De-magnetized pickup

[SwedeNuck]

Hey guys I really need some help right away, I just wired up brand spankin invader 7 string model into the bridge slot of my esp H-207. Anyways I get finished slap some strings on there and voila, it sounds like a single coil in a notched wah position. I then proceed to check every connection, and they are all perfect. Finally I look over the instructions one last time low and behold in the install directions, which I neglected to read, it said DO NOT use a SOLDERING GUN, it will de-magnetize the pickup. Evidently lying on the desk beside me is a hot SOLDERING GUN!!!!! words can't really do enough to express how angry I am right now.

If there is anything I can do to fix this problem without having to buy a brand new (and expensive) invader please help me out. I feel like burning the ****ING GUITAR.

One thing I am thinking, since I'm still getting some output, the pickup is still functional. Do I need to replace the magnets? Or is it covered by some sort of exchange policy?

 

[SwedeNuck]

Re: De-magnetized pickup

Can someone please help I don't even want to look at the guitar before I get some good news.

 

[Low_fidelity2100]

Re: De-magnetized pickup

Normally its not that easy to demagnitive a pickup. But it looks like you succeeded, So good job. You have succeeded where many others have failed. Pat yerself on the back.

But yeah. I really doubt this is covered by an exchange policy. So your gonna have to buy some new magnets. But those invader mags aren't easy to come by. SO with any luck one of these nice forum members will be able ta help ya out with that one.

I might actully have the right mags laying around sumwhere. But, I'll have to check.

Don't freak out to much though. This isn't that horrible of a thing. and you'll probably be able to get the mags for far less then a new pickup.....ed

 

[SwedeNuck]

Re: De-magnetized pickup

Thanks man, I just tried to re-wire it in every way possible there's nothing working, but I did get some really cool low gain tones from my 5150. I'd like to get something that works for me right away for once, ah well, guess I'll have to borrow a soldering iron and put my old pup back in

 

[Low_fidelity2100]

Re: De-magnetized pickup

You could try yanking the magnet outta yer other pickup and putting it into the invader. I'm assumeing the other pickup was a cheapo which normally have large ceramic magnets. So you could just take the Magnet outta the other one, and Put it into the middle of the invader. I mean the Two smaller magnets on the outside would still be dead, But it would be better than nothing. And still sound pretty kool (I've done this with an invader before).
So I'de try that. Provided the mag on the other pickup is about the same size as the Large mag in the middle of the invader.

Ed

 

[SwedeNuck]

Re: De-magnetized pickup

I yanked the magnet outta the invader, and it's only got one massive ceramic. The odd thing to me is that it still has magnetism to it, very strong magnetism might I add. Is it possible that it just switched the polarity of the mag and I need to turn it around? I'm wondering if there's anything that I can still do.

 

[rspst14]

Re: De-magnetized pickup

Give Duncan's tech support a call, maybe you can convince them to sell you a new Invader magnet to replace the old one.

Ryan

 

[SwedeNuck]

Re: De-magnetized pickup

that's worth a try

 

[SwedeNuck]

Re: De-magnetized pickup

Well it the signal is incredibly weak, but the magnet is still functional. So I see no reason why it shouldn't be working. I've got it wired up with the black wire going into the pickup selector, the green and bare wire soldered on to the back of the tone pot, and the white and red wires soldered together and taped. I've also wired it up in a couple different ways, swapping around the black and green wires, but nothing has givin me the proper results. I see no reason why it shouldn't be working, seeing as the magnet still clearly has magnetism. If anyone could suggest to me so other way to wire it up I would greatly appreciate it.

 

[rspst14]

Re: De-magnetized pickup

Just because the pickup works doesn't mean the magnet hasn't been degaussed. Check to make sure the red and white wires aren't shorting out against something. If they aren't, then it sounds like you very well might have damaged the magnet. Worst case scenario, you pay $20 to have the magnet replaced by the Duncan custom shop.

Ryan

 

[SwedeNuck]

Re: De-magnetized pickup

Is there any way I can personally tell if the magnet has been damaged?

 

[SwedeNuck]

Re: De-magnetized pickup

I really need to know ASAP, cause I need my guitar up and running by tuesday. I'm pretty convinced I just have a problem with my wiring, since I just switched the mag from my duncan design stock pickup into the invader and I still have the same sound goin on.

I have everything hooked up properly in my opinion, maybe my solder is second rate though. I have the green and bare wires soldered to the back of my tone pot (disconnected I add) the black wire to the hot bridge spot on the three way switch, the white and red wires soldered together and taped up. Would my second rate solder be blame for any of this, or is there something else acting as the culprit?

 

[TheGZeus]

Re: De-magnetized pickup

I really need to know ASAP, cause I need my guitar up and running by tuesday. I'm pretty convinced I just have a problem with my wiring, since I just switched the mag from my duncan design stock pickup into the invader and I still have the same sound goin on.

I have everything hooked up properly in my opinion, maybe my solder is second rate though. I have the green and bare wires soldered to the back of my tone pot (disconnected I add) the black wire to the hot bridge spot on the three way switch, the white and red wires soldered together and taped up. Would my second rate solder be blame for any of this, or is there something else acting as the culprit?

FI you did the same thing, and it sounds aweful, you probably either fried a pot(ir so) with the soldering gun(most likely) or you wired it wrong.

 

[SwedeNuck]

Re: De-magnetized pickup

Well I did not even touch the only functional pot in the set-up with the gun so I'll go with option #2 there, thanks for the help dudes I'm gonna try and pick up a soldering IRON, some good quality solder, and wire it back up as soon as I can.

 

[Glass Snuff]

Re: De-magnetized pickup

I seriously doubt you hurt the magnets with a soldering gun. I'm betting on a bad solder joint.

The three things that make a good solder joint are cleanliness, no motion, and proper cooling.

Clean means get rid of all the old solder. Scrape off any old flux. It looks like amber plastic, and it may be hard now, but it melts. Any foriegn materials in the joint will screw up the cooling.

If anything moves while the solder is cooling, then the joint will crystalise, or go "cold". It won't look smooth and shiny. It's important to make solid mechanical connection before adding solder. You also want a good electrical connection. Solder is lead (don't be fooled by that 2% silver content stuff), and it's a poor conductor. Don't "tin" the wires. Make little hooks in the end of the leads, loop them through the lugs, and squeeze them tight with needle-nose pliers. Think of the solder as a coating to keep the wire from oxidising, not as something to hold the joint together or conduct the electricty.

Proper cooling really comes down to proper heating. You want the two materials being joined to be hot enough to melt the solder. Try to touch the iron to both sides of the joint. This is the part that takes the most practice. The solder should flow smoothly, and make a thin coating. If you're getting blobs, the wire or (more likely) the lug's not hot enough. If you get the lug just barely hot enough, the solder will cool too quickly on that side, and you'll get a "cold" joint (yup, that's why it's called cold!). Too much solder also won't cool evenly.

HTH.

 

[msplines]

Re: De-magnetized pickup

have you tried connecting the green and bare wire directly to one side of the output jack and the black wire to the other side (ie direct to the lead with no controls in the circuit)? this should tell you if the pickup really works properly.
It IS possible (but v rare) to have a pickup wired incorrectly from the factory (one of my JBs is like that, the red, white, green and black wires were mixed up), so you could try the available combinations directly to the jack to eliminate all these possibilities.
Good luck

 

[SwedeNuck]

Re: De-magnetized pickup

Thanks for everything guys, I'll do an update after I've cleaned everything up and soldered it back together with a good soldering iron.

 

[SwedeNuck]

Re: De-magnetized pickup

HA I DIDN"T **** IT UP!!!!! It turns out that the white and black wires were reversed and I never really did anything wrong, that was a waste of two days worrying. Thanks again for all your suggestions.