Fixing a pickup on a 1963 Fender Stratocaster

The middle pickup on this '63 Strat is a zombie. Even though it has died, it's still making sound. Erick Coleman identifies the problem, and we watch him ever-so-carefully tear the pickup down and rewind it.
Fieldpiece Digital Pocket Multimeter
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Mojotone Pickup Winding Machine
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Mojotone Hand Guided Tensioner
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Solomon SL-30 Soldering Station
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Hold-Heet Electric Glue Pot
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[@fender]

Awesome work Erick! Came out sounding fantastic.

[@gaberobinson112]

Fender why has no one noticed this comment

[@b.rodclark7349]

The middle pickup of my MIM '95 Fender Strat Special doesn't work anymore due to a pickguard swap; i noticed a slight pierce in the wire that happened some time when the cover came off while removing from the pickguard. After loading the pickups into the new pickguard I did the screwdriver tap to the polepiece and it was an extremely low volume drop that's almost dead compared to the bridge and neck pickups; it's going to need a rewind.

[@solarismoon3046]

I doubt that this is actually the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation commenting on this video as they have their own videos I could be wrong, but I highy doubt it.

[@iheartlreoy8134]

Solaris Moon just click the link fool also why wouldn’t it actually be them

[@astrog7361]

hello senpai

[@timetraveller6225]

When someone cares even for the original position of the screws, you know that this is a damn fine job=)))

[@satman1w]

no, it just means that you are dealing with pain in the neck - person...

[@DougHinVA]

@@satman1w ...good point, but the customer only cares about correct results on his vintage Strat pickup... not the workman.

[@Thirdgen83]

Totally UNnecessary...

[@Jonathan_Doe_]

It does look off if you put the pick guard screws back in the wrong places, some rust more than others due to where they get sweated on.

[@TheMitchbassman]

Something so simple to do, a nice detail. Why not do it? Those who dont think so are the guys with duct tape fixes on everything.

[@karst41]

I had a 61 strat with middle pu out. I was told to go see Peter Green yes that Peter Green. Peter told me to go see a guy about 50 miles away. The guy had worked at Alembic and said it was a brake in the winding and that a lot of times the brake could be close to the end and usually in the last 50 winds He started unwinding at after 8 unwinds there was the break, also confirmed by the ohms meter. Instead of ditching the 8 unwinds he said it could alter the tone. So he tinned the breaks under heavy magnification and perfectly soldered them and reassembled. Totally unnoticeable. He wanted $50 for the repair. I gave him $100 the year was 1979 and I had paid $1100 for the 61 Strat. Even in 1979 the value of the guitar instantly doubled. And ol Peter Green, was a very nice, helpful and friendly guy. This is a true account. so do not just start hacking away at the coil wire just give a bunch of careful unwinds And if you have a winder make a note of which unwind revealed the break. Cheers

[@10000rambos]

I get extremely excited when I notice a 12 minute long StewMac video.

[@swoo17]

10,000 Rambos yes me too

[@erickleefeld4883]

"Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology."

[@mikey380sx]

Oh wow I’m so relieved to see someone who puts the screws back exactly where they were originally from. I had a feeling I wasn’t the only one, it’s reassuring to see lol

[@RestorationsFOD]

I am addicted to watching this kind of craftsmanship

[@frodehau]

If it was a short, the resistance would have been lower, not higher. It's worth it to try unwinding one turn and re-solder that end of the wire. That has worked for me in the past.

[@Kebekwoodcraft7375]

Good catch !

[@bongnp]

I take 100 winds off the bobbin, so there's a fresh layer "exposed" that's never been out before. You can usually get away with removing 300-500 turns depeding on which pickup it is, and if keeping the pickup original is important.

[@txd]

yes exactly

[@editorjuno]

Yup, definitely misdiagnosed and probably more radically repaired than necessary. A few hundred turns removed would have probably cleared the problem. In general, even very capable guitar mechanics like Erik should leave pickup repair work to a specialist.

[@Zelomeisterdude]

I'm curious, since I'm not an expert on something like this kind of problem, is there a consensus, among you folks who are more informed, that he actually did misdiagnose the problem and do more repair then was probably necessary?

[@help8help]

I've heard of fixing a fender on a pickup. This is the first time I've heard of fixing a pickup on a Fender. Sorry, but I just love a good pun.

[@101Volts]

No reason to apologize about puns to pun enthusiasts. It's been a year, I'm the first to reply to you, and I see no groans. Even if someone's angry, I'm sure you can "fender" off any insults; "pickup" your pun book, and book them a reservation to a Punitentiary. Don't take it too seriously. 😜

[@tommypetraglia4688]

He who would pun would pick a pocket "Lesser of two weezils" Master and Commander kzbin.info/www/bejne/amWTnWumpLiEn6M

[@josephcotten4015]

I might pick up where you left off and keep on trucking with the puns.

[@paulrichardson3222]

Nice to see a craftsman who cares about the guitars heritage and the owner and has pride in his work. Great job.

[@acvieluf]

Sounds like celluloid pick guards and I have some things in common. 4:01

[@Zelomeisterdude]

I gotta admit, watching him cut through all that vintage wire and then pull it off sent shivers up and down my spine! LOL

[@oqsy]

Zelomeister You should know I buy vintage pickups, and remove all the old wire and rewind to my own specs without ever testing the original values. I ball the old wire up, beat it flat with a hammer, and then melt it down and cast it in a mold of Jimi Hendrix playing a Hamer.

[@Zelomeisterdude]

Oqsy.... LOL. Sadist!

[@kenwinston2245]

Criminitly guys ... mechanical failure happens. Do you want a player or a museum piece?

[@mesfigas]

so there is a process for the old wire to become new in shape? i thought he threw away the old wire and rewired the pickup with new so i was a bit shocked sorry for my english

[@ellieboi]

Meh. Wire is wire.Nothing special about old copper.

[@jimmalcolms1513]

I just slightly heated the joints where the wires enter the pickup and it worked! You saved my bacon. Big thanks

[@thebobhollyband]

Very professional! I love how you keep all of the details such as screw configuration, etc. in mind.

[@floridasaltlife]

You are a mega class act. Always inspiring to see a craftsman willing to share such a valuable part of his trade. You clearly care about keeping the fleet going for years to come. Thanks...

[@coronadofishingclub3478]

It’s great to see how thoughtful and thorough you are with the customers instrument.

[@gynat5968]

Always a pleasure to Erik diagnose and explain the problem and corresponding resolution. Cheers!

[@Breakbeats92.5]

Great repair job. You and Stew Mac treat the instruments with the care, attention and dignity they deserve.

[@SgtSteel1]

I love watching fine detail work like this.

[@StratTone]

Love that you put the screws back where they went. True sign of a top notch guy.

[@HarryVsingersongwriter]

this is so exciting! I was actually holding my breath during the winding, wonderful work.

[@arsbadmojo]

Love watching a pro work! I always pick up some new bit of information. Thanks for the great quality video.

[@rickwood3251]

What a fantastic video, clear and concise, to the point. Professional, cares about his work and very considerate of both the customer and guitars value.

[@carlosenriqueraigoza7235]

Dude , you saved my life , i got a brand new vintage 64 Telecaster picks and after a few Days the neck stopped working . So I tried te trick of melt again the point and she came back 🥲 thanks aaaaalot . Cheers from Mexico

[@harbour7595]

This is SO nerdy and I love it! These videos are almost therapeutic

[@rosewoodsteel6656]

Very good video! Thank you for your time and effort, Erick.

[@mboyer68]

That repair was AWESOME!!! I'm a manufacturing engineer and worked at Delphi Automotive. We have banks of copper bobbin winders for fuel injectors. When electricity is applied it opens the injector, when no juice, a spring returns it closed. Amazing how two copper bobbins can have such different functions. That was a really great video, thank you for taking the time to create, edit and post.

[@mattdickey2717]

That was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. Nice work!

[@chrishall2594]

Such dilligent work. I really respect that level of care.

[@DavidSmith-ne1zp]

Fascinating demo video. Wow, sure can tell Erick knows his stuff!

[@rickhardt2237]

So relaxing to watch. A fine edited video

[@Aaronius_Maximus]

Just found your channel and am very impressed with your craftsmanship and attention to detail. This is amazing, thanks for sharing your talent!

[@Techman4567]

Cool Video! I knew about the basics in coil winding but your video brought it to a new level of how its done.

[@Alejandro_87]

Your knowledge and expertise is invaluable

[@PabloVillaronga]

Super job as always Erick, Amazing job, congratulations!

[@slammerband2009]

What a fun video to watch! Thanks for making and posting!

[@lancethrustworthy]

I like seeing people do the work the right way...carefully. Bravo.

[@StMoritzGuitars]

WOW, A very informative and helpful video there Erick. Great Job !

[@LarrysNetTube]

I love the care to maintain the vintage condition as best possible. How could 56 people actually thumbs down this?

[@psikologOzanUnlu]

I hypnotized while watching your work. saying good work won't be enough, it was amazing.

[@rttrtt8965]

This video taught me more about pickups than all the videos i have ever seen put together.

[@mgrantom]

Good job! Great attention to detail. I bet the customer was thrilled.

[@petekinne2702]

A guy who rewound 2 damaged fender p/ups for me, 1 tele and 1 Jazz bass, told me he weighs the wire he has removed, or weighs the pickup, so he knows he's installing the same length. They both sounded great afterward. Nice job, you made it look so easy, and it looks perfect.

[@Phil_Goodman]

This is one of the best videos on this channel! i learned alot!

[@ericfloyd9917]

Wow! Great repair job. great camera. Great editing. Great video. Thanks

[@mikemakuch2824]

All around great video, it shows your concern for a great repair.

[@GerardHammond]

This is fantastic. So that's how pickups work. Go StewMac! I would send my guitars to you guys!

[@barrybarnett648]

Stew Max videos are always the master video

[@catboyzee]

Valuable guitar, valuable information on identifying problems with it. Thanks for posting.

[@dcabinet]

Had no idea that the pic guard would shrink.. I learn something new every time I watch the Stew Mac videos.

[@xbmpr]

This video was super duper helpful in helping me wind my first pickup.

[@stewmac]

So glad to hear it!

[@Thomas-xt4rf]

You put out some of the most helpful videos. Thanks! 😁

[@GerryBlue]

Amazing job, congratulations!

[@zrpickups5729]

Yes! I was just looking for a video like this one a couple days ago! Thanks for the video

[@supermansded]

What an awesome video. I never knew you could repair a pick up. I thought that once it was damaged you bought a replacement.

[@jazzydog]

Great work man!! Really enjoy to watch this thanks for sharing this. Cheers.

[@TheDizzack]

Tremendous and Articulate workmanship. You set the bar!

[@kingofliterature]

Exactly the video and information I was looking for - thanks! Great video.

[@ego73]

A satisfied customer...and now, a new subscriber.

[@hhattingh]

The man clearly love what he is doing and taking great care in doing it.

[@raybede]

Wow. Skilled, Meticulous and knowledgeable, the only words I can find to describes this mans care for the instrument.How I wish he was here, in the UK, to look after my guitars.

[@joelmiddaugh8229]

This has got to be 1 of the most useful videos from Stewmac I've ever seen. Really cool, thanks. To all those saying he was wrong about the pickup short: who cares he just showed any noobs how to wind a strat pickup in a very detailed manner.

[@frodehau]

Joel Middaugh Not really a noob kindof job. That wire is fiddly to handle, learn to solder on something a bit bigger first.

[@StMoritzGuitars]

I agree Joel

[@joelmiddaugh8229]

Frode Haugsgjerd oh yeah I would expect it not to go right a few times but some of us dont have any guidance and this definitely helps. Just to be clear I have plenty of experience wiring guitars. I just meant a noob to wiring pickups.

[@gregberne631]

This is an extremely hi-value video, super well presented!

[@stewmac]

Happy you like it!

[@Kevin19700]

Excellent information. Especially the part about keeping track of where every screw goes! I use the same rule on my car restorations.

[@davechapman7735]

first class work, a pleasure to watch and thanks. cheers NZ

[@eformance]

Your reading was about 285 Kiloohms, which indicates an open, not a short. A short would reduce the resistance of the coil below the nominal 6k. I agree that the insulation has most likely broken down, but what's more likely is that there was a break in the wire and the insulation breakdown provided a high impedance path between the broken connections, so it still registered a value and produced some sound.

[@jimmyfleebot]

Testing magnets for charge after testing open circuit was a bit weird too. For all he knew I could have just been the switch that was poked.

[@EJP286CRSKW]

There was still a 250K volume pot across the pickup. Explains everything in conjunction with either an open coil or more probably a bad connection at the switch.

[@randallissimo]

It was .285 K ohms, which is 285 ohms.

[@sandb1867]

1:06 .260 megaohms

[@troyleonard8995]

I like your little jig for the screws. I've been known to use pill boxes that you can get at your local pharmacy. Sometimes they're complimentary. thanks for the pick up info

[@randaloopy]

Fascinating. Great explanation of the work! Thank you!

[@AnthonyMonaghan]

You are an artist sir.

[@arthurc1971]

This is why you always find a good luthier. Great video.

[@TruthSurge]

Real copper wire and big thick wires. I'll bet they didn't use that crappy tin on there either.

[@duroxkilo]

i understand what you're saying, but let's get real, those thick wires mean nothing... :} plus the pickup went bad..

[@diegomendivil7101]

They mostly used what was available, both good and bad.

[@fairguinevere666]

@@duroxkilo I've had super thin wires break inside the guitar before. Fuck all to do with tone but I'll happily eat the extra 2 or 3 bucks a guitar to give it quality pushback wire that actually has some meat to it.

[@worldmenders]

It's not a short, the DC resistance would have gone lower, not higher. What probably happened is you had a break deep enough into the coil that there were still a number of windings to the output, and enough capacitance to the ground side so that there was still sound produced. It was weak and missing the low end because of the capacitive coupling between the two sections of the coil. You could actually replicate this by winding half the windings, cutting the wire, and finishing the rest of the windings without a DC connection though the coil.

[@assnut1000]

yeah. kind of like that weird coil split that ibanez used to do on single coils. it cuts pickup in half for a thinner sound but in this case it wasn't switchable.

[@mux22]

exactly this, thank you.

[@seanmchugh3476]

Agreed.

[@lostlatinlover]

I always love a video where I actually learn something!!! Thanks!!!

[@richardjones2811]

Thoroughly enjoyed watching

[@ericfaley9019]

Great job Eric. You made that Strat sound like a Strat

[@KozmykJ]

I enjoyed this video. Most informative. Yes there was the little slip up calling the "open" a "short" but hey ! the rest of it was sound enough. I've got a 66 Tele in my workshop with an open bridge pickup waiting for a final fix. There's a 70s temporary substitute in there at the moment. I've started unwinding it and , so far I have four ends but there's still at least one other break. If the last break isn't too deep I'll either join and rewind, by hand or sacrifice the outer turns IF there are only a couple of hundred. If it's WAY deep then it'll be rewind time or defeat time. The flats are curved a bit too and the poles are shifting. Recipe for disaster shifting poles in these old style pickups with the windings wrapped in physical contact with the pole pieces. An interesting exploration though... Scuse me rabbiting on. I'm kinda working out my plan of action as I write this. 🧠

[@fatfro1]

Great work! Wow! I would like to see you guys do a pickup wind by hand!!

[@brianmason9803]

I love the way you work here. Years ago, when I worked in a coil winding workshop, I picked up a tip for dealing with very fine wires. The leadouts are very fragile and can break at the solder terminal. However, if you fold the wire ends back on themselves twice for about six inches, they become quad wire and stronger. The quad wire gets wound into the coil so the whole leadout is much stronger. I wonder if this might be useful when winding your own pickups.

[@buffed1534]

Hey I would like to thank you I have a 57 reissue strat from the 80s the neck pickup was showing no resistance after inspecting I assumed the winding had broke as there was waxy deposits but after watching your video I re-flowed the terminals an low and behold it’s working again I’m over the moon as I did not want to replace the original Thanks again Eddie Liverpool U.K.

[@danh1202]

Nice video I really enjoyed watching a nice meticulous well made job done to this guitar

[@invay69]

What an amazing job!

[@xavior_india_0891]

Wow! What a pleasure watching it till the end! Could have included a side by side comparison of before and after at the end.

[@demoncloud6147]

This is why I love learning from youtube, got all the info for a DIY 3D printed pickup

[@johnspina318]

Loved the video..You made it look so easy too.

[@DigBipper188]

Awesome stuff there! I might have to get/make a winder like that for my WIP strat mods...

[@TyCetto]

Lovely work, thanks for the share!

[@hawsshaw]

Very well done... and nice winding machine...

[@LennyBonapart]

Man, learned so much thank you Stewart!

[@FriendM2010]

Learned a lot... Nice work. 👍

[@counciousstream]

Really nice vid. Very informative and entertaining.

[@timfireblade]

It has gone open circuit like the bridge pickup in Roy Buchanan's Tele "Nancy" and is capacitively coupling between the windings, hence the thin sound.

[@bmwcarrmann429]

You do some great work.i really like the mechanical stuff you do.i a mechanic in the automotive industry and engineering field.awesome work.i can tell that you enjoy it.i know I do.take care.peace

[@miramarensis]

Great work. Thanks for posting.

[@Aldorelaxingguitar]

Great Video And Detail Explanation Of Process! Ciao, ALDO

[@Achase4u]

Nothing beats those old magnets. Good to use them whenever possible.

[@irishwanderer4206]

this was where i first learned how pickups look and are made thanks.

[@flancho3]

you are trully a professional. Thanks for the video

[@LarsonGuitarPlayer]

Beautiful job! Magic!

[@PlanetRockJesus]

I like your style and expertise. I'm a guitar technician in my mind.

[@SuriSanJose]

Amazing work!