The Steel Guitar Forum

Hi!
I am new to this forum and the world of steel. I purchased a 1952 Fender Double Eight which has some issues. One of the pickups has less body than the other. When I roll the tone pot on this thinner pickup the volume all but disappears. It is kinda like having two volume pots (On the other neck the tone roll does what you'd expect).

Also, in the middle position on the pickup selector the sound of both necks is thinner (less bottom) than when those necks are on individually.
So what is going on here?
Does this mean this weaker pickup needs to be re-magnetized?

Thank you in advance,

Johnny7

I'm no expert (what I am is the opposite of an expert) but it could be that something might be wired incorrectly. There should be a Dual Pro schematic somewhere on the Forum, or failing that, John Ely's website.

Reason I chime in with my abundant lack of acumen and expertise is that I described something similar on an old boxcars-Dual Pro and this was the answer I got.

I think it would be worth it to check this kind of solution first before pulling out pickups, sending them away for disassembly, etc.

Ben,
Fwiw, I have two early '50's D-8 Fender Customs
and when I got them they each had one 'puny' pickup.
I sent the magnets from the weak pickups to
Rick Aiello and he re-magnetized them.
When I put them back in it
was like getting a new steel!
When you have the selector switch
in the center position both pickups
are 'on', in parallel to each other,
so each pickup is, in a sense,
acting as a filter to the other.
~Russ

Thank you for the response gentlemen.
Russ - Do you recall what Rick charges for the re-magnetizing?
J

At that time, perhaps 6 or 8 years
back, he asked nothing other than
I make a donation, of my amount,
to the 'for-um', here.
That was most kind of him to
offer his service in behalf
of b0b.
I don't know if that's
still his policy or not,
be sure to check w/him.
~Russ

. . . and if Rick can't come
thru for ya, this --> click
might give ya some clues.
~Russ

Jason Lollar may be doing the re-mag. You could get on his site and contact & ask him.......

Hi Jonathan,
Sounds like you have a break somewhere in the coil winding. The part of the coil that "hears" the bass is cut off and when you turn down the treble you are effectively reducing the volume of the whole pickup. I have had this happen on a couple of trapezoid pickups. This probably isn't the most accurate technical description of what is going on but my guess is that you will need to have the pickup rewound. Lollar seems to be the guy in this case as well. He will also remag the pickup.