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Post subject: Pickup quit working on new strat
Posted: Fri Dec 05, 2008 6:56 pm
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I bought an American Deluxe Series Strat HSS LT w/ 2 New Samarian Cobalt Noiseless pickups and 1 Fender Enforcer Humbucker pickup a few years ago. Having several guitars, I haven't played it much over the past year and a half because I couldn't get the tone I wanted out of it. I pulled it out today to try and work it out and discovered the middle pickup isn't working. If I push on it, it makes sound, but when I let go, it is silent. Someone out there knows from experience what is wrong. Before I start tearing into it or hauling it to the service center, can anyone help me get that great humbucking tone back?


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Posted: Fri Dec 05, 2008 7:12 pm
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What do you mean by 'push it on'? It could be a s1 switch fault, mine is about 2 months old and makes a terrible noise when you press the button in or out. Or it could be a duff pickup, or a solder joint broke. If your not experienced with wiring take it to a repairman

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Post subject: Re: Pickup quit working on new strat
Posted: Fri Dec 05, 2008 9:12 pm
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AmStrat wrote:
I bought an American Deluxe Series Strat HSS LT w/ 2 New Samarian Cobalt Noiseless pickups and 1 Fender Enforcer Humbucker pickup a few years ago. Having several guitars, I haven't played it much over the past year and a half because I couldn't get the tone I wanted out of it. I pulled it out today to try and work it out and discovered the middle pickup isn't working. If I push on it, it makes sound, but when I let go, it is silent. Someone out there knows from experience what is wrong. Before I start tearing into it or hauling it to the service center, can anyone help me get that great humbucking tone back?


Yeah it sounds like a solder joint is loose in that pickup..... :)


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Post subject: Re: Pickup quit working on new strat
Posted: Fri Dec 05, 2008 9:25 pm
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Synkronized wrote:
Yeah it sounds like a solder joint is loose in that pickup..... :)


+1 on that diagnosis.

How good are you with a soldering iron, AmStrat?

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Post subject: Re: Pickup quit working on new strat
Posted: Sat Dec 06, 2008 11:01 am
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In order of probability:

1. Loose solder connection.
2. One of the lead wires has an errant strand or errant strands which are grounding against the shielding of the guitar or the pickguard and when you push down on the pickup, said errant strand or strands clear the shielding.
3. Wires linking the coils together lost their insulation and are shorting against a ground shield on the guitar or the pickguard.
4. The pickup itself is coming apart.
5. Inline break in one of the wires which under pressure reconnects itself.
6. The guitar is haunted. :lol:

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Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 7:32 pm
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nikininja wrote:
What do you mean by 'push it on'? It could be a s1 switch fault, mine is about 2 months old and makes a terrible noise when you press the button in or out. Or it could be a duff pickup, or a solder joint broke. If your not experienced with wiring take it to a repairman


I took it to a repair man and he had ideas, but confirmed it was out of warranty. I thought it might be something simple and took it apart myself. When prying the cover off the pickup, the blade I used caught on some windings and broke them. I put it all back together, and now the problem is gone. I didn't think it would even work anymore. Now I don't trust it and think I should have the pickup/pickups replaced. What do you think? Just the one or a new set while I'm at it? What kind? Do you recommend any special rewires for the knobs while they are in there?


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Post subject: Re: Pickup quit working on new strat
Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 7:34 pm
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Martian wrote:
In order of probability:

1. Loose solder connection.
2. One of the lead wires has an errant strand or errant strands which are grounding against the shielding of the guitar or the pickguard and when you push down on the pickup, said errant strand or strands clear the shielding.
3. Wires linking the coils together lost their insulation and are shorting against a ground shield on the guitar or the pickguard.
4. The pickup itself is coming apart.
5. Inline break in one of the wires which under pressure reconnects itself.
6. The guitar is haunted. :lol:


I took it to a repair man and he had ideas, but confirmed it was out of warranty. I thought it might be something simple and took it apart myself. When prying the cover off the pickup, the blade I used caught on some windings and broke them. I put it all back together, and now the problem is gone. I didn't think it would even work anymore. Now I don't trust it and think I should have the pickup/pickups replaced. What do you think? Just the one or a new set while I'm at it? What kind? Do you recommend any special rewires for the knobs while they are in there?


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Post subject: Re: Pickup quit working on new strat
Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 7:39 pm
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If you broke windings when prying the cover off, you definitely destroyed a coil. Consequently, you are only using the one good one left. Replace that one pickup as it will surely be unreliable and will not function as it was intended to.

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Post subject: Re: Pickup quit working on new strat
Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 7:39 pm
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orvilleowner wrote:
Synkronized wrote:
Yeah it sounds like a solder joint is loose in that pickup..... :)


+1 on that diagnosis.

How good are you with a soldering iron, AmStrat?


No problem with regular electronics, but this AWG #35 wire? It is finer than a human hair! I did some strain gage work for a while and we balanced and temp compensated some wheatstone bridges with compensator wire that was pretty fine, but we had special chemical stripper and tools. What did you have in mind?


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Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 7:44 pm
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Sorry, I didn't fully read your question regarding pickup/wiring suggestions. Frankly, I could write a book on such things.

Easiest: If you're satisfied with the wiring, leave it alone. If you're satisfied with the other two pickups, replacing that defective one of the set is not only your cheapest way out but you know it will be compatible with the other existing two.

If you have some ideas in mind other than your current wiring/pickups, post them and we'll all take it from there!

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