Possible Faulty Pickup - Help???

[Gav2000]

I may have a faulty bridge pickup, can anyone help to confirm this and let me know if a definite trace of the fault and fix is possible?

The pickup in question is the bridge pickup in my 60th anniversary Tele. When I first bought the guitar (2nd hand) the pickup failed to work and this seemed to be a genuine surprise to the seller. I negotiated a discount and passed the guitar to a local guitar tech to investigate. We had a call after an investigation in which he said he though the pickup may be faulty but he would desolder and remake all of the relevant connections to double check. After doing this the pickup worked but he was slightly surprised as the original solders had all looked clean, complete and tidy.

A few months later it failed again and after some investigation I thought the switch may be faulty. I didn't want to keep paying a guitar tech so I changed it myself and altered the wiring to the more modern setup (middle position of switch uses both pickups) and it worked fine (for a while).

It has now failed 3 times in a week, I have remade all of the connections and have got it working twice but its now failed again. I'm pretty sure its not the switch as moving the neck pickup live wire to the bridge pickup connection plays fine. I'm now increasingly sure that the pickup is at fault and has a break in it's circuit somewhere that sometimes reconnects when I try to diagnose the fault (and moves wires around) and then fails again. The 2 pickup wires look fine and seem to connect to the pickup itself with clean/solid solders.

THEREFORE (sorry this is now so long);

1 - Could there be a problem in the windings of the pickup or the point where the pickup windings connect to the large cloth covered wires?
2 - Can I confirm this somehow?
3 - Should I investigate anything else?
4 - Can the pickup be fixed if this is the problem or should I replace it?
5 - If a replacement is needed can I get a single pickup (in the UK) or will I have to buy a set (I can only see pairs of 52RI/Nocaster pickups so far)?
6 - What pickup would actually be a direct swap for the bridge pickup in a numbered 60th anniversary ash tele?

Any help that any more technical can give would be much appreciated as I need to fix this problem properly.

Thanks,

Gavin.

[fredcaster]

Hi,
seems not cool,
have you have a look at the jack output??sometimes the problem is from here!!
Have got the possibility to test the Resistance of the pickup??(No resistance=Big big problem!!)

[Gav2000]

Originally Posted by fredcaster

Hi,
seems not cool,
have you have a look at the jack output??sometimes the problem is from here!!
Have got the possibility to test the Resistance of the pickup??(No resistance=Big big problem!!)

I don't think it's jack related as the neck pickup is always fine.

Can I test the resistance with a multimeter? I can borrow one if I can.

Gavin.

[Funky Phil]

It's alway difficult when the problem isn't always there...
One way to retain the spec of the pickup and fix its possible fault, is to have it rewound.
Try Bare Knuckle in the UK.

[Ilves01]

problem could my be in cloth covered wires, I had on my strat that problem that connection wire had broken it played well but when I played and moved my guitar then sound went off and then came on again.

[Gav2000]

Originally Posted by Funky Phil

It's alway difficult when the problem isn't always there...
One way to retain the spec of the pickup and fix its possible fault, is to have it rewound.
Try Bare Knuckle in the UK.

I've spoken to Bare Knuckle who can rewind the pickup. I've also found details of Shed Pickups in the UK who can also do it for less money. I know the name Bare Knuckle but not Shed, does anyone have any experience of them?

[savvy]

Hi Gav, Where in UK are you? I'm up north if you need help to check out wiring,Have a spare pup(bridge) if you need to borrow,its one I rewound about 10k ish. Have you thought possibly of Tonerider pup's if you need to replace one? I have just ordered a classic @£25.00 in'c del'v if you need one.Savvy

[doublee]

Could also be that when you stuff all the wires down in the cavity one of them is shorting out, it has happened to me a few times.

[Gav2000]

Originally Posted by savvy

Hi Gav, Where in UK are you? I'm up north if you need help to check out wiring,Have a spare pup(bridge) if you need to borrow,its one I rewound about 10k ish. Have you thought possibly of Tonerider pup's if you need to replace one? I have just ordered a classic @£25.00 in'c del'v if you need one.Savvy

I'm in Northampton. I wanted to keep the same spec of pickup to keep the guitar as original as possible.

I've used a Tonerider Hot Classic before in an Esquire and was very impressed though.

[Gav2000]

Originally Posted by doublee

Could also be that when you stuff all the wires down in the cavity one of them is shorting out, it has happened to me a few times.

I think I have eliminated this as a possibility now as the pickup won't work with the wires in or out of the cavity. I have checked all the connections and remade all of the soldered joins but can see a problem, something within the pickup is my last thought.

I'm going to go for a rewind to prove this I just need to decide where.

The fact that the neck pickup works fine when connected to the bridges switch connection seems to indicate it s a pickup problem, i will see though!.

Gav.

[Fiver]

I had a similar problem with a cheapo pickup. The insulation on the pickup wire did not get removed and it did not make a good connection.

It turns out you can just re-heat the solder connection where the cloth wire is inserted into the pickup eyelet. Putting enough heat to it melts off the pickup wire insulation, just don't over do it.

[mellecaster]

Originally Posted by Fiver

I had a similar problem with a cheapo pickup. The insulation on the pickup wire did not get removed and it did not make a good connection.

It turns out you can just re-heat the solder connection where the cloth wire is inserted into the pickup eyelet. Putting enough heat to it melts off the pickup wire insulation, just don't over do it.

Exactly as stated above...that is called ReFlowing the connection w/ fresh Solder...many a Pickup has been saved that way, even New in the Box from Fender.

[Gav2000]

Originally Posted by Fiver

I had a similar problem with a cheapo pickup. The insulation on the pickup wire did not get removed and it did not make a good connection.

It turns out you can just re-heat the solder connection where the cloth wire is inserted into the pickup eyelet. Putting enough heat to it melts off the pickup wire insulation, just don't over do it.

It looks like that could be the solution. I have warmed the contacts as you mentioned and the pickup is now working. I have reassembled the guitar and it's still working. I have played the guitar for a while and it's still working!

I'll keep my fingers crossed for a while longer yet but i think you have identified the problem, many thanks.

Gav.