distortion/buzz from front p'up Fender Dual Pro

[Steven Welborn]

Lately my front pickup has a nasty buzz/distortion if the string(s) plucked hard enough. Especially the top treble strings. If I press down with some force on the p'up cover, it eliminates the problem for the most part. That p'up also seems to be slightly more microphonic when tapped than the other. I've had these p'ups removed and reassemble recently and pretty sure I tightened things up sufficiently. Now, I recall when reassembling the p'ups, I was more meticulous in cleaning a minute bit of grit between where the base plate and p'up mate up on the back p'up, and wish I had done so on the first(front) as well, but I let it slide thinking it probably was no big deal. But maybe it was. The p'up cover is not loose and seems firm. Anyone have a trouble shoot ideas with this?
Actually, the p'up in question is noticeably more microphonic than the other.

[Mark Helm]

Issues with those wonderful-sounding trap pickups are extremely common (I suspect you’ll get a good deal of responses to this post from genuine veteran players who know more than I).

That said, I’ll tell you what I know: The pickup is wound around hard cardboad/wax paper bobbins that degrade over time. This causes buzzing as the opening around the strings collapses; it also naturally degrades the pick-up’s output. The good news is that there are some talented gentlemen out there who will re-wind/repair the p/u, in some cases for as little as $85-$100. I know Rick Aiello used to do it (there’s an amazing little video on YouTube of Jim Jeffries playing a Custom Rick doctored), but not any more to my knowledge. Give me a few and I’ll post someone who Rick recommends. And, as I say, im sure REAL experts will chime in soon. Please correct me if I got any of that wrong, guys.

Aloha, mh

[Stephen Cowell]

You have to look in there and find the problem. If it’s rubbing on top you can put a thin spacer under the pickup. If it’s rubbing on bottom not much you can do. The coil surrounds the strings and warps as it gets old... might be rebuild time.

[Mark Helm]

Send your pickups to Tom Brantley: tombrantleyrewinds.com

Personally recommended by Rick Aiello. ‘Nuff said.

[Jim Dickinson]

If the strings are hitting the bottom of the tunnel through the pickup then:

Go to a hardware or hobby store, find a piece of small copper rectangular tube that's about a 1/4 inch wide across the outside of the flat part. Inside the tube in the opoposite direction it may be a 1/16 +-. Cut the tube off to the same length of the sheet metal bridge, just behind the pickup. Then take your cut-off piece of tube and sand or grind off, entirely, one of the narrow sides of the tube. This will leave you with a narrow "U" channel part. Remove or loosen the strings, slip the "U" over the sheet metal bridge, restring. Hopefully, this will give you enough clearance to the pickup tunnel bottom, so the strings will clear.

You can get even a bit more bridge height by slipping a piece of stripped solid wire (#18?) under the inside to the "U", between it and the the sheet metal bridge top.

Either way, it's worth a try, it will slightly raise the strings near the pickup, but will not affect the pickup operation.

Jim

[Mark Helm]

Sounds like a lot of work, Jim--especially when it seems clear that the degradation of the wind is impacting the sound of his pickup.

Probably easiest to just ship it off for a rewind. I would recommend getting BOTH pickups rewound though. I suspect if you don't, you'll get the rewound pickup back only to discover it sounds 10X better (and louder) than the one you're not currently having trouble with. IMHO,

[Jim Dickinson]

Not really, didn't take that much time, getting the material took the longest, other that about 15 minutes. But, that said. I do have the tools, used a belt sander to remove the side of the tube.

[Steven Welborn]

I sent the mags to Lollar not that long ago for a recharge. I didn't notice any degradation or warping of coils or bobbins. And don't notice any obstruction to strings looking through the p'up now. But who knows, maybe the beginning stages of degradation but not that visible yet may start affecting the sound. Those arent bad prices for rewinds so I may opt to do that in the near future. Very helpful advice, thanks!

[Steven Welborn]

well, there is some narrowing in the center. I couldn't see that it was interfering with the strings yet though. And if it did it would be more likely be the middle strings, not the top, which is the one that distorts when picked hard. In any case I guess this warrants a rewind and new bobbin eh?

[Jim Dickinson]

Your right, if you have trouble, it looks like it's in the bottom middle.

As long as the windings in the pickup are not broken there ought to be no difference in the sound of the existing compared to a rewind. If the strings are hitting on the bottom, try cutting up one of those binocular hole coffee stir'ers leaving one passage intact. The slit the bottom of it, through the web that formerly held the two passages together, cut it to length and slip it onto the bridge, under the strings. See if the strings are still hitting the pickup former bottom, if they aren't, you will know that's the problem. Remember, the plastic will squish pretty quickly under string tension, it's temporary at best. Then go ahead and try my previous fix with the modified rectangular copper tube. It's a lot cheaper than a rewind.

[Stephen Cowell]

You have to look in there while the pickup is installed to see the problem. Obviously the narrowing in the middle is not the problem. Put it back on, pu a problem string on, and examine the gap.

[Steven Welborn]

the distortion isn't the kind of buzz you'd hear from something interfering with the string vibrating, but it's more of an electronic distortion of the signal. I'm thinking rebuild time most likely. But I'll close the pickup back up firmly and make sure the bolts are tight one more time and check to be sure it wasn't that.

[Jim Dickinson]

You might try re-potting it with wax, maybe some windings are loose.

[Mike Neer]

This is an affliction that will eventually hit all of these pickups. There are several involved threads here about it. It results in a nasty overtone that ultimately makes the neck unusable in any situation. Sounds like an electronic issue, and it is, but is the result of mechanical failure.

[Steven Welborn]

Mike, by mechanical you mean the collapsing of the pickup/bobbin correct? And the remedy is a pickup rebuild. I will send the pickups off to Tom Brantley soon. His rebuild price is very reasonable. I don't mind the idea of it sounding 10X better anyways

[Mark Helm]

I think that's what Mike and I and others were saying. And Mike's right--all these Fender trap pickups are going to have a problem at some point. But, as many folks can attest, rewinds by folks like Rick Aiello and Tom Brantley make those pickups sing!

[Steven Welborn]

cool!