How do you do it?

[LtKojak]

Ok, I'm taking the plonge into p'up tweaking.

I've got three Epi p'ups I can cannibalise to get parts if needed.

My first project is to change the A2 magnet of a Gibson 490R for the A5 of the Epi, so it would balance better with the A5 of the 498T.

I've just opened the Epi p'up and there's enough candle wax to open up a candle shop. How do you get rid of the wax without damaging the p'up?

I'm sure there's a simple way of doing it; I just can't think of one myself!

You can all stop laughing now... can any body help?

Pretty please?

Humbly yours,

[belwar]

well if you have access to a harbor freight, go and buy their cheapest heat gun. melt the wax with the gun and wipe it up with paper towels.

I've never done this, but if I needed to, this is how id do it.

[madialex]

Or get you "if you dont already have one" a slow cooker that can get down as low as 140 to 150 degrees and do an 80/20 beeswax,paraffin wax mix, heat the wax to 150, drop the pickup in and let it get to the temp of the wax, take it out and wipe it off, this should remove all the excess and may take out some of the coils wax too.

[LtKojak]

buy the cheapest heat gun. melt the wax with the gun and wipe it up with paper towels.

Well... a heat gun? That's it! Why didn't I think of it...?

It's so obvious that I'm feeling like a moron...

Ok, you can all start laughing again... I'll allow it!

Moronishly yours,

[Stan H]

Be careful to not apply too much heat or getting the gun too close. The bobbins will distort/melt. Try to keep the gun moving and don't focus in one spot very long. I would "hang" the pickup by it's cord over a small pan to catch the dripping wax.

[madialex]

A heat gun is wrong on so many levels.....Too hot, will melt the bobbins, melt the tape or burn it, could burn through the lead coming off the coil etc....

Oh well, do it however..Learn from the mistakes.....

[LtKojak]

Be careful to not apply too much heat or getting the gun too close. The bobbins will distort/melt. Try to keep the gun moving and don't focus in one spot very long. I would "hang" the pickup by it's cord over a small pan to catch the dripping wax.

Or get you "if you dont already have one" a slow cooker that can get down as low as 140 to 150 degrees and do an 80/20 beeswax,paraffin wax mix, heat the wax to 150, drop the pickup in and let it get to the temp of the wax, take it out and wipe it off, this should remove all the excess and may take out some of the coils wax too.
A heat gun is wrong on so many levels.....Too hot, will melt the bobbins, melt the tape or burn it, could burn through the lead coming off the coil etc....
Oh well, do it however..Learn from the mistakes.....

I guess using boiling water is out of the question, huh...? It looks like being laughed at for getting a hairdryer is inevitable...

[Stan H]

I guess using boiling water is out of the question, huh...? It looks like being laughed at for getting a hairdryer is inevitable...

Actually I have used a hairdryer with pretty good results. Just takes longer.

[LtKojak]

Boiling water worked!

Not being able to do a lot due to a killer flu, bored out of my mind I've tried the boiling water method... and it worked!

I've got a nice and clean Epi HOTCH p'up after diving it in boiling water taking it from its lead... it didn't take long, just a couple of minutes.

Now I can spare myself being laughed at for getting that hairdryer...

Thanks everybody for your kind help.

[David Schwab]

I have a FirstAct guitar that had really dark sounding pickups. They were filled with so much wax it's not funny! The magnets were also really weak.

I was going to rebuild them but the wax was such a mess that I just replaced them.

Now the guitar sounds great.

[Magnut]

I know it may be counter - intuative but wouldn't putting it into a cup of hot water melt the wax and cause it to float off? It may be strange to put something electrical in water but as long as it all gets dried off it should be ok. Dunno, maybe I'm thinking incorrectly here..?

[David Schwab]

I don't think putting the pickup in water is such a good idea.

I've seen people dunk overly waxed pickups in fresh wax and they come out nice and clean.

[belwar]

My fear with boil water is that you'd end up with wax vapor.. not good, particularly if you have a gas stove...

[Possum]

...

Oh man, putting in water was the wrong thing to do. If the coils get wet they may stay that way a long time, if they do water is conductive and will make your pickups literally sound like they are underwater. PUt them someplace warm and let them dry for a week or so.....

[jack briggs]

Using a heat gun correctly is the right way. Wax potting usually melts at about 150°F or so, right? A hair dryer could do it, but would take forever. 150°F is not so hot, but you've got to learn to handle the gun. As soon as you see the wax melting back off on the proximity so you don't heat the internals so much.

If you can have the gun held in a vise or something where you introduce the pickup into the filed of hot air, rather than the other way around - it might be easier to control.




Cheers,