Category Archives:

Often I repair pickups without submerging the whole pickup in wax. I like keeping the top and bottom of the pickup vintage looking. I like keeping the dust and dirt on the pickup from many years of playing. I mask the top and bottom of the pickup to keep it free of excessive wax residue….

The easiest way to do it is to use a .0047 Mfd. capacitor in series with (in between) the hot output from the pickup and the input on the #3 lug on the volume control. Note: looking at the bottom view of the volume control the #1 lug is grounded to the pot, the #2…

Later Stringmasters have one of the two pickups in each neck reverse wound and reverse polarity. This will make the pickups humbucking and quiet when both pickups are used together. The blend switch located behind the bridge saddle on each neck and can blend in the 2nd pickup when fully turned clockwise and only one…

The best way to reduce microphonics in a pickup is to make sure the components inside the pickup are firmly secure and I believe in using a warm soft wax potting to help reduce unwanted feedback from the pickup. The wax helps reduce mechanical vibrations and gaps within the components. I don’t believe in potting…

The first player I ever saw that removed the covers from their humbuckers was Jeff Beck during the mid 60s while playing in the Yardbirds. Jeff removed the covers on his sunburst Les Paul to get the pickups closer to the strings thus increasing the output of the pickups. It also reduced the microphonic feedback…

The potting solution that’s used to seal the coils can flake when turns of magnet wire are removed. The wax or other solutions can become hardened and dry out with age. The best thing I found to make it look better is to use a hot hair dryer or carefully use a heat gun. The…

If you remove the 6 adjustable pole pieces the pickup will still work because the bobbin with 6 studs is still conducting the magnetic field to the strings. The studs are ferrous and are in contact with the bar magnet beneath the two bobbins held in place by 4 wood screws. The output will be…

Normally when using high volumes and your pickups feed back, I check to see if all the external components such as screws and pole pieces are firm. On older pickups, I don’t like to alter the pickups as potting and shielding can alter the value of the pickups. If the covers are on and the…

If the pickup has 4 screws on the bottom to hold the bobbins in place, I would carefully tighten them and not strip the plastic in the bobbin. Make sure the pole pieces are not loose and if they are, carefully put a small bit of silicone around the threads if the plastic is stripped…

I would check using a volt-ohm meter to see if your pickup has a DC Resistance reading. If they are stock pickups and checked to be working properly than I would try a few little tricks. First, if you have two or more pickups in your instrument and are of the same shape, I would…