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Post subject: Re: Need Setup Help Please!
Posted: Sat Jul 27, 2019 4:23 pm
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stratmangler wrote:
As you've just said, it's Stratitis, which is what I suspected.
You need to lower the pickups.
If the pickups drop into the body you need longer screws.
If you use longer screws you'll possibly have to replace the rubber tubing.
If you adjust the pickups downwards and they just come to a stop before the Stratitis goes away you can take it all apart and make the routings a touch deeper.

Are the Texas Specials on plastic bobbins?
If yes, you could push the poles down a touch.


Yes, the TSpecials are plastic bobbins. As I said before, pushing the poles down is an option, but something I want to refrain from doing right now. I've done it before...easy to do, just don't want to do it just yet.

I've installed several sets of these pickups and they always seem to require more adjustment to get them set up properly. (Just my experience). This is the only set that has given me this much difficulty.

As far as dropping the pups lower, they are too far as is as stated previously. There comes a point where too far away and you start losing output. I switch guitars a lot and I don't want to have a super weak Strat/Tele while the others are all normal to high output. This is why I'm considering just yanking them and tossing them aside for later tinkering.

Thanks for your feedback...much appreciated. Will keep you posted. Fire away if you can think of anything else.


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Post subject: Re: Need Setup Help Please!
Posted: Sat Jul 27, 2019 4:35 pm
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jmattis wrote:
I'll agree with that stratitis diagnose, your "Amplified or Not" description would fit it just about perfectly.


And just a sidenote here; plenty of Fenders&Squiers have come straight from the factory with OEM shims... :wink:


I know the shims exist from the factory. I've seen a few over the years, usually from the older Fenders. When I have used shims, I made them myself with matching wood and full dimensions of the neck pocket, like the ones Stewmac sells today. Same with doweling holes for re-drilling, I keep a stock of matching hardwood dowels and also make my own when needed.

Sadly, I buy Stewmac's shims instead of making my own now because I'm lazy. lol


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Post subject: Re: Need Setup Help Please!
Posted: Sat Jul 27, 2019 6:30 pm
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Yah ..... I'm not convinced.
Sorry.
The pups are 3/8" from the strings and it's still happening.
There is something else going on there and it ain't the pickups being too close.
Especially since it makes little difference if plugged in or not.
Something else is going on.

I need to see video of this phenomenon.
I would prefer to have the guitar in my hands but .....

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Post subject: Re: Need Setup Help Please!
Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2019 12:41 am
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Yea, well, web diagnosing always has humongous error margins...

I read the symptoms description differently:
pickups at factory specs = warble all over
pickups low = warble only when amplified.
And that IMHO would point mainly to pup height.

One possibility I've been thinking all along is too much relief, but at this point and with the OP's experience, I'd imagine straighter neck has been tested. (And that cause shouldn't be affected by pickup height.)

Another thought that's been in my subconscience: is there something that hasn't yet been suggested..? Maybe something absolutely basic, simple and obvious or something real weird, rare and far fetched...


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Post subject: Re: Need Setup Help Please!
Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2019 6:41 am
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There is an easy way to tell if the pickups are causing the problem. Take them out and see if the problem persists.


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Post subject: Re: Need Setup Help Please!
Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2019 8:59 am
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I hate speculating on these things on-line.
Even worse, without pictures or footage.
You're working with God only knows how many unknowns.
That's why I have mostly asked questions up to this point.
The OP appears to have a grasp of the basic principles of guitar setup and yet still cannot solve the issue thus calling into question the matter of whether it is in fact a setup related problem.
At this point, if this was my problem to deal with, I would begin looking at the modifications.
I have no suggestion as to what problem might be lurking in those mods but I always employ process of elimination when troubleshooting.
From what I am reading here in these posts, I feel it is safe to rule out a couple of things.
I do not see how pickup height or intonation can be the culprit, given the extreme adjustments already made and the relative lack of results.
I think continuing to pursue that avenue will yield little fruit.
I believe the answer lies elsewhere but I cannot provide any more insight than that.
There's just too little to work with here and far too many possible problems.

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Post subject: Re: Need Setup Help Please!
Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2019 9:31 am
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What is the screw in the middle of the pickguard for?

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Post subject: Re: Need Setup Help Please!
Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2019 9:35 am
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65Blackface wrote:
There is an easy way to tell if the pickups are causing the problem. Take them out and see if the problem persists.

It is only apparent when amplified with the pickups flush, this would indicate that with the PG removed it would also only be apparent smplified.
I supposed he could sub in another set of pickups.

Grasping at straws here... wondering if this particular set of pups is defective in that they (or one of them) got over-magnetized pole pieces?
It would be interesting to see if a set of stainless strings eliminates the problem. Of course, I would not run them long-term on the soft crap that Fender currently refers to as "fretwire", but it could help narrow down the problem.

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Post subject: Re: Need Setup Help Please!
Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2019 10:46 am
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Is the screw in the middle of the pickguard there to stop sympathetic vibration of the pickguard?
There's a hell of a lot of acreage .....

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Post subject: Re: Need Setup Help Please!
Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2019 9:08 am
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stratmangler wrote:
What is the screw in the middle of the pickguard for?

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It's there to prevent EMI and eliminate communication between alien beings and the beacon they planted in my head. lol - just kidding my brother.

I don't know the exact engineering behind that one screw but like the other guy said, there is a lot of acreage there. I assume that it's there to hold down any potential bow'ing in the pickguard as the years accumulate. Below the plate is just wood.

Because there is solid wood below that area, I had to route the middle pickup area and used a vintage template which removes as little wood as possible instead of the huge cavities that are being routed today. Before anyone freaks out....this is "not" the issue. SSS/HSH/HSS or swimming pool cavity routing never causes these issues.


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Post subject: Re: Need Setup Help Please!
Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2019 9:45 am
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BMW-KTM wrote:
I hate speculating on these things on-line.
Even worse, without pictures or footage.
You're working with God only knows how many unknowns.
That's why I have mostly asked questions up to this point.
The OP appears to have a grasp of the basic principles of guitar setup and yet still cannot solve the issue thus calling into question the matter of whether it is in fact a setup related problem.
At this point, if this was my problem to deal with, I would begin looking at the modifications.
I have no suggestion as to what problem might be lurking in those mods but I always employ process of elimination when troubleshooting.
From what I am reading here in these posts, I feel it is safe to rule out a couple of things.
I do not see how pickup height or intonation can be the culprit, given the extreme adjustments already made and the relative lack of results.
I think continuing to pursue that avenue will yield little fruit.
I believe the answer lies elsewhere but I cannot provide any more insight than that.
There's just too little to work with here and far too many possible problems.


Be patient my friend. Within a week I will replace the pups and go from there. As I mentioned before, I have experienced this with Texas Specials before. Removing them and later putting them in another guitar with exact or similar build specs only to have them work flawlessly. I cannot figure it out...


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Post subject: Re: Need Setup Help Please!
Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2019 11:45 am
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Randy3521 wrote:
As I mentioned before, I have experienced this with Texas Specials before. Removing them and later putting them in another guitar with exact or similar build specs only to have them work flawlessly. I cannot figure it out...
I would submit it is not the pickups.
Not if they work fine in another guitar.
Process of elimination.
Pickups working properly elsewhere means pickups work properly.
I think you should consider looking at other possibilities.

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Post subject: Re: Need Setup Help Please!
Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2019 1:09 pm
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BMW-KTM wrote:
Randy3521 wrote:
As I mentioned before, I have experienced this with Texas Specials before. Removing them and later putting them in another guitar with exact or similar build specs only to have them work flawlessly. I cannot figure it out...
I would submit it is not the pickups.
Not if they work fine in another guitar.
Process of elimination.
Pickups working properly elsewhere means pickups work properly.
I think you should consider looking at other possibilities.



I never said "these" TSpecials worked fine in another guitar. I mentioned early on that these were purchased new and installed on this Tele. I have not yet tested them on another guitar. Keyword - Yet! :-)

I did say that I've experienced this problem with TSpecials before, but I meant other T/S sets. Maybe 2-3 others. For those it took a lot of continuous height adjustments to get them dialed in. Both bridge and pickups...

It's been mentioned more than once about "lowering" the pickups and folks, this is not rocket science. Once they are too low, you lose the output qualities and T-Specials were designed to have high output. These things are already 3/8in below the strings and while stratitis is in fact very faint, it is there. Someone (possibly on another site) even suggested getting longer pickup adjustment screws and maybe even consider additional routing....and I really had a hard time not responding to those ridiculous suggestions. lol

I've already picked out a set of Fender Noiseless that I am familiar with and really like. I will likely order them this weekend.


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Post subject: Re: Need Setup Help Please!
Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2019 1:11 pm
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BMW-KTM wrote:
Randy3521 wrote:

Process of elimination.


And you are 100% correct! That is the core of troubleshooting and right now, I need to try a different set because I feel I've ruled out everything. Unless anyone has any solid/logical suggestions...I'm all ears & eyes!


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Post subject: Re: Need Setup Help Please!
Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2019 7:17 pm
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Randy3521 wrote:
I never said "these" TSpecials worked fine in another guitar. I mentioned early on that these were purchased new and installed on this Tele. I have not yet tested them on another guitar. Keyword - Yet! :-)


No, you did not but you are basing your actions on a past experience in which they were the same and I quote....

Randy3521 wrote:
As I mentioned before, I have experienced this with Texas Specials before. Removing them and later putting them in another guitar with exact or similar build specs only to have them work flawlessly. I cannot figure it out...


That was what I was referring to.

I was also perhaps inferring that since it wasn't faulty pickups before there is no reason to assume they are faulty pickups now, especially since you arrive at that suspicion solely on the basis that they are Texas Specials and you think you had an issue with them before.
Countless guitarists uses Texas Special and love them and have no issues with them.
You thought you had an issue with them before but it was actually something else because they worked elsewhere.
So what ever your problem was with that guitar it was not the pickups because they worked elsewhere.
Are you following that logic?
Now you're having some kind of issue again and you are assuming it is the fault of the pickups based on your misdiagnosis last time.

Please believe me when I say I am not trying to be confrontational with you here.
I am suggesting you look for another possible cause.
Maybe look for another cause before throwing good money after bad.
Just a thought.
In the end, it's your money.
It's your call to make.
I just think there might be a better option and I'm hoping I can persuade you to consider that possibility.

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