TW144hz
Member
Dude you’re really making comment in sense. Sometimes I feel betrayed to have these but your comment makes me go on with rational fact.
Seymour Duncan wants $255 for shipping to replace two "Dead on Arrival" Antiquity II Surfer Strat Pickups.
- Thread starter TW144hz
- Start date
It is cool Duncan always goes the extra mile, but I have to disagree at least in part.
I work in the field and its a fact that's a hack repair attempt which gives me every reason to bash it.
I would like the OP and everyone else to know that they should never accept that quality of repair work, insist it be fixed free of charge (although it may be moot in this case if the coil is dead), or look for another tech if possible to protect their money.
People need to know guitar work isn't like other trades where some organization of experts issues certifications and you cant get a job without them. Any one can call themself a luthier regardless of their skill and knowledge or lack thereof. You have to be careful.
TW144hz
Member
Hello friends, thank you for your comments and contributions. Let’s put emotions aside and discuss this objectively. Here is the situation: When I first installed the pickups in the guitar, there was no sound. We redid the soldering 3-4 times thinking it might be a cold solder joint, but there was still no sound. This time, I took them to the two best-known luthiers in my city in order to get extra opinions, other than my own usual luthier, to get them working. The first one suggested it might be due to the potentiometer, but if that were the case, there would be no sound from the Antiquity II Humbucker (bridge position) either; so the issue wasn't the pot. The second luthier worked on the base plate (the photo where you didn't like the craftsmanship) thinking there might be a contact issue at the start and end points, but the multimeter was reading O.L. anyway—I already shared this in the first photos. If the photo isn't enough evidence for you, I’ve also shared a Google Drive link with a video showing that no sound comes from the pickups and the live multimeter reading; you can check it out. Every action taken by the luthier you are criticizing was an attempt to save a dead pickup. There is no such thing here as praising or blaming Seymour Duncan; we are just talking about the facts as they are.
Securb
One of Jerry's Kids
I was thinking the same thing. Maybe one of the "luthiers" used a soldering gun instead of an iron.
that would not effect the coil or the resistance readings.
It is entirely possible like ehdwuld said they actually aren't dead, just the solder joints failed, but the attempted repair was not done right.
I'm giving my professional opinion as someone who installed thousands of pickups and hundreds of Duncans. If you'd like you can look up some of my wacky wiring diagrams and prior troubleshooting posts from years past when I had more time. The statements and actions of the luthiers you worked with indicate they are not reliable sources for electronics repair.
2 things are being ignored.
One, there is in my humble opinion a zero percent chance that Seymour Duncan shipped out not one but two Antiquity Strat pickups with dead coils on the same order. To get a defective Duncan is very rare. To get a defective Antiquity or other higher tier small batch pickup is even more rare. To get two on the same order..maybe statistically you could say a .000000000000000001% chance. I'm calling it zero.
Two, you're ignoring how easily the pickups could have been damaged in transit. All I see is a statement that they were carried in a backpack on a flight. Did your friend provide a full accounting of every minute they were in his possession? Bag get left in a cold car trunk too long? Kicked while sitting on the ground waiting for a flight at an understaffed airport? Jammed in next to a leaky water bottle? These are all actual things that can easily happen to destroy a pickup, but you'll never know .
Its unforunate your pickups are damaged and you will have to bear some cost and wait to get them repaired. I don't see a point trying to keep convincing people they're quote defective. You've provided evidence they're not working after a trans-oceanic voyage. That is not the same as being DOA or defective. Someone would have had to open and test them in the US before transporting them to know that, I dont know any other way to explain this.
I'm giving my professional opinion as someone who installed thousands of pickups and hundreds of Duncans. If you'd like you can look up some of my wacky wiring diagrams and prior troubleshooting posts from years past when I had more time. The statements and actions of the luthiers you worked with indicate they are not reliable sources for electronics repair.
2 things are being ignored.
One, there is in my humble opinion a zero percent chance that Seymour Duncan shipped out not one but two Antiquity Strat pickups with dead coils on the same order. To get a defective Duncan is very rare. To get a defective Antiquity or other higher tier small batch pickup is even more rare. To get two on the same order..maybe statistically you could say a .000000000000000001% chance. I'm calling it zero.
Two, you're ignoring how easily the pickups could have been damaged in transit. All I see is a statement that they were carried in a backpack on a flight. Did your friend provide a full accounting of every minute they were in his possession? Bag get left in a cold car trunk too long? Kicked while sitting on the ground waiting for a flight at an understaffed airport? Jammed in next to a leaky water bottle? These are all actual things that can easily happen to destroy a pickup, but you'll never know .
Its unforunate your pickups are damaged and you will have to bear some cost and wait to get them repaired. I don't see a point trying to keep convincing people they're quote defective. You've provided evidence they're not working after a trans-oceanic voyage. That is not the same as being DOA or defective. Someone would have had to open and test them in the US before transporting them to know that, I dont know any other way to explain this.
That's one nefarious TSA employee
I've been on a bunch of flights to/from the USA, and I can't even imagine trying to explain what a guitar pickups is when getting my carry-on luggage inspected.
Even so, I believe they would first call the owner of the pack and ask, rather than going all Jack Bauer with that.
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TW144hz
Member
Thank you! I'll mention my luthier in case. Probably he knows but I'll mention it either.
TW144hz
Member
Thank you for your valuable insights. Firstly, my luthier also mentioned that while he might consider the possibility if only one was faulty, the probability of both being defective is nearly zero. Secondly, when my luthier saw that the pickups weren't working, he asked me if they had been dropped, hit against a hard surface, or brought in a suitcase on a plane (as you know, airport staff often toss suitcases around without much care). Following this, I called my friend, and he told me that since they were entrusted items, he carried them in his backpack and even kept the bag on his lap during the flight. Lastly, my friend isn't involved in music anyway; he bought them for me while he was in the USA, so I don't think he would have been able to test them.
TW144hz
Member
There's a Turkish proverb: Things that cannot be explained have their humor. I liked your sense of humor and I laughed a lot at your comment
Hope its okay to post this since its another company but one of the best pickup repairers. Diagnosing and repairing a dead 1956 Strat middle pickup with same symptoms.
He explains a ton of nuances its like a mini class. Its interesting that he fixes it but the problem isn't what he thinks it will be going in.
Lindy Fralin Repairs a 1956 Stratocaster !
He explains a ton of nuances its like a mini class. Its interesting that he fixes it but the problem isn't what he thinks it will be going in.
Lindy Fralin Repairs a 1956 Stratocaster !
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TW144hz
Member
Hello, the YouTube link that you shared is invalid. I'd like to watch.
In the end, they can't take our laughter away.There's a Turkish proverb: Things that cannot be explained have their humor. I liked your sense of humor and I laughed a lot at your comment
link is fixed now
Aceman
I am your doctor of love!
Man - this is a sad story...
It sounds like the pickups are salvageable, but need to go to someone who really knows how to address the issue, and on this specific vintage build.
I hate to say it, but the Duncan angle is a dead end. So many things could happen between California and Turkey...
It sounds like the pickups are salvageable, but need to go to someone who really knows how to address the issue, and on this specific vintage build.
I hate to say it, but the Duncan angle is a dead end. So many things could happen between California and Turkey...
nienturi
Active member
Ben de Türk'üm dostum. Anakara'da manyetiklerden gerçekten anlayan birileri benim bildiğim yok. Bu işi 3 kişi yapabilir bence. Biri ben, biri Fatih Yılmaz ama o da Türkiye'de değil. Diğeri de Helmag pickups diye aratırsan bulabileceğin kişi, adı neydi unuttum şimdi. Haa, aslında biri daha var da o sarar mı bilemiyorum, ondan onu pas geçtim. Ben aslında incelemek için de almak istedim ama cidden vaktim yok. O yüzden Helmag'den rewind isteyebilirsin.
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