Fender Elite tele rewind

[StarryNight]

was seconded to repair this guitar. Turns out the bridge pickup is dead. Went to take it out and noticed it is completely sealed! Has anyone cracked one open? Also, I don't know what wire Fender was using in the early 80s but this stuff is starting to crack in multiple areas!

[big_teee]

Anyone have any ideas on this repair?
If not rewindable, any ideas for substitution, like maybe a minibucker, or maybe substitute 2 pickups as a set?
The pickup dimensions of this guitar, and DCR of existing good pickup, would help, in determining on how to fix it?
T
**The guitar is also known as a Fender 1983 Tele Elite Stratoburst.
I searched for replacement pickups, found none, and no reference or wiring diagrams for this guitar, seem to exist!
Fender Support, may offer some repair options?

[jop120]

Are you 100% sure the pickup is dead? in the photo's it looks like the pickup is still connected, if that's the case, there's a good chance that you wouldn't get a reading off the pickup as the preamp will be interfering with the pickups reading.
If it is dead, you'll probably not have much luck salvaging that, it looks more like a fully cast pickup, where the coils are submerged into the mould with the liquid resin, rather than being epoxy potted, which would still be difficult to salvage, but not impossible.
Easiest way to replace it would be to make some custom surrounds for something Like Terry suggested, a mini-hum or F-bird pu. You could make a thick one that submerged into the pickup cavity, or just use some pickguard material and make it slightly larger, so it can mount to the guitar top.

[galaxiex]

If the pickup really is dead, you have nothing to lose...

I would take a dremel to it, and grind/cut the bottom out to see if I could get in there to repair/rewind.

Mount it in a soft jaw vise.
I think I'd start with a tiny thin cut-off wheel and cut a rectangular opening on the bottom, about 1/8" in from the edges.
Mark some guide lines.
Go slow, shallow cuts.

If it's not hollow you'll probably know fairly quick.
If it's a solid block with the pickup cast inside, you'll have to "carve" it out and probably/likely damage it beyond repair.
If that's the case, then hollow it out and use it as a cover for a new pickup.

Just my $0.02

Edit;

Looks like they are potted...
Should be relatively easy to "unpot" them.

Probably some kind of epoxy.

[Magnut]

If it's dead, make a silicone mold of it. I would love to make a mold of it. It would be great to recast one of these. If you do make a mold I can give you a few pointers on getting the casting done.

I've dug into cast pickups before. It is not much fun...

[galaxiex]

So, any progress on the repair?

[David Schwab]

If it's dead, make a silicone mold of it. I would love to make a mold of it.

That's what I do with odd shaped pickups