Strat pup repair

[lazyfinger]

One of my strat single coil isn't working, one of two hair thin copper wires (there are 2) that connects to the insulated regular wires is broken at the solder point. Any way to extend the copper wire and solder it back without rewinding the whole thing? I think it need some extension, otherwise it won't reach.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Strat pup repair

if its the start wire, thats not good.

if its the finish wire you can very carefully pull off one turn and re-solder it

 

[lazyfinger]

Re: Strat pup repair

Not sure finish or start, it's at the solder point. But it seems I can't pull it to unwind it, it's being hard pressed by the winds... so may be it's start wire. :disappoin

 

[lazyfinger]

Re: Strat pup repair

ANybody?

 

[lazyfinger]

Re: Strat pup repair

Ok, I'll take pics and post then.

 

[copperheadroads]

Re: Strat pup repair

The start wire will be kind of under all the wire (goin towards the magnet )
the finish end will be coming from outside the coil- this end can be fixed

 

[Multi Angle Vise]

Re: Strat pup repair

Because you say it's broken at the solder point, even if it is the start wire, you can still fix it. Don't pull on it any further, if it snaps at the coil end, you'll need an entire rewind.

Extend it by soldering on an extra length of wire to the wire coming from the coil. Or you could add a bit of solid copper wire (like inside fixed phone cable) and solder that on the tag point to extend out and solder to the wire you've got.

After you've fixed it, I think it's a good idea to cover the lead in wires with epoxy resin, so they can't be easily broken again.

 

[rumblebox]

Re: Strat pup repair

if you dont fix it i have a MIM strat single with A5 pole magnets swapped in i'll give you. just pay for shipping.

 

[lazyfinger]

Re: Strat pup repair

Because you say it's broken at the solder point, even if it is the start wire, you can still fix it. Don't pull on it any further, if it snaps at the coil end, you'll need an entire rewind.

Extend it by soldering on an extra length of wire to the wire coming from the coil. Or you could add a bit of solid copper wire (like inside fixed phone cable) and solder that on the tag point to extend out and solder to the wire you've got.

After you've fixed it, I think it's a good idea to cover the lead in wires with epoxy resin, so they can't be easily broken again.

Where does one get the right copper wire? Also, to ensure if the other working pups are protected, how is that epoxy applied over the hair thin copper wire leads that connect to the solder point? I have Duncan SSL-1 and it's the same way. To me it seems like a such bad design/construction method, and I never noticed it before until now. Stack pickups and humbuckers are well protected by comparison.

if you dont fix it i have a MIM strat single with A5 pole magnets swapped in i'll give you. just pay for shipping.

Thank you, but I'll try to fix it first.

 

[Multi Angle Vise]

Re: Strat pup repair

Almost anything will do, you just need something to bridge the gap, to mechanically get copper between the coil and the tag point. It could be a bit of bare 24AWG cut from a Cat5 cable, for example. Whatever you can find really. It is a fiddly soldering job. I wouldn't recommend it if it's your first soldering experience, but if you're reasonable, should be achievable.

The epoxy you can buy from supermarket, hardware store, $2 shop, lots of places. Mix it on something disposable, then carefully apply it over the lead-in wire with whatever you've got, a toothpick, a matchstick, doesn't really matter. It's quite thick and goopy (if it's not a hot day) so it just builds up slightly over the wire, then sets hard (24 hours at least), and the wire is protected.

I also think it's a really bad design, and used to wonder why they did it like that, but have since stopping thinking about it. I broke the lead-in wire to a telecaster pickup (my first ever after-market pickup) in 1987, and repaired it like this.

 

[lazyfinger]

Re: Strat pup repair

It worked like a charm!

Thanks Multi Angle Vise and everyone else! The leading wire was long enough that I was able to extend the solder at the solder point and connect to the rest of the wires. Also had the epoxy solution lying around the house that I didn't even know I had. It was a 1 minute epoxy, but I'm letting it cure for a day. After the repair job, which may not look all that neat, I checked with a multimeter, and it's functioning good as new. Thanks again!

:friday::thanks::banana::flowers1::fing2::clap:

:headbang::yourock:

 

[Multi Angle Vise]

Re: Strat pup repair

Glad it all worked out for you!

 

[El Supremo]

Re: Strat pup repair

So if the start wire isn't visible, there's no way to fix it except a complete rewind? Damn. Just got a brand new set of Fender CS 69's and the bridge pickup has this problem fresh out of the box.

 

[King IzzO)))]

Re: Strat pup repair

Send it back! Ridiculous. Just handling them it's easy to break the wire, terrible design. I don't really understand why it's not done like a humbucker anyway.

 

[El Supremo]

Re: Strat pup repair

Too late to send 'em back. Took the base of to find the wire and did. Unfortunately the windings on the bottom came loose and its extremely difficult to get them in place again. Installed an old DiMarzio Heavy Blues instead. I was thinking about the SSL-5 for the bridge position anyway, so it's not that big a deal.

Still, the faulty "craftsmanship" was blatantly obvious upon first glance. Is there no form of quality control in the Fender Custom Shop? Or are the pickups just dated and initialed? Unbelievable...
Should have just gotten the California 50's set instead. Ah well.

 

[jumble jumble]

Re: Strat pup repair

CS69s are personally initialed by AY as well right? Looks like she wasn't wearing her glasses that day.

 

[El Supremo]

Re: Strat pup repair

CS69s are personally initialed by AY as well right? Looks like she wasn't wearing her glasses that day.

That's what I thought :scratchch.

Apart from a wire missing, there were also some windings on the center of the coil that had come undone.They seem to have tried to stick them to the coil with extra wax. Wouldn't copper foil or/and tape would have been a better solution? Or would that influence the sound?
Some added protection would have been nice though. No wonder Rory Gallagher and Blackmore had there pups redone (and wound hotter).

 

[jeremy]

Re: Strat pup repair

the reason strat pups are done like that is thats the way fender did em back in the day.

you took the base off... like the bottom bobbin? you shouldnt have done that man lol

not sure what you mean by "windings on the center of the coil that had come undone" that doesnt sound right or good at all...

 

[El Supremo]

Re: Strat pup repair

you took the base off... like the bottom bobbin? you shouldnt have done that man lol

Yes, that's my conclusion also ha ha.

Normally (or at least with the other 2 pickups) the wiring is nice, tight and flush with the entire wind.
With this pickup though, a couple of winds on the outside were very loosely wound. Like they gave the wire a little too much way during the proces. Maybe the person that wound this thing dozed off during the proces or something. Any quakes near the Fender Custom Shop during 12-1-10?

There was an attempt to tidy up by applying some extra wax at these spots. It obviously still came undone though. Probably held on long enough to pass quality control.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Strat pup repair

is this the dead pup? sounds like someone might have tampered with that bridge pup. did you purchase it new?