Tele Neck Pickup Problem

[nickc35]

Hi Guys!

I re-wound an old Tele neck pickup yesterday and ran into a problem. I'm not sure how old the pickup is but it's your typical Tele neck pickup with flatwork and rod magnets and cover. I rewound it with 43 gauge wire. The problem is when I ground the cover I get no reading on my meter. But if I cut or unsolder the cover it reads just fine on my meter. WHY???? I grounded the cover in the usual way by extending the lead wire of the start of the coil and soldering it to the center nub of the cover that pokes through the hole in the bottom flatwork.

I actually had this same exact problem with a Tele bridge pickup many months ago, which I never solved. I just didn't ground the base plate, installed the pickup and it worked and sounded just fine. But now that the same thing happened again (only this time with a neck pickup), I thought I would post here to see if this has happened to anyone else. Thanks!

[big_teee]

Did you check for magnet shorts.
Check with the ohm meter from the start lead to each magnet.
Also if the outer windings are shorted to the cover, when you ground the cover it would be shorted out.
With cover ungrounded see if the cover reads ohms to the finish lead.
GL,
T

[nickc35]

Okay, yeah, I'm getting a reading when I use the meter from the start lead to the cover AND to the outer magnets. No reading when I use the finish lead to the cover.

If I remove the cover and put a couple layers of tape to the top of the magnets then replace the cover, that should solve my issue, right? Or do you think I should just rewind it?

[nickc35]

Well, I removed the cover and put a thin layer of foam tape on top of the magnets, then replaced the cover and soldered the ground. I get a good reading now. Thanks for your help T.

But I guess I still don't get how the magnets were shorting out the coil.

[big_teee]

Well, I removed the cover and put a thin layer of foam tape on top of the magnets, then replaced the cover and soldered the ground. I get a good reading now. Thanks for your help T.

But I guess I still don't get how the magnets were shorting out the coil.

From the back of the magnets did you check to see if any of the magnets read ohms continuity from start to magnets, or finish to magnets.
If they do read ohms on one of those tests then you have an internal short to the magnets, and taping the magnets before winding will cure that.
On a neck tele, my method is to seat the pickup all the way to the cover, then pot with the cover on.
Ground the cover, if it grounds the magnets, no problem if the magnets are not internally shorted to the the magnet wire.
I've done scads of them that way.
On Tele bridge pickups I put a thin layer of masking tape between the magnets and the bottom steel plate.
I put the 3 screws in all the way to hold the base plate all the way seated, then pot with the screws in place.
I do that for microphonics.
GL,
T