Dekley S-10 pickup adjustment

Dan Beller-McKenna · From: Durham, New Hampshire, USA

Hi all,

I just bought a Dekley S-10 that is in good shape and should be “tweaked” in a day or so. Needed a little scrub and polish but someone took good care of it. One tweak I can’t figure out, however, concerns the pickup which seems very wobbly, especially if I try to raise it to anywhere near 3/16” from the strings. I am hesitant to take it out and look, but it feels as if there is a spring (or two?) working against the setting screws; perhaps they have lost some tension. Anyone have this problem before? Am I likely to make unnecessary trouble for myself if I do pop the pick it out to take a look?

That said, it is already playing very nicely and I can’t wait to bring it fully up to speed. Very well built guitar!

Dan

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Dan Beller-McKenna
Durham, NH

Jim Smith · From: Midlothian, TX, USA

You're right, there is a spring on each mounting nut, and you won't hurt anything by removing the pickup.

In case you don't know how to remove it, there are two nuts under the body below the pickup. Push down gently on the pickup to remove the spring tension while you remove the nuts. A quick trip to the hardware store should find replacement or additional springs to fix you right up.

Dan Beller-McKenna · From: Durham, New Hampshire, USA

Thanks Jim!

Fortunately it plays perfectly well with the loose pick up so I don;t have to wait 'til tomorrow to enjoy it!

Dan

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Dan Beller-McKenna
Durham, NH

Dan Beller-McKenna · From: Durham, New Hampshire, USA

Oh well …..

Leave it to me!

I put some new springs under there, and got a good height with a stable feel for the pick up, but now I’ve produced a noticeable hum; sounds like a ground problem or reversed polarity or such. One thing that occurs to me that I may have done wrong: in place of the narrow springs that fit tightly around the screw/post I put a much broader spring (figuring this would give greater stability.) Since the magnetic poles are exposed on the bottom side of the pickup, it is possible that one of the springs is touching a pole: could this cause a hum? Of course I may simply have done something to the wire from the pickup to the jack. Anybody have an idea what I might have done wrong here?

Thanks.

Dan

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Dan Beller-McKenna
Durham, NH

[This message was edited by Dan Beller-McKenna on 27 May 2005 at 07:57 PM.]

Les Pierce · From: Shreveport, LA

Although I have never removed the pickup from my Dekley, there is a "mysterious" insulated wire, along with the shielded one connected to the output jack. Perhaps this is a ground wire, and you have accidently pulled it loose?

On mine, this wire was hanging loose, under the body, so I stuck it under a screw on the changer. You probably will have to remove the pickup, and check to see if the ground is still intact in the cavity. Hard on the strings, but I'll bet that is it.

Les

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Strat,Tele
Dekley S-10

Dan Beller-McKenna · From: Durham, New Hampshire, USA

That sounds probable, Les.

I might try everything else before removing the pickup again, though. Those posts are right under the cross shaft for the RKR, and I had to pull about eight rods out to get the tiny nut on the post; even then it took the concentration of a Zen master (and a lot of luck) to thread that thing!

Cross you fingers for me that it's something loose on the underside of the guitar.

Dan

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