Guitar WIll Posted July 12, 2007 Report Share Posted July 12, 2007 Ok, I got a wilkinson loaded pickguard for my strat body. The thing is that there is a black piece of plastic on the bottom of the pickguard that is too large to fit into the rout. By far the easiest thing to do would be to file this off. However it looks like a very thin wire, proably the pickup wire is connected to the wires that join them to the next pickup. I would imagine that this would be for shielding reasons You can see what I mean on this picture (not my pickups) on either side of the main wire. What sohuld I do, make the routing bigger (a lot of effort and likely to result in tears) or to file down the plastic. And what should I do with the wires? Cheers, Will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BNichols Posted July 12, 2007 Report Share Posted July 12, 2007 im not sure im seeing exactly what is too big, but could you use a chisel and remove wood just where the plastic is too big? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitar WIll Posted July 12, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2007 Can you see the top part of the picture there is a close up of the bottom of the plastic? That is what is too big. It would be easier to remove part of the plastic, but if it is the only way then I am fine doing it. Incidently does anyone know why there is a tiny wire that goes around the plastic section? It is in the picture but very hard to see because it is so small (attached to the solder on either side of the wire). It looks like pickup wire. Is it for shielding? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebhef Posted July 12, 2007 Report Share Posted July 12, 2007 Are you saying the cavity isn't deep enough? Or is the bottom plate too wide? I would worry about messing up the pickup, so I'd rout the body more, since it will be covered by the pick guard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crafty Posted July 12, 2007 Report Share Posted July 12, 2007 Those are the standard bobbin bases for single coil pickups. Every standard pickup is going to be like that. If you do any filing, you'll break the thin coil wires where they are soldered to the wiring eyelets. Route the cavities properly. If you screw up, it won't matter because the pickguard will cover it up anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAK Guitars Posted July 12, 2007 Report Share Posted July 12, 2007 Those are the standard bobbin bases for single coil pickups. Every standard pickup is going to be like that. If you do any filing, you'll break the thin coil wires where they are soldered to the wiring eyelets. Route the cavities properly. If you screw up, it won't matter because the pickguard will cover it up anyway. Yeah especially if you want to replace the pickups down the road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erikbojerik Posted July 13, 2007 Report Share Posted July 13, 2007 What crafty said....those really thin wires are the ends of the wire that is wound around the bobbin to make your pickup. Those circles are eyelets that make the electrical connection from your gray lead to the pickup itself; if you remove this, you will ruin the pickup. Lots of strat type pickups are like this (although Lace sensors are not). Rout/chisel the body. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitar WIll Posted July 13, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2007 Ok, on my pickups came with this really thin wire snapped on the bridge and neck pickup. Does that mean that they are ruined, can I fix them or should I send them back? On the ones where it isn't broken off, the wire from the pickup bobbin is connected from inside the pickup, and also wrapped around the pickup edge. Is this ok? cheers, Will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrummerDude Posted July 13, 2007 Report Share Posted July 13, 2007 @Guitar WIll, what is the Strat body that you are trying to install these pickups into? Is it an original Fender body or is it something that you routed by yourself? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erikbojerik Posted July 13, 2007 Report Share Posted July 13, 2007 Ok, on my pickups came with this really thin wire snapped on the bridge and neck pickup. Does that mean that they are ruined, can I fix them or should I send them back? On the ones where it isn't broken off, the wire from the pickup bobbin is connected from inside the pickup, and also wrapped around the pickup edge. Is this ok? cheers, Will. The only way to tell for sure if a wire is broken (before installing it in the guitar) is to take a multimeter and make sure you have a continuous circuit through the coil (near-zero ohms resistance reading). Which leads you test depends on how many leads your pickup wire has (2-conductor or 3-conductor). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted July 13, 2007 Report Share Posted July 13, 2007 The only way to tell for sure if a wire is broken (before installing it in the guitar) is to take a multimeter and make sure you have a continuous circuit through the coil (near-zero ohms resistance reading). Which leads you test depends on how many leads your pickup wire has (2-conductor or 3-conductor). except it wont be near-zero becuase of the resistance of the extremely long peice of wire that the coil is made from. It will most likely be somewhere between 4-7 ohms on the average single coil. Most pickups are somewhere between 2 - 25 ohms resistance. If you havnt even got a multimeter the easiest way to test it is to wire it striaght to an output jack and see if it works Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitar WIll Posted July 13, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2007 I have taken it into a local music shop and they showed me how to test the pickups without a multimeter (if I wanted to do it t home). They showed me that if you hold the wires to the correct place on the lead and then tap the pickup with a screwdriver. You can then hear a thud in the amp. The pickups were working, the lose wire was where the pickup wire is thredded through the hole and then looped over to help secure it more. It is not a problem. @DrummerDude, Its not a fender (which will explain why they do not fit), but an amazingly light (and nicely grained, think quilted) picece of alder. The whole routing job has been done very nicely (no chipped wood and it all loos neat). However it is obvious that it has been routed too small. I don't have a problem routing is bigger because it is quite an easy tool to use as long as you prepare properlly. It means that I have to go through the hassle of making a template though. Thanks for everyones help, Will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrummerDude Posted July 14, 2007 Report Share Posted July 14, 2007 @DrummerDude, Its not a fender (which will explain why they do not fit), but an amazingly light (and nicely grained, think quilted) picece of alder. The whole routing job has been done very nicely (no chipped wood and it all loos neat). However it is obvious that it has been routed too small. I don't have a problem routing is bigger because it is quite an easy tool to use as long as you prepare properlly. It means that I have to go through the hassle of making a template though. Thanks for everyones help, Will. Thanks. I just bought a pair of Wilkinsons and reading your post was wondering whether they would fit my Tele at all. It appears that it's your guitar's routing fault. I don't think that you will be needing to make a template to widen up the cavities. A couple of straight rulers would serve you just as well if you take the sides of the cavities one by one. This is what I do but then again - I am a pretty lazy sod. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithHowell Posted July 14, 2007 Report Share Posted July 14, 2007 except it wont be near-zero becuase of the resistance of the extremely long peice of wire that the coil is made from. It will most likely be somewhere between 4-7 ohms on the average single coil. Most pickups are somewhere between 2 - 25 ohms resistance. If you havnt even got a multimeter the easiest way to test it is to wire it striaght to an output jack and see if it works Thats 2 - 25 KILO ohms. Most single coils are around 5 Kilo ohms Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted July 14, 2007 Report Share Posted July 14, 2007 lets not get picky - my opint was that a zero reading will mean you have a faulty pickup - probably with a short - not a working one!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithHowell Posted July 14, 2007 Report Share Posted July 14, 2007 Picky? We are talking a magnitude of 1000 out here. If you get a zero reading it means you have a dead short across your pickup. You will have infinity with a open circuit. It will also matter what range setting you put your meter on. The highest reading of the range should be a bit higher than the expected resistance of the coil ie around 5 Kohm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted July 15, 2007 Report Share Posted July 15, 2007 I know that, but we have to relate to somebody looking in a guitar with a multimeter for the first time!! I think that your comment about a 'near zero reading' would have been confusing to a newb because they should expect a reading - but yes, me forgetting the kilo with my ohms was also misleading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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