FMIC Westerly SF-4 pickup problem...

[jte]

My SF-4 seems to have a problem with the bridge pickup. Before I take it apart, I'm looking for some advice...

I plugged it into an amp at the store I'm helping with this week, and the bridge PUP is has noticeably less output than the neck one, and it's brighter than it used to be at least as far as I recall. I put a VOM on it and the bridge PUP measures about 4K while the neck PUP measures about 9K (this is just measuring DC resistance through the control harness. I just put the leads on the end of a short guitar cord plugged into the output jack).

So, I'll yank off the strings and tease the PUP up to see if I can see a loose wire, but if it is a bad PUP, what are my options for a drop-in replacement? The guitar dates to 2001.

Thanks, folks!

John

 

[hansmoust]

Hello John,

Just check if the pickup is bad and if it is, get back with me and I should be able to help you out.

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
www.guitarsgalore.nl

 

[jte]

Hans,

Thanks!

I checked the bridge pickup on my SF-4, and one coil seems to definitely be dead. Besides the DC resistance being about half of the resistance of the other pickup, the bridge PUP buzzes when soloed, it's brighter, and has less output. I pulled the PUP out of the guitar and the wires on the bottom are all good so it's an internal problem with the PUP.

Thanks!

 

[jte]

OK,

I got a pickup from Hans a good while ago, but didn't have time to install it until today. It's fine except it's out of phase with the stock neck pickup. As it has shielded cable from the PUP to the controls, I can't simply reverse the hot and ground at the pot.

So, is it as simple as reversing the red and green wires connected to the pickup coils? Or were neck PUPs different from bridge PUPs on these?

jte

 

[GAD]

OK,

I got a pickup from Hans a good while ago, but didn't have time to install it until today. It's fine except it's out of phase with the stock neck pickup. As it has shielded cable from the PUP to the controls, I can't simply reverse the hot and ground at the pot.

So, is it as simple as reversing the red and green wires connected to the pickup coils? Or were neck PUPs different from bridge PUPs on these?

jte

Yup - just reverse 'em

 

[jte]

Cool! Just finished flipping the ground and hot, installed, checked, and restrung! She's back to normal.

Thanks for all your help Hans and GAD!!!

jte