Remove screw coil out of pickup

S

SJ318

New member
Hello,
I have a Hybrid and the slug coil is hotter than it should be. I wish to use only the slug coil in a "permanent" coil tap. And I want to remove the screw coil absolutely, completely. The slugs will show out of the pickup cover. I see two wires connected on one side, and the hot and ground I saw while searching say they are different coming out of each coil. I don't know how or what to undo and re-solder where. This will be a neck p'up with the slugs turned 180 degrees so nearer the bridge, in my '61 SG. I searched many pages of illustrations but just got confused.
Is there a page you can direct me too, or explain very simply how to do it? I would very much appreciate it. Thank you in advance, I know this must seem very rookie to most of you, but it has never come up before. I do not want a coil tap, just the slug coil only.
Thank you.
Steve Buffington
 
Re: Remove screw coil out of pickup

I'm confused as to what you're trying to do.

If you remove the screws from the humbucker, you won't get sound from the screw coil. You don't need to rewire anything, just go nuts with a screwdriver.
 
Re: Remove screw coil out of pickup

If you have a 4-conductor humbucker, then you simply use the two wires that go to the slug coil. In other words, wire it already split to the slug coil. You can leave the screw coil as is, just not connected to anything.

Make sure you connect the bare wire too, and wrap the ends of the unused leads.
 
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Re: Remove screw coil out of pickup

I think you want to remove one coil from a humbucker and have 1 coil under a cover (sort of like a Phat Cat?)..
 
Re: Remove screw coil out of pickup

YES!
What Mincer said. Like an off-set Phat-Cat.I do not want to just take out the screws, that will not be a coil tap sound at all. I must remove the screw coil out of the pickup cavity. If I told you why you would NOT believe me. ItsaBass, I am sorry, but I don't see what you are saying in my head. I do not know enough to explain it further.
I can do a magnet change, solder anything, anywhere, hook up a 5 way switch, etc, but I don't know how to isolate a Slug coil, remove the screw coil, keep it in phase so I can use it with my bridge (regular) hum bucker. It should be simple. To me it is not.
Thanks.
 
Re: Remove screw coil out of pickup

Here's what happened.
MJ wound me a double white Hybrid, but accidentally used a JB on the Slug coil, she called me up and asked if I would try it. I said sure. But it is far too late to send back, the resistance is 8K on that coil alone. With my WLH bridge in my SG, together that would (I know for a fact) make a great combo for sound. Similar to a Single Coil pickup, and yes, I know the slugs are not magnetized, but it would work out perfectly, just the same. I am so sick right now, I can't speak - can barely breath. throat on fire, headache, but I am doing my best to make sense. I would raise the slugs up beyond the cover with a layer of two flat matchsticks. I have done so many times in the past, and unless you look for it, it seems just like a regular humbucker. I hope I am not coming off badly here, or negative, It's just hard to think.
 
Re: Remove screw coil out of pickup

So, essentially you are just looking to physically remove one coil from the pickup assembly so that only the remaining coil is in the cavity (still attached to the original baseplate), use a typical humbucker cover to hide the fact that there is only one coil there and then bump up the slugs in that coil to bring them closer to flush with the holes in the cover?
 
Re: Remove screw coil out of pickup

SJ318 said:
ItsaBass, I am sorry, but I don't see what you are saying in my head. I do not know enough to explain it further.
Click to expand...

Just wire up the two leads that go to the slug coil, as you would a regular single coil pickup. Attach the bare wire to ground also. Don't connect the other two wires to anything. Just twist them together and tape over the exposed ends. No need to remove the other coil or its screws; just don't wire it into the circuit.
 
Re: Remove screw coil out of pickup

masta'c - Exactly!
ItsaBass - I will try that and see if it works. I must, however - remove the screw coil. I would, and have in other instruments, just put a single coil like a TwangBanger in the neck of my Strat-types, and Tele types, but it just looks too weird to hook up a true single coil in the neck position. Ruins that cool natural look. This slug, however is so strong it will work really well. Thank you all. I hope it is obvious to me when I go to the "Solder Area"...... ooooo....scary... Well you guys have been very gracious. Thanks. If I F. it up I may ask for a pm and give my # out, which you or whomever can immediately block after a call. I have never been so broke (except my days on the road) or I'd settle with a low wind Fralin. - Steve. I will try later as I am so sick I feel like my head is in an "Inception" film sequence. As tong people say: This is an EPIC flu/cold/plague I have.
 
Re: Remove screw coil out of pickup

SJ318 said:
ItsaBass - I will try that and see if it works. I must, however - remove the screw coil.
Click to expand...

It will work. It's effectively the same thing as when you split a humbucker. It's just permanent, instead of on a switch.

Why do you believe that you must you remove the screw coil?
 
Re: Remove screw coil out of pickup

If you think you need to remove the screw coil just because you want the slugs poking through the cover and the screws would not let the cover sit flat on the bobbins, you could just take the screws out, flip the cover around, and wire it the way ItsaBass said.
 
Re: Remove screw coil out of pickup

beaubrummels said:
If you think you need to remove the screw coil just because you want the slugs poking through the cover and the screws would not let the cover sit flat on the bobbins, you could just take the screws out, flip the cover around, and wire it the way ItsaBass said.
Click to expand...

You don't even need to remove the screws to do that. You can just lower them below the surface of the bobbin.

That said, there's no good reason to flip the cover 180 degrees just because you aren't using the screw slug.
 
Re: Remove screw coil out of pickup

Well, you asked for it:
I believe I talk about my spinal stenosis and deterioration a lot, but if you missed it, every single ounce matters, when all added up to total weight. There are maybe a couple people who would make fun of me about it and my thin skin is getting very, very, thin when it comes to pain. I MUST stay under 6 pounds total. 6 pounds 2 ounces makes a difference. Plus I am getting several invites to play live which is *to me* a lot! Ha, I know, right?
I want the slug coil 180 degrees for that tiny tad of extra treble in the neck position it would give me. ItsaBass - your explanation is great, but I don't understand it yet. I will be more specific as to why I don't understand tomorrow, if that's ok. I gotta sleep, lay down, my back is killing me. My Dr. took away my pain meds and I am in serious trouble. This is 24/7 intractable pain, I have had 5 major back surgeries and and a full spinal fusion from my hips tp my thoracic area. Titanium rods on both sides of my spine. The nerve damage is extensive. Ruinous. I am not looking for pity or sympathy, but people think an ounce here or there is funny, and I'm a "wimp" to even feel that. I am not. I am a strong SOB to put up with what I have too, and any ridicule I wanted to avoid. I have had enough. A single coil, whether true single or a hot slug coil, pairs great with my bridge pickup for a sweet BB King sound, Peter Green sound (minus the out-of-phase). There it is.
 
Re: Remove screw coil out of pickup

SJ318 said:
Well, you asked for it:
I believe I talk about my spinal stenosis and deterioration a lot, but if you missed it, every single ounce matters, when all added up to total weight. There are maybe a couple people who would make fun of me about it and my thin skin is getting very, very, thin when it comes to pain. I MUST stay under 6 pounds total. 6 pounds 2 ounces makes a difference. Plus I am getting several invites to play live which is *to me* a lot! Ha, I know, right?
I want the slug coil 180 degrees for that tiny tad of extra treble in the neck position it would give me. ItsaBass - your explanation is great, but I don't understand it yet. I will be more specific as to why I don't understand tomorrow, if that's ok. I gotta sleep, lay down, my back is killing me. My Dr. took away my pain meds and I am in serious trouble. This is 24/7 intractable pain, I have had 5 major back surgeries and and a full spinal fusion from my hips tp my thoracic area. Titanium rods on both sides of my spine. The nerve damage is extensive. Ruinous. I am not looking for pity or sympathy, but people think an ounce here or there is funny, and I'm a "wimp" to even feel that. I am not. I am a strong SOB to put up with what I have too, and any ridicule I wanted to avoid. I have had enough. A single coil, whether true single or a hot slug coil, pairs great with my bridge pickup for a sweet BB King sound, Peter Green sound (minus the out-of-phase). There it is.
Click to expand...

Regardless, it's a fool's errand to physically remove a coil of a humbucker pickup for the goal of achieving a noticeable weight reduction on a guitar that is already light. A slug coil is plastic, some wire, and a few screws; I'd imagine it might not even weigh one ounce. If you do do that, any difference you feel will be entirely imagined.

You are better off replacing your bridge and tailpiece with aluminum ones (will buy you almost 3 oz.), and making sure that you have stamped-housing tuners on the guitar, not cast-housing tuners (could buy you several ounces, depending on how heavy the original tuners are). You could pull your pickup covers too, for an approx. 1.6 oz. reduction. You'd feel all that for sure; but you wouldn't feel the pulling of one screw coil, or even two.
 
Re: Remove screw coil out of pickup

ItsaBass- Yes, it is one ounce.
So noted. I have an aluminum stop tail, and old Kluson tuners. I cannot buy anything else at this time except food and medicine. Now to the nitty gritty. From the four conductor wire inside the pick-up edge - it goes red to white (on the screw coil) and green to black (on the screw coil)
The inside 4 conductor wire goes white to white (on the slug coil) and black to black (on the slug coil) So, please, what do I unsolder or solder to completely isolate the strong slug coil? I assume I leave the already used "outside" wire alone (red to white together "taped"-bare and green "ground" together, and black to hot). Thanks.
Steve Buffington.
 
Re: Remove screw coil out of pickup

SJ318 said:
ItsaBass- Yes, it is one ounce.
So noted. I have an aluminum stop tail, and old Kluson tuners. I cannot buy anything else at this time except food and medicine. Now to the nitty gritty. From the four conductor wire inside the pick-up edge - it goes red to white (on the screw coil) and green to black (on the screw coil)
The inside 4 conductor wire goes white to white (on the slug coil) and black to black (on the slug coil) So, please, what do I unsolder or solder to completely isolate the strong slug coil? I assume I leave the already used "outside" wire alone (red to white together "taped"-bare and green "ground" together, and black to hot). Thanks.
Steve Buffington.
Click to expand...

Again...it's just like wiring a permanent stud coil split in.

color_codes-809x1024.jpg


Therefore black is your + wire for the stud coil, and white is your - wire for the stud coil. And bare should still go to ground, even though it's joined to the green wire (which doesn't get connected). Red and green can be twisted together and taped off, or taped off separately; it's your choice.
 
Re: Remove screw coil out of pickup

ItsaBass - Thank you.
SO: If you will allow me to re-phrase - 1. cut the white and black wire off the red and green wire coming from the main collection of wires in the 4 conductor cable the from the screw coil. That leaves the white and black wire still on the screw coil. 2. Then - leave the white and white, black and black wires connected to the slug wire and tape off the loose red and green wires (now loose in the cavity). I very much appreciate your help, I hope you know this.
Steve Buffington.
 
Re: Remove screw coil out of pickup

SJ318 said:
ItsaBass - Thank you.
SO: If you will allow me to re-phrase - 1. cut the white and black wire off the red and green wire coming from the main collection of wires in the 4 conductor cable the from the screw coil. That leaves the white and black wire still on the screw coil. 2. Then - leave the white and white, black and black wires connected to the slug wire and tape off the loose red and green wires (now loose in the cavity). I very much appreciate your help, I hope you know this.
Steve Buffington.
Click to expand...

Do not remove anything from the pickup end of the conductor bundle.

Do not remove any wires from anything, other than disconnecting them from the pot in the control cavity.

It will be almost exactly like wiring up a 4-wire humbucker. The only difference will be in the colors of the wires. Like so:

Normally, you connect black and green as your + and -, and you also connect the bare wire to ground. Red and white get connected and taped up.

In this case, you connect black and white as your + and -, and you still connect the bare wire to ground. Green and red get taped up (or connected and taped up if you want).

That is ALL you need to do. It all takes place in the control cavity; no need to take the pickup out or do ANYTHING to it. Don't overthink it! You're just wiring in the stud coil as if it was a single coil pickup, attaching the bare to ground, and letting the screw coil sit idly. You don't need to do anything to the screw coil other than leaving it not connected in to the circuit. Don't be pulling your pickup out, pulling any wires out, etc.

It's very simple. Just like connecting a regular Duncan humbucker, but you are using different colored wires than normal.
 
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Re: Remove screw coil out of pickup

I already disconnected the 2 screw wires from the wires in the control cavity. I thought you said the screw coil could be in or out of the pickup cavity. so the screw coil wires are not connected to anything. Is this not what you said? I left everything else alone.
 
Re: Remove screw coil out of pickup

When I clip the black wire from the normal end to the positive end of a guitar cord and the green, bare wire to the ground shaft of the guitar cable I do get a sound when I tap it, so maybe all is good and I should just mount it. Since the screw coil is not connected to anything I removed just the same. Shouldn't make any difference at this point.
SLUG coil reading is 9.6K!
 
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