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Vintage threads from the first ten years

Tele neck pickup

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8/8/1999 8:42 PM

Tele neck pickup

I have a ‘69 Telecaster. I got it used one month ago and it sounded good till one day I heard the NECK pickup sounding dark and a bit mush. It seems like tone control have been turned half way down but all electrics are alright. Maybe it was my imagination?. Anyway I measured ohm resistance using my cheap DDM, it is around 3k ohms.

I don’t know if that tone and resistance are normal.

What is your opinion?

Thanks in advance

Giacomo

8/9/1999 6:11 PM

Measure the pickup's resistance with it disconnected from the circuit. Without unsoldering any wires, the easiest way is to place the pickup selector switch to the "bridge-only" position, where the neck pickup is disconnected. Now read the resistance of the pickup, either at its lead connection eyelets or at the lead terminations on the switch & ground. Resistance should be between 6k and 8k ohms.

If you still read 3k, or even 4k, with a reliable ohmmeter, then my guess is there are some shorted coil turns somewhere in the winding. This can occur on vintage pickups if the magnets are moved vertically (either accidentally or deliberately) because they may scrape the insulating varnish from the wire. Or, the insulation could have possibly degraded on its own.

8/10/1999 12:15 PM

The p/u's resistance is actually around 3k. Since it's a true vintage p/u I'd like to rewind it (magnet is important, isn't it?.

I was considering Lindy Fralin Rewind Service but they didn't answer my fax yet and shippings will be expensive (I live in Italy).

Here in town there's an old craftsman that make windings, he has a hand-leaded winding machine.

Her's the question:

what are the 60's Tele-neck-pickup's specs? Wire gauge? Turns? Resistance?

Thanks in advance.

8/12/1999 1:12 PM

If the resistance is only 3k, it needs to be rewound.

All Tele neck pickups were wound using #43 AWG wire. Typical specs for '50s thru early '60s models are 8000 turns and 7.5kohms. Late '60s thru 1970s were 7800 turns with a resistance of 6.9k.

There may be a pickup rewinder in England. I'm guessing this, because I occasionally get copies of a magazine called "Guitar" from there. It's as thorough as any guitar enthusiast mag in the US (sometimes Paul Rivera writes a guitar amp tech column), which leads me to suggest that country which may be easier to deal with than sending your pickup over here. There are a few Ampagers from UK, maybe they have some info which may be of help. Of course, if Lindy responds positively, you should be able to trust his work. Let us know what you find.

8/12/1999 4:28 PM
Giacomo	Thank you everybody. I've gone to town and I talked to the local windings-repair-man. He asked not much money so I've decided to let him do the job. He looked to the wire gauge and said he will do exactly the same winding. Well, if not satisfying I'll ask those foreign experts to re-do the job. It's hard to live here, sometimes! Later Giacomo

8/13/1999 12:34 PM

Giacomo,

Here’s the Kent Armstrong info just in case you need it.

Kent Armstrong Rewinds (UK)

Maesachddu,

Porthrhyd,

Carmarthen SA32 8PX.

Tel. (0) 1267 275540

maesachddu@aol.com

Single coils rewound from Ł24-75 inc. p and p.

I hope I type it in OK. Maesachddu is unpronounceable for me. It’s not in England it’s in deepest darkest Wales so you should add Wales, UK to that address.

quote:
"It's hard to live here, sometimes!"

I know what you mean. I’ve been to Italy. All that warm sunshine, good food and wine and fabulous architecture. It was really hard. I was glad to get back to cold, dark, dirty rainy England

8/13/1999 5:04 PM
anonymous	Thanks for Kent Armstrong infos. I know what you mean. I’ve been to Italy. All that warm sunshine, good food and wine and fabulous architecture. It was really hard. I was glad to get back to cold, dark, dirty rainy England ) Right, I live in far South-East and to avoid pickup's troubles I bought from USA an acoustic Martin Ciao Giacomo

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