52ri Tele hums in all positions...Wrong wiring?

elavd · August 19th, 2006, 07:11 AM

A friend of mine bought yesterday a 52ri (Left Hand).

We decided to change the wiring from vintage to current according to the schematic that came with the guitar.

After we did the appropriate changes, although the guitar sounded WONDERFUL, whe realized that there was hum in all positions...

I have a 62 type tele (Rockinger) and I don't have any hum in the middle position...

Have we connected in a wrong way the 52 or is it natural to have hum in the middle position too???

do not be afraid · August 19th, 2006, 07:17 AM

they didn't reverse-wind the pickups in 1952, so they didn't in the reissue either. so, yes, it should hum in all positions.

elavd · August 19th, 2006, 10:43 AM

Do you also have a 52 that hums?

The Amazing Phil · August 19th, 2006, 11:10 AM

Yeah, I'm not sure when, but originally the pickups didn't have the reverse wind/reverse polarity thing to cancel the hum in the middle position like a humbucker. It's authentic, although I must admit it's nice to not have hum in the middle position.

pauare67 · August 19th, 2006, 07:35 PM

Just curious...do all of you have 52RIs? I see that most of the forum members have a 52RIs. Is it like some sort of Badge of Tele Addictiveness?

Dacious · August 20th, 2006, 04:41 AM

Mine hums too, but I'm trying to teach it the words........

Yes, right up until the 80's and FMIC was formed, all single coil Teles and Strats and possibly Jags and Jazzmasters, have all magnets oriented North or South and windings wound the same and will hum in all posis.

In the late 80's one set of magnets were changed, so you had a set pointing North and a set pointing South and the windings go clockwise on one and counter-CW on the other, which means in the middle position they are hum-cancelling. IOW they are like the two coils of a humbucking pickup which have magnets oriented opposite and windings opposite directions too.

Any vintage-type Fender Reissue Tele or Strat will hum, too, except for Texas Specials and one or two others which are reverse-wound, reverse polarity (RWRP).

And no, most people on this board do not have 52RIs, if you take the narrow example of the made in US Vintage Telecaster. Probably more would own a made in Japan TL52 which is similar looking. Some people on this board wouldn't own a US-made 52RI if you paid them, and will emphatically tell you so. I am not one of them

pauare67 · August 20th, 2006, 07:24 AM

Thank you for info. Any reason why they wouldn't own a 52RI (USA)? I own one and I barely use it. I'm not too knowledgeable when it comes to the "ins and outs" of a tele guitar.

Dacious · August 20th, 2006, 08:02 AM

Well I own one, as well as a 69RI and a partscaster with 52 bits on it. I love the 52, the look and the feel. The quality of the hardware, the tweed case and other bits are I believe what gives it the value, and it keeps it if you sell.

The reason some others don't is because they believe, to paraphrase their arguments, it is an ordinary guitar that's overpriced, overfinished in the wrong colour and overly-vintage. OTOH the 'vintageness' of it is why I like it. It sounds like the Teles I liked on 50's-60's-70's recordings, and I like fat necks and see-through finishes. I love the grain and finish on mine, and the way it sounds through my old tube amps - in fact I prefer not using pedals.

Some people prefer the MIJ version which is about 2/3-1/2 the dollars. Some just don't like vintage necks/narrow frets. Others find the pickups are hummy and not gainy enough.

It is what it is.

August 19th, 2006, 07:11 AM	#1 (permalink)
elavd Tele-Meister Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Ioannina - Greece Age: 31 Posts: 376 3 Photos	52ri Tele hums in all positions...Wrong wiring? A friend of mine bought yesterday a 52ri (Left Hand). We decided to change the wiring from vintage to current according to the schematic that came with the guitar. After we did the appropriate changes, although the guitar sounded WONDERFUL, whe realized that there was hum in all positions... I have a 62 type tele (Rockinger) and I don't have any hum in the middle position... Have we connected in a wrong way the 52 or is it natural to have hum in the middle position too???

August 20th, 2006, 04:41 AM	#6 (permalink)
Dacious Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Godzone Posts: 2,612 35 Photos	Mine hums too, but I'm trying to teach it the words........ Yes, right up until the 80's and FMIC was formed, all single coil Teles and Strats and possibly Jags and Jazzmasters, have all magnets oriented North or South and windings wound the same and will hum in all posis. In the late 80's one set of magnets were changed, so you had a set pointing North and a set pointing South and the windings go clockwise on one and counter-CW on the other, which means in the middle position they are hum-cancelling. IOW they are like the two coils of a humbucking pickup which have magnets oriented opposite and windings opposite directions too. Any vintage-type Fender Reissue Tele or Strat will hum, too, except for Texas Specials and one or two others which are reverse-wound, reverse polarity (RWRP). And no, most people on this board do not have 52RIs, if you take the narrow example of the made in US Vintage Telecaster. Probably more would own a made in Japan TL52 which is similar looking. Some people on this board wouldn't own a US-made 52RI if you paid them, and will emphatically tell you so. I am not one of them __________________ My other Telecaster is a Thinline The Tele Bible, Ch 1, v 10 Love thy Telecaster, covet not thy neighbour's Strat! Last edited by Dacious; August 20th, 2006 at 08:03 AM.

August 20th, 2006, 08:02 AM	#8 (permalink)
Dacious Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Godzone Posts: 2,612 35 Photos	Well I own one, as well as a 69RI and a partscaster with 52 bits on it. I love the 52, the look and the feel. The quality of the hardware, the tweed case and other bits are I believe what gives it the value, and it keeps it if you sell. The reason some others don't is because they believe, to paraphrase their arguments, it is an ordinary guitar that's overpriced, overfinished in the wrong colour and overly-vintage. OTOH the 'vintageness' of it is why I like it. It sounds like the Teles I liked on 50's-60's-70's recordings, and I like fat necks and see-through finishes. I love the grain and finish on mine, and the way it sounds through my old tube amps - in fact I prefer not using pedals. Some people prefer the MIJ version which is about 2/3-1/2 the dollars. Some just don't like vintage necks/narrow frets. Others find the pickups are hummy and not gainy enough. It is what it is. __________________ My other Telecaster is a Thinline The Tele Bible, Ch 1, v 10 Love thy Telecaster, covet not thy neighbour's Strat!

August 19th, 2006, 07:17 AM	#2 (permalink)
do not be afraid Tele-Meister Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: temple terrace, florida Age: 20 Posts: 446	they didn't reverse-wind the pickups in 1952, so they didn't in the reissue either. so, yes, it should hum in all positions.

August 19th, 2006, 10:43 AM	#3 (permalink)
elavd Tele-Meister Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Ioannina - Greece Age: 31 Posts: 376 3 Photos	Do you also have a 52 that hums?

August 19th, 2006, 11:10 AM	#4 (permalink)
The Amazing Phil Tele-Holic Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Luton, England Age: 23 Posts: 558	Yeah, I'm not sure when, but originally the pickups didn't have the reverse wind/reverse polarity thing to cancel the hum in the middle position like a humbucker. It's authentic, although I must admit it's nice to not have hum in the middle position.

August 19th, 2006, 07:35 PM	#5 (permalink)
pauare67 TDPRI Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: VA, USA, Queens, NY Posts: 39 3 Photos	Just curious...do all of you have 52RIs? I see that most of the forum members have a 52RIs. Is it like some sort of Badge of Tele Addictiveness?

August 20th, 2006, 07:24 AM	#7 (permalink)
pauare67 TDPRI Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: VA, USA, Queens, NY Posts: 39 3 Photos	Thank you for info. Any reason why they wouldn't own a 52RI (USA)? I own one and I barely use it. I'm not too knowledgeable when it comes to the "ins and outs" of a tele guitar.