I play with the neck pickup on?


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