60's Hofner Beatle Bass pickup question

[Mark Black]

Howdy -

I'm usually over on the amp repair side of the forums, but a buddy of mine has entrusted me with his early-mid 60's Hofner Beatle Bass to see if I can make it more playable.

I made quick progress with neck adjustment & general setup, but I noticed the pickups ("staple-top" style) were pretty floppy/loose and vibrating on certain notes. This doesn't seem to be a mounting issue - more like the guts are loose on the baseplate.

So - anyone familiar with the inner workings of these pickups? Are there any special pitfalls or things to avoid when removing the covers to get a better look-see?

Thanks -
Mark

[jonson]

hofners

http://www.vintagehofner.co.uk/hofne...ckups/pup.html
Should give you some info and apart from delicate, fun to work with.

[Mark Black]

Thanks for the info!

[Spence]

May I suggest you tighten the pole screws. If the cover's ever been off and the tabs on the cover snapped off, the only thing holding it are the screws. People adjust the screws for string balance but they just end up flapping about.

[Mark Black]

Good suggestion - tried it - unfortunately not that simple.

I'm going in - tonight or tomorrow. More will be revealed...

Thanks again.

[Mark Black]

Just an update (in case it helps somebody doing a search someday):

These pickups are built into the covers, with the baseplate being soldered to the cover along the edges. The covers have tabs at each end which are bent over and soldered to a mounting plate which incorporates the adjustment ears.

The solder was broken and tabs bent out (thankfully not broken) where the covers attach to the mounting plate, allowing the pickup to flop around & vibrate.

Sucking off the old solder, followed by a little clean-up, re-bending and re-soldering of the tabs did the trick.

Thanks again to those who replied.