Pickup repairs

[Chordite]

On another thread I mentioned I had picked up a dirt cheap little Encore. £10 Apparently unused because of very low output. Getting it on the bench the humbucker was open circuit.

This makes it a puzzle that there was any output at all! But obviously there is a gap in my wisdom.

I tapped out the good coil and it works great as an SC but obviously I would like to fix the other coil.

Has anyone done this?

My worry is that pulling the tape off will rip the hair thin coils.

Obviously if the coil is damaged deep then I'm stuffed but I am hoping it is the joint to the OP wire that is faulty and it is a simple soldering job.

[WRGKMC]

If you soak the tape with WD 40 it should make the glue gel and allow the tape removal without damaging the wires.

 

If the coils is actually open, the sound you were getting was likely capacitive.

 

Unfortunately I don't give much hope on repairing bad coils if the break isn't at the solder joints. What often happens is the pickup takes a physical or electrical shock. Physical bangs/shocks will move the core and damage the wires on the inside of the coil. Electrical will take the wire out wherever its weakest. The only change is it was a prolonged voltage was applied and the coil and the outer wires having less heat sinking opened up or the tape shrank and broke the wire.

 

Good luck in any case. Its worth trying if only for educational purposes. I've only had luck on a few busted coils being the outer wrap. Most pickups aren't worth rewinding unless they are unique or valuable. With a budget guitar you're better off just getting a decent replacement.

[1001gear]

There's only one wire.

[Phil O'Keefe]

I think he meant the wraps of wire, not 'wires.'

[Chordite]

Maybe only one thin wire yet it can feed so many pedants

[Ancient Mariner]

I've repaired breaks of the wrap wire a couple of times. Each time the break was not too far from the surface, and rather than re-join & rewind I've just scraped the lacquer off the wire & soldered it as normal.