Dead pickup on 1988 American Standard tele - an SD

[Jherek]

Hi all,

Well, I went to pick up my old 1988 American Standard Telecaster that'd been sitting for a year, and the bridge pickup is dead. I tried all the usual fixes: remelting all the soldier points, etc., but it still reads dead on my ohm meter. The neck pickup is fine. I was surprised to see that it's a Seymour Duncan. There's no model number on the back plate, but it does have the usual logo. It's a staggered pole one, with black waxy wrap over the coils. The output on it seemed pretty meaty, though very Telecaster "bright/happy" sounding. Does anyone know which model it would be, and if it's possible to get an exact replacement? I love the sound, and don't wanna change it. :33:

 

[hamerfan]

Re: Dead pickup on 1988 American Standard tele - an SD

Hi all,

Well, I went to pick up my old 1988 American Standard Telecaster that'd been sitting for a year, and the bridge pickup is dead. I tried all the usual fixes: remelting all the soldier points, etc., but it still reads dead on my ohm meter. The neck pickup is fine. I was surprised to see that it's a Seymour Duncan. There's no model number on the back plate, but it does have the usual logo. It's a staggered pole one, with black waxy wrap over the coils. The output on it seemed pretty meaty, though very Telecaster "bright/happy" sounding. Does anyone know which model it would be, and if it's possible to get an exact replacement? I love the sound, and don't wanna change it. :33:

Sent it to Duncan and let it rewind.

 

[Jherek]

Re: Dead pickup on 1988 American Standard tele - an SD

It may just come to that, but I'm wanting a quick turn over, if possible. It's the only decent guitar I have to play. Also, checking the cost, it seems rewinding, etc., might cost more than a drop in replacement.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Dead pickup on 1988 American Standard tele - an SD

Have you tried connecting directly to the jack? Or directly to the meter? A pic of both top and bottom of the pickup might solve this mystery for you.

 

[Jherek]

Re: Dead pickup on 1988 American Standard tele - an SD

Yeah, I tried everything. I had the pickup out and put the multimeter leads directly on the solder points on it. It's Dead. The neck pickup reads fine, though. Tried unwinding the pickup partly, in order to see if there was a broken strand near the top of the winds. Got about 1/3 of the winds off, before giving it up. The break must be deep in the coil, or somesuch other fault.

The pickup looks almost exactly the current Antiquity '55 - same staggered poles, same black wax string wrap, but different colored cloth wrap on wires to the guitar electronics. Did SD make the Antiquity '55 model between like 1988 (when the guitar was made) and, 1995 (when I bought it used)? If SD did, was it the same spec as today?

 

[jeremy]

Re: Dead pickup on 1988 American Standard tele - an SD

if its got a logo, its probably not an antiquity. mine just has a sticker

 

[Jherek]

Re: Dead pickup on 1988 American Standard tele - an SD

Hmmmm.... perhaps they have gone over to stickers since 1995? The only other one it *might* be is the Vintage '54. Like the '54, mine has the white and black cloth wire covers.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Dead pickup on 1988 American Standard tele - an SD

id guess its a '54 then. the antiquitys usually look pretty aged

 

[Jherek]

Re: Dead pickup on 1988 American Standard tele - an SD

Yeah, it's hard to tell, really. Wish they had stamped the model on them ~25 years ago. It did look pretty aged, even when I bought the guitar in 1995. It had rust on a couple of the pole tops then. Also, the black wax string wrap was dusty brown then, too. Looking at the current '54 for sale, the wraps are a dark black and the poles are shiny. That's not like mine... but age could have done the trick of aging them... or SD could have changed the look over the years... :scratchch

Listening to the samples of the two, though, the Antiquity '55 has a lot more "grunt" to it, than the '54. Much better for distortion. I'm leaning that way, for that reason.

 

[brunogio]

Re: Dead pickup on 1988 American Standard tele - an SD

My only experience with something similar was a Washburn tele I bought used with an SD Broadcaster set. The bridge pickup sounded really shrill and tinny. When I pulled it there was some rust around the plate like a drink had been spilled in it years ago. Read 0 on the meter when I checked at a friend's house. Seller was cool and paid for half of a new pickup so I replaced it. But this has been in your possession so make no sense.

 

[Jherek]

Re: Dead pickup on 1988 American Standard tele - an SD

Yeah, I left the guitar sitting unused on a stand for a year - at that time the pickup seemed fine. I go to pick it up, and it was gone... I suppose it happens like that sometimes. First dead pickup I've ever had on like 15 guitars and basses.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Dead pickup on 1988 American Standard tele - an SD

i love my antiquity I tele bridge pup. between the vintage '54 and the ant, id get the antiquity.

 

[Jherek]

Re: Dead pickup on 1988 American Standard tele - an SD

Thanks for the recommendation, Jeremy. I'm doing a project with some guys that involves the need for heavy distortion (punk rock!). That being the case, if I get the Antiquity '55 and it's an improvement over the one I had, so much the better. Worst case scenario, I get close to what I had.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Dead pickup on 1988 American Standard tele - an SD

i love my antiquity I tele bridge pup. between the vintage '54 and the ant, id get the antiquity.

Aren't the alnico 2 Antiquity I pickups out of phase and reverse polarity with the alnico 5 Antiquity II?

If that's the case, if the OP goes with an Antiquity, the Antiquity II might be the way to go so that it's in phase with the old neck pickup.

It's worth looking into.

 

[Jherek]

Re: Dead pickup on 1988 American Standard tele - an SD

Good point, Lew. I hadn't considered that. If it should be out of phase, is that a major problem only if I use both pups together?

 

[jeremy]

Re: Dead pickup on 1988 American Standard tele - an SD

i know that the texas hot and surfer strat pups are out of phase, not sure about the tele pups. if the pups are out of phase, it will only effect when both are on together.

 

[Jherek]

Re: Dead pickup on 1988 American Standard tele - an SD

quick follow up question: if I get the Antiquity '55 and it should be out of phase with the neck pickup, can I just reverse positive/negative wiring and fix it like that?

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Dead pickup on 1988 American Standard tele - an SD

quick follow up question: if I get the Antiquity '55 and it should be out of phase with the neck pickup, can I just reverse positive/negative wiring and fix it like that?

It would be good to know what you have now. What your neck pickup is and what your bridge pickup is.

When your guitar was working did you have humcancelling when both pickups were on together?

That would mean that relative to your neck pickup, the bridge pickup is reverse wound/reverse polarity.

You probably would want your new pickup to be the same.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Dead pickup on 1988 American Standard tele - an SD

you can for sure fix the phase issue so they sound "full" together you may or may not be able to get humcancelling. in order to be humcancelling in the middle the two pups need to be opposite polarity.

 

[Jherek]

Re: Dead pickup on 1988 American Standard tele - an SD

Well, by sheer luck, I happened onto a used Antiquity '55 for cheap here in my town. I'm gonna give it a go, and let you guys know what happened. I hope the phase issues don't bite! Thanks for all the great advice.