Gretsch HiLotron polepieces

[johnhh]

Hi - I joined MEF because I've run out of places to turn, hopefully someone can help...This question references a 1962 Gretsch HiLotron pickup. I'm having trouble with a polepiece that has no output. I completely removed it to check, and nothing. It is not oxidized, rusted, or dirty. There is no dirt, steel wool fragments, or other foreign material in the pickup. It will stick to a low power magnet. The pickup interior looks great, I was certainly the first person to look inside since 1962. I swapped a polepiece from a different position and it worked fine, and the non-functioning polepiece still did not work when swapped to a different position. Can a polepiece itself go bad? These are not magnetic slugs, these are not like some Fender polepieces (which are magnetized). These look to be unplated steel (I could be wrong). Oh, and if it matters the DC resistance reads normal for a HiLotron (2.9Kohms) As a Hilotron is 'sort of' like half a Filtertron, I'm hoping an experienced pickup builder or repair person on the forum might be able to help.

If the remedy is simply replacing the polepiece, I would love for someone to recommend a supplier so I can match it to the existing polepieces, as this is a pretty rare guitar. My preference would certainly be to repair the existing non-functioning polepiece.

Hopefully this isn't an ignorant question, & hopefully I've posted this in the correct forum...

Thanks for reading, and TIA for any help!

[johnhh]

And a P.S. - this polepiece has never worked since I have owned the guitar; one conjecture I have is that something was wrong with it since the date of the original factory build...Thanks!

[Helmholtz]

And a P.S. - this polepiece has never worked since I have owned the guitar; one conjecture I have is that something was wrong with it since the date of the original factory build...Thanks!

That's important additional info.

To my knowledge these polepieces should be made from mild (low carbon) steel like SAE 1010, 1018 or 1022, a material that magnetizes easily (while not permanently) when attached to a permanent magnet and thus produces a magnetic pole at its string facing end.

I suppose that the polepiece in question was accidentlly made from an unsuitable alloy. It will probably attract a screwdriver less than its neighboring polepieces in the PU.

[johnhh]

I suppose that the polepiece in question was accidentlly made from an unsuitable alloy. It will probably attract a screwdriver less than its neighboring polepieces in the PU.

Thanks for your response - You are absolutely correct, a light touch from a screwdriver has barely any noticeable effect on this particular polepiece. However, when compared to the other polepieces in the pickup they all appear to be made of the same material. (I'm not sure if I would be able to tell the difference just by the naked eye, but they look the same)

So in your opinion is my best option replace the polepiece?

[Helmholtz]

So in your opinion is my best option replace the polepiece?

I think so, but don't know who sells replacements.

[johnhh]

Thanks very much for your reply. I'll have some fun reading all the forums here for a few days & maybe get some more ideas.

[Antigua]

For good measure, try putting a nown working pole piece in the same spot and make sure it works. Its not too likely, but the bar magnet might be weak in that spot.

[johnhh]

For good measure, try putting a nown working pole piece in the same spot and make sure it works. Its not too likely, but the bar magnet might be weak in that spot.

Yep, I swapped a working one to that spot and it worked; I moved the non-working one to a different spot & it continued not to work. It looks like I need a new polepiece which doesn't look too easy to find (#8-32 X 3/4" slot-head set screw) I've been searching the last couple of hours for one. Thanks for the advice

[big_teee]

Would like seeing a photo of the pickup.

[Antigua]

Yep, I swapped a working one to that spot and it worked; I moved the non-working one to a different spot & it continued not to work. It looks like I need a new polepiece which doesn't look too easy to find (#8-32 X 3/4" slot-head set screw) I've been searching the last couple of hours for one. Thanks for the advice

It might be easier to just buy six new screws rather than try to match one with the rest. And if they're too long you can just cut them.

Someone is selling a newer HiLotron for $70, https://www.ebay.com/i/382846221254?chn=ps , it might be a lot for six screws, but then again it might not be, if they're impossible to find otherwise.

[johnhh]

@Terry - I just got it put back in & strung up the guitar, but there's plenty of images on the net that are the same; here is an interesting article about hilotrons w/ a couple pictures: https://wgsusa.com/blog/decoded-hilo...cooder-pickups Mine looks exactly the same. What I did for now is swap the polepiece in from another old Gretsch that I don't play a lot.

@Antigua - unfortunately Gretsch changed specs a lot; I know a newer pickup would have the wrong size polepieces. Newer Gretsch polepieces seem to be #6-40, & I need #8-32 screws. I have found the right size but with a hex head; I'm thinking about getting one of those, cutting off the head & reslotting it. I also found some in stainless steel, but even though some stainless steel is ferrous it's not the right thing. As a last resort I might contact people like TV Jones or Jason Lollar just to see if they have an old stash of them...

Thanks to both of you

[big_teee]

Since you may be in Wisconsin, You can buy screws at hardware stores, Lowes, home depot, all the farm stores.
Just be careful and not buy it in stainless. an 8-32 round head should be easy, and maybe change all six at once.
I would carry a magnet with me, when you go screw shopping.
GL,
T

[johnhh]

Oh yes, 8-32 screws are easy to find, what's hard is finding ones that are unplated, uncoated, plain steel. Then on top of that finding it in a set screw that's slotted. The screws at hardware stores & big box stores are typically zinc plated, or the low carbon black oxide, or otherwise the wrong material (brass, stainless steel etc.) So I bought a section of #8-32 threaded steel rod which I will cut to size & then use a dremel to cut a slot in the top. Should be perfect, I'm going to try it after work tomorrow. Thanks to everyone who weighed in!

Edit- And I took big_teee's advice & brought a magnet with me; a good tip!

[mozz]

Have you tried to demagnetize the piece?

[Helmholtz]

Have you tried to demagnetize the piece?

Low carbon steel has high permeability and very low remanence, meaning that it doesn't hold any significant/objectionable magnetization.