SD 59N

F

frank0936

New member
New poster here. I tried to do a search on this but it came up empty, so sorry if it's been asked before. I have a 59N in my Squier Masterbuilt Esprit. I often have to hit it really hard to make it work. Other times it works fine, but at least once a gig, I have to beat it. I took the p'up out and removed the bottom plate. The ground is securely soldered in place. I can see two black wires coming out of the coils. One wire is under the wax where I can't see the end, but the other is on top of the wax and is not connected to anything. So, two questions - is it supposed to be connected; and if so where, and if not, should it be taped? Thanks in advance.
Frank
 
Re: SD 59N

Welcome to the forum.

Photographs of the pickup would help.

On a two coil pickup, there will be a total of four coil ends plus a ground/shield connection to the metal baseplate. How the four skinny wires are interconnected depends on the type of output cable from the pickup to the guitar controls.

If the ground connection is no longer properly soldered to the metal baseplate, you will get no signal.
 
Re: SD 59N

The ground connection is very well soldered. I'm not sure that photo will show the wire I'm talking about because it's so small. The 59N has a 2 conductor connection to the guitar. I'll see if I can get a picture.
Thanks for the help.
 
Re: SD 59N

Does this happen when switching to that pickup? If so, I highly doubt the pickup is at fault - it's probably something with the switch.
 
Re: SD 59N

Each coil should have two skinny insulated wires emerging from the end of the bobbin with the square hole. In your particular pickup, two of these should be joined to each other and insulated. One skinny wire should be soldered to the cloth covered output conductor. The final skinny wire should be soldered to roughly the same place as the braided steel screening.

If there is no skinny wire soldered to the metal baseplate, next to the braid, this is why your humbucker has been cutting out AND why hitting the pickup sometimes made it work again.
 
Re: SD 59N

In that pic, I can see the braided shield, and no wire near it, just the loose one. Judging from the length, I'd say that skinny wire should be soldered on or near the braid as Funk suggests.
 
Re: SD 59N

Thanks, guys, for the quick answer. You just saved me from buying new pickup. I'll get the iron heated up!
Frank
 
Re: SD 59N

That apparently wasn't the whole problem. Once I got it all buttoned up again, I still had to tap the pole pieces with a screwdriver tip to get the volume up to full bore. I'll test it for a couple of days and see if it drops out again.
Frank
 
Re: SD 59N

each coil should have a black and a white.

the white from each are joined and soldered together.

the black on the stud coil is the hot.

the black on the screw coil is soldered ground.
 
Re: SD 59N

Was the end of the skinny black wire in the photograph neatly tinned with solder or did it appear torn and frayed?

Frayed, bare strands imply physical damage, possibly from when you separated the bobbins from the baseplate. Soldered tidily implies a (very) dry solder joint that eventually came apart.

Obvious tests to perform now are visual inspection of the solder joints on the three remaining skinny coil end wire, DC resistance for each coil and magnet strength.

In the photograph, the Alnico bar magnet is out of alignment with the two bobbin spacers.

There is a faint possibility that the bar magnet in your SH-1 '59N has been deGaussed at some point. I have an SD Custom Shop Strat-Tele pickup that arrived in this condition. I had to remagnetise it myself.
 
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Re: SD 59N

You can see in the photo that the end of the wire is frayed. I don't think I broke the connection when I pulled it apart, as I went very slowly and gently and felt no resistance to it coming apart. I do see what you mean about the magnet. The three remaining wires are buried in the wax potting, so I can't see them. I was hesitant to remove this, because I don't have any on hand to replace it with.
 
Re: SD 59N

For now, I suggest that you just tidy up the end of the exposed skinny black wire. Close together the frayed strands. Tin up the end. Solder it to the braided steel screen. (This will be easier to heat than the metal baseplate.)

If the pickup is still wired to the guitar controls, plug in to an amp and perform another tap test on the polepieces. If the signal is consistent, reassemble the pickup and reinstall it in your guitar.
 
Re: SD 59N

looking at that, i'd get the single-conductor cable up off the baseplate, cut about 2 inches off the end of it, and re-do all the connections.
she's seen some work!
 
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