How To Clean Pickup Potting Wax Off Gold Plated Covers

What are some things to cheque why a pickup doesn't work? Tom coleman-pennsgrove, new bailiwick of jersey

Last Updated on October 16th, 2019

There are many things that can crusade a pickup to be inoperative. Pickups don't ever have to be used and abused for them to fail. Here are some things to check.

Broken magnet wire from the start eyelet or pigtail*: On Fender fashion pickups the outset magnet wire is connected to one of the eyelets. The kickoff of the coil is wound from the within and finishes on the outside. It tin can be hard to repair the showtime wire if information technology is broken next to the whorl. If the magnet wire is broken near the eyelet, at that place is a take a chance the magnet wire tin can be extended past soldering an actress length of conductor and connecting it to the eyelet. Becareful soldering information technology to the eyelet and remove backlog soldering flux. Extreme care needs to exist done when repairing all types of single gyre pickps. On early on Gibson fashion single curl and humbucking pickups, the lead wire begins inside the bobbin and extends through an leave pigsty to be hooked upward. Information technology will be hard to repair if the problem exists with the pigtail inside the beginning of the roll. At times there tin be a cold solder joint or intermission at the kickoff of the coil where the magnet wire and lead wire are pigtailed. The coil volition have to exist completely unwound, repaired and rewound once more. Don't distroy the original wire to do this. It tin exist re used.
Broken magnet wire from the stop eyelet or pigtail*: On Fender style pickups the terminate wire connects to the other eyelet. If the magnet wire is cleaved at the eyelet or outer office of the coil, repairing can exist fabricated easier. I carefully use a rut gun to soften or remove hardened wax on the outer turns of the coil. I tin can unwrap every bit many turns needed to observe the break and so reconnect information technology to the end eyelet. If the pickup notwithstanding doesn't piece of work, and then more turns need to be removed to see if there is an external pause. I employ a fine tooth brush to loosen the interruption in a coil. At times I employ a chemical solvent to remove the outer layers of magnet wire on Fender manner pickups. Chemic solvents such as lacquer thinners should be used with extreme intendance ever employ a protective eye covering used when soldering or using chemicals. If there is no break visible after examining the gyre and then the pickup could have ICPC which is listed below. Oestrus guns and chemical solvents should not exist used on plastic Gibson style bobbins. The heat and chemicals tin distort and dissolve the bobbin fabric. If yous need to remove old tape that is glutinous or pasty, I apply lighter fluid every bit a cutting amanuensis. Use sparingly and wipe off excess fluid.
Pigtails: The connectedness between the insulated magnet wire and hookup wire. I use between 28 & 30 approximate stranded hookup wire for most connections in humbuckers. They are usually the black and white wires used for connecting two bobbins in a humbucker in series or used with single or 4 conductor shielded cable. When connecting the hookup wire, I observe it best to sand the magnet wire with 600 grit sand paper to remove the insulation on the magnet wire then soldering (pigtail) is fabricated easier.
ICPC- Inner coil pole corrosion: Most often on Fender unmarried curlicue pickups, moisture and condensation can occur inside the bobbin. Playing in hot sweaty nightclubs with moisture at times soaking the pickups can cause major problems down the road. The wet can cause the magnets to rust and particles of oxidation begin to break down the insulation on the magnet wire. When in that location is insulation breakdown on the magnet wire, the non insulated copper wire can oxidize and deteriorate. On Fender style pickups, the coil is normally wound directly around the magnets. When the magnets rust it promotes breakdown of the magnet wire. Moisture can be absorbed in the lining of the guitar case and when exposed to high heat or sunlight, condensation can take place within the case.
Guitar string snag under the lip of the pickup: When playing hard your loftier East or low Due east string can snag the edges of the bobbin when there are no covers to protect the coils. I see this oftentimes especially on Telecaster rhythm pickups when players remove the covers. This leaves an exposed coil which is subject area to string or option damage. During the 60s Jeff Beck started the fad of removing covers from his Gibson humbuckers. Shortly subsequently that many players started using lighter strings which have less tension and bend easier. The lighter strings, tension and exposed humbuckers contributed to the strings getting snagged under the outer edges of the bobbins. This happens more and more than with guitars equipped with tremolo'southward that can drastically loosen the strings. The loose plucked cord is more likely to get snagged nether the outer edges of the pickup so extreme care while playing needs to exist used. If you want not to use covers brand certain you don't damage the coils. Breaking one turn of magnet wire will brand the pickup non functional.
Aptitude contacts on switches: The three & 5 lever switches used on the majority of Fenders accept contacts where many pickup and circuit connections are fabricated. On the early Centralab 1452 lever switches the contacts are connected to the phenolic wafers by small brass eyelet's. The contacts are precisely bent so the wiper bract within the switch makes proper contact. At times when working on your pickups the contacts or solder connections can become bend making the pickup choice non functional. The contacts need to be advisedly inspected and realigned for proper contact. It is best to used a Volt-Ohm meter to cheque continuity. I employ small round needle nose pliers to re-shape the contacts. On Gibson fashion toggle switches the contacts tin be easily aliened for proper connections
Worn or oxidized contacts on switches: The abiding move of switches can wear thin the contacts and replacement may exist necessary. If switches are non used an extended period of time, oxidation can build upwardly on the contacts from extreme moisture in the instrument instance or high humidity. A special contact cleaner for switches should be used to remove, make clean and lubricate the contacts. Check with your local electrical supply or Radio Shack for proper solvents for cleaning contacts. E'er exist conscientious non to overspray and get the solvents on the finish of the instrument. Properly embrace and mask off the musical instrument. Be careful using certain adhesive tapes as the adhesive tin can react with the terminate of the musical instrument. Bank check with your local record dealer for specific record recommendations.
Grinding pole pieces: I call back during the 60s many players were trying to level the pole pieces on their newer Telecasters to simulate the flat poles of early on Fender Broadcasters, Esquires and Telecasters. I've received many pickups in for rewinding because the coils stopped working. I found that the grinding of the magnets caused the pole slice to become and so hot that information technology cooked the insulation on the magnet wire. In time the exposed copper wire would oxidize and the DC resistance would alter so finish working. Think that the magnet wire on most unmarried curl pickups are wound tightly in contact with the rod magnet pole pieces. Grinding the magnets can besides degauss or weaken the particular pole y'all are grinding. Also grinding magnets tin leave minor particles of magnet grit that can somewhen vibrate and may cause pickup to be microphonic in extreme cases.
Motility of the cast magnet rod pole pieces on single scroll pickups: Before rod magnets in Fenders are sand cast and have pits and rough sides. Most all Fender style single coil pickups have the magnet wire wound directly in contact with the rod magnets. Moving the magnet will snag and break the tightly wound whorl especially on the early Fender pickups. Moving the magnets to change the superlative of the polepieces on newer Fender style pickups is possible but I wouldn't recommend this exist done. I never move the outer pole pieces because at that place is maximum pressure at both ends and is where the bobbin supports most of the coil tension. There are some nylon and plastic molded bobbins which allow the movement or rearrangement of the rod pole piece. I never change the pole meridian on Fender Telecaster fashion pickups that take a ferrous bottom plate. You lot can't press the extended pole pieces downwards on those blazon of pickups with the ferrous elevator plate in place. Applying farthermost pressure on magnet can cause them to fissure. I wouldn't try moving pole pieces without the proper tools as extreme damage can result. Never insert magnets into bobbins as information technology will likely suspension the exposed coil inside and if you use older Fender magnets, be conscientious as they may be a larger diameter.
Magnetic field re-oriented: You need to be careful not to take your pickups near any Air conditioning sources that could modify the orientation or domains within your magnet. The magnetic field on a rod pole slice is commonly South on one end and N magnetic polarity on the contrary end. Depending on the exterior source such every bit motors, solenoids or other AC electric current sources can change the alignment of magnetic orientation. On bar magnets such every bit the ones used on Gibson style humbuckers the magnets mensurate on average 2.v″(L) x .5″(Westward) x .125″(T). The magnet is magnetized across the .v″(Width). 1 side is North and the other is South. Near bar magnets used in humbuckers are Anistropic or having a preferred management of magnetization. If a magnet is reversed in 1 pickup and used with another, information technology could be magnetically out of stage. The thin bottomless sound makes you lot call up you lot have a bad pickup. This can be easily solved past reversing the magnet or reversing the electrical phase then check to come across if you take a total round sound when two or more pickups are used.
Magnetic phasing per pole: I've seen rewinds come into me where the customer decided to flip bomb magnets in their single curl pickups. I had a pickup come to me where the top magnet polarity was (S) (N) (S) (N) (S) (N) and the pickup was completely out of phase with itself and from cord to cord when using a combination of pickups. Another pickup had the superlative polarity (Southward) (S) (S) (N) (North) (N) with the role player thinking it would make it humbucking. You need to apply either all (S) or all (N) magnetic polarity in single coil pickup where i coil is used.
Magnetic field improper phasing: Some other big problem is when you combine pickups from different manufacturers. You need to go proper phasing both electrically with roll direction or magnetic phasing with magnetic orientation. When using a combination of pickups test's need to be fabricated and discussed in a future article on how to determine the phasing of each pickup. I will show you how to test magnetic polarity and electrical phasing using your volt-ohm meter. Y'all tin use phase switches or have all the pickups in phase using proper hookup with various magnetic polarities.
Magnets degaussed: Having a magnet that is degaussed will make your pickup have less output and sound warmer. It can be caused by extreme heat, shock, alternating currents and other environmental conditions. The size and shape of a magnet will determine how stable a magnetic field will exist and recharging a magnet in a pickup if desired will often make the pickup sound brighter and have more output.
Low DC resistance in pickup: At times at that place'due south internal breakdown inside the coil because of insulation fatigue that causes shorting of several layers of magnet wire. This breakup tin reduce the DC resistance of a pickup. I've seen this happen with resin potted pickups and four conductor pickups where the wires tin short out with each other during terminal hookup. Brand sure y'all measure pickups one at a time and not in combination with others. If a pickup is used in combination with other pickups or excursion there will exist inaccurate DC readings per single pickup. It'southward best to use high quality materials and especially insulation'southward on magnet wire. Thicker insulation's will have better reliability than thinner insulation's and less likely to fatique.
Pickup sounds sparse with no bottom: When a single pickup sounds sparse with no bottom is unremarkably a sign that the pickup has a cleaved curl. If you go little indicate and turn your tone control to zilch and you get so sound, this is usually an indication that the curlicue is bad. Also check to see that the components such as switch, capacitors and excursion are all hooked up properly. The curlicue volition accept to be inspected to come across what the trouble is and if it can be repaired without rewinding.
Humbucking pickup sounds thin when used by itself: This can be a sign that there is a damaged coil or fifty-fifty the wiring within the pickup is non right. If the wiring inside the pickup rewired you can have a phase problem. Normally the ii finish wire of a humbucker are hooked together. The showtime adjustable coil is grounded and the beginning stud curlicue is positive. The adjustable side of the humbucker is normally South magnetic field and the stud side is North. The bodily ringlet direction of each bobbin must be adamant to make certain the coils are hooked up for proper wiring. If you look at the tiptop of typical Gibson bobbins, the coil is wound counter-clockwise effectually the bobbin.
Potentiometers-effects of wrong value: Make certain the potentiometers are of proper value and working correctly. Brand sure they are make clean and oxidation free. Brand sure the capacitor is hooked upward properly and of the proper value. Fender Telecasters and Stratocaster normally use a 250 K sound taper potentiometer. Gibson originally used 500 K audio taper potentiometers for both volume and tone. Since the 70s Gibson used 300 Chiliad audio taper book controls. If you apply a 100 K audio or l K sound the high terminate on the pickup volition exist drastically reduced. If your using a 250 Yard audio taper and need a slightly brighter sound, endeavor using a 500 K sound or a 1 Meg sound taper potentiometer. To retain the clarity in your pickups when turning the book downwardly, you tin can use a .001 mfd. capacitor betwixt the # 2 & 3 lug of your volume potentiometer. Y'all can too put a 150 k resistor in parallel with the .001 mfd. capacitor. Normally the # ane lug is grounded to the chassis of the potentiometer.
Removing covers: During the 60s and 70s the fad was to remove the covers from your humbuckers. Many wanted to see if they had those famous double cream Patent Applied For humbuckers designed by Seth E. Lover for Gibson during the mid 50s. Jeff Beck removed them so he could become more than output and peak adjustment from the pickups. He also told me that he removed the embrace and then he would have less microphonic feedback when playing at college volumes. Many players and repairman had problems getting the cover with jagged solder joints off the pickups without destroying the coils. The solder residue from the covers snagged many coils and acquired consummate failure in the pickup. I was upset to see so many pickups badly rewound because of only one broken wire on outer turns of the coil. The whole roll doesn't demand to be rewound only advisedly repaired. You need to remove a few turns to discover the cleaved wire and rejoin a new section, rewind a few turns, insulate and hook back up. A solder wick should exist used to blot the backlog solder holding the cover onto the bottom plate. Keep the old covers in a drawer for future apply when removing information technology. Removing onetime covers from Stratocaster pickups should be done with care as moisture and grime over the years can cause the cover to stick to the coils. Damage can outcome if trying to pull the covers off. I'd leave the covers on unless there was an extreme need for them to be removed. Pickups are fragile and should be handled carefully. Covers should always exist kept on pickups with exposed coils.
Careless handling: Over the years many working pickups were removed from instruments and thrown in boxes or tossed in a drawer. Bottom plates or misc. pickup parts could striking the coils breaking the exposed windings or peachy bobbins. When pickups are removed from an musical instrument they should be carefully wrapped in tissue and even aluminum foil to further protect them. They should be labeled and put in a safe place for further use. Remember the pickups of today volition be the vintage of tomorrow.
Improper hookup: If you work on your pickups or accept other practice custom work for you, make certain they are qualified and are conscientious with your pickups. The pickup is the centre of the instrument and if the pickup is damaged in whatsoever style the operation of the instrument will exist diminished. Each time you work on your instrument, make a drawing and keep the wiring available. The worst thing when working on your guitar is to accept it all apart and and then you get that phone telephone call. When you get back you've forgotten where the wires went. I get calls all the time from players and repairman trying to rewire guitar. Make certain all the wires are connected and soldered correctly and exit enough wire for connections to the jack and other hardware. Don't pull and stretch wire and it can bend the fragile contacts on switches and also curve them where they could brusk out with each other.
Environmental conditions: Don't leave your instrument unattended where someone else can get a agree of it or knock it over. Proceed it away from little kids, cats and dogs and out of straight sunlight. Never get out an musical instrument lying adjacent to a heater or window where some passerby might like to borrow it! Don't keep the instrument in extreme common cold or inside your car truck that can become very hot. Never apply steel wool to make clean your frets equally the fibers volition be attracted to your pickups. It'due south a mess to remove the fiber's and can cause other problems when your playing. You can become steel wool stuck in your fingers which tin can cause awful irritation.
Soldering insulation'southward: Insulation'due south on magnet wire come in various thermal temperatures. Some take moderate heat to melt and some take much higher temperatures. Using to loftier of a temperature and actually anneal the copper magnet wire that tin crusade it to fatigue at a later date. I similar sanding the insulation's commencement equally it reduces excessive heat that could harm other pickup components. Sand the wire before inserting the beginning wire into the eyelet on Fender rewinds to reduce the cooking effect it has on the surrounding vulcanized fibre. Always use proper ventilation and eye protection. Wipe off backlog flux with booze or flux cleaner and dry.
Faulty conductor inside insulated hookup wire: I take seen insulated hookup wire with invisible breaks inside. You should always utilize an ohm meter and check at diverse points in the pickup connections or contacts. Always bank check both ends in a hookup wire. I one time had a pickup that worked at the eyelet'south but when I hooked information technology up to the switch it didn't piece of work. Another fourth dimension I think checking the two soldered eyelet's on a Stratocaster pickup with my ohm meter and the pickup showed a complete curt. I most thought the pickup was shorting inside when I noticed the ends of the textile braid hookup wire were accidentally touching each other. E'er double check whatsoever possible connections earlier deciding the pickup may need repair or rewinding.
Color coding of various pickups: When putting pickups in your instrument, make sure you are using the proper colour code for the particular manufacturer of the pickups. Many companies accept their own manner of hooking up pickups and if you use the same color code that was previously in the musical instrument, information technology may not work. That's why it's important to have work done by a reputable dealer or repairman equally they will have all the necessary technical information to make your instrument piece of work properly.
Common cold solder joints: The majority of pickup failures that I've seen take been common cold solder joints. This is usually caused when there is high production in manufacturing pickups and not enough fourth dimension is taken for proper soldering. Heating and cooling of solder joints tin cause them to expand and contract. The ringlet may piece of work at first as the heat melts the insulation on the magnet wire. After time if there are pits and voids in the solder joint the bare copper can oxidize and eventually non brand a proper contact or the copper magnet wire can break. Normally reheating the joint with proper temperature the time elapsing will help solve the problem and restore the pickup to proper operation. If you use likewise loftier of a temperature, the solder tin boil and exit infinitesimal air bubbles that tin can eventually oxidize or corrode. Have your time and always utilize a rosin core solder not acid cadre that is used for plumbing.
Faulty book control: The hookup wires from the diverse switches somewhen go to the volume potentiometer to adjust the output voltage of the instrument. Many times when soldering hookup wires to the contacts can cause the solder to travel down the lug and short out with some other lug. Normally the # 1 lug on the volume control is soldered to the outside chassis of the volume command. Soldering to the exterior chassis of the potentiometer tin crusade extreme estrus to travel through the elements inside the pot. The extreme estrus can cook the resistance chemical element causing information technology not to work properly. Extreme employ and oxidation on the sweeper contacts can cause the pickup to cut in and out. Worn resistive elements demand to be replaced when volume is no longer working properly.
Potting solutions: Potting is embedding a pickup in a resin or hot wax solution to help eliminate vibration or eddy currents in a pickup that tin cause microphonic feedback. Potting resins take been known to shrink and breaks the magnet wire or some element in the circuit inside the pickup. Most potting resins have a thicker viscosity to saturate or permeate a wound roll and are ofttimes used to encapsulate the circuit and components of a pickup to avoid tampering. Resin potted pickups permit not further modification or rewinding. When pickups potted in a resin or epoxy and finish working, pickup replacement is needed. Warming the resin potting solution helps sparse the viscosity. There needs to be a relationship to temperature and time duration when wax potting a pickup. If y'all leave a plastic humbucking pickup to long in hot wax, the pressure from the wound curl tin can misconstrue the pole spacing, bobbin shape and cause the pickup to fail. If you wax pot a Fender style pickup too long or at to high a temperature the wax can seep back out still leaving the pickup still microphonic.
Incorrect wiring of circuit: Make sure you accept all the wires connected to the proper contacts and everything is grounded properly. Follow the procedures or schematics for the item instrument or pickups. Cheque for proper solder joints, connections to switches and grounds. Make certain the wires on the connections don't have strands accidentally touching other wires or shorting out. When wiring in new pickups, use the proper procedures recommended past that manufacture. Double check any custom schematics and wiring diagrams for accuracy. If in doubt, call the manufacturer or custom shop.
Mounting screws shorting out wiring circuits: Be careful when screwing in pickguard or mounting ring screws that are to long. They could exist screwed into a cavity or channel where the hookup wire goes through and short out a component. I've seen pickups work before beingness installed in an instrument and stop working after all the assembly hardware is put in identify. The humbucking mounting ring screw shorted out the pickup cable.
Faulty Jacks: Near jacks are nickel or even gold plated. If the plating wears off the jack from constant employ it leaves the within unplated. The unplated brass can oxidize from moisture and outside elements causing improper connections betwixt the shaft and inside wall of the jack. This tin cause the guitar to be intermittent and i might retrieve failure in the pickups. Double check the jack and clean or supplant if necessary.
Faulty Footing: On several Fender instruments the jack is grounded to a thin aluminum shield underneath the pickguard. I've seen oxidation so extreme that the connection betwixt the lock washer between the jack and aluminum shield made improper contact causing the instrument to fail. Yous couldn't become a proper reading and the jack assembly had to exist removed cleaned with a contact cleaner using a fine brass wire brush and reassembled. Brand sure at that place are proper ground connections between the potentiometers, switches and pickups.
Bad guitar string: I've had guitars sent to me that worked fine to observe out that the musician had a bad guitar cord. Do routine checks of your guitar cords, connections on your foot pedals and accessories. Always keep extra cords around too as at that place seems to be somebody ever tripping over them.

Amplifier not working: This is another important one to check. This may sound funny but brand sure your amp is plugged in and have ability. Make sure someone didn't borrow your fuse holder and your standby is working condition. I had a bass actor employ my amp at a practice and blew out the speaker without me knowing information technology. I played my guitar and idea my pickups went bad till I checked information technology with some other amp. Probably my number one rule is don't let anybody use your equipment. I've had band members "borrow" my tubes, speakers and even a book potentiometer.