Franz neck pickup loose inside - NS X175B

jm345

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I have a 2013 NS X-175B. I had a buzz with certain notes I couldn't find and get rid of and think I have finally traced it to the neck pickup. I took the cover off and the pickup base is securely mounted with the four screws. But the black winding part can float up and down the poles. I am tempted to put something like foam on the winding part so when I put the cover back on it will compress and hold it down so it won't rattle or buzz. Does that make any sense? I am new to these Franz P-90s so I am not sure how they are supposed to be. Thanks
 

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They aren't supposed to be loose! There should be a couple of screws holding it to the baseplate. :mad-new:
 

jm345

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I took the pickup out and turned it over. I see two brass/gold screws. One has soldered wire to it. Both are tight. The pickup winding rides up and down on these screws just like the pole pieces. The wider head of the pole pieces is the only thing that prevents the winding from coming off. Maybe the holes for the two screws were stripped? Should I use a piece of toothpick in the hole so the screws will have something to bite into? Any other suggestions? Thanks
 

jm345

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Need pictures !

Not sure how to add photos.

The holes in the black winding part are too big for the two screws. Maybe I could wrap the screws with bunch of teflon pipe tape?
 

kakerlak

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Not sure how to add photos.

The holes in the black winding part are too big for the two screws. Maybe I could wrap the screws with bunch of teflon pipe tape?

I'd just go with bigger screws. It's really weird that the bobbin is all stripped out, but, as fragile as pickup wire is, you don't want that bobbin slapping up and down and stressing the attachment point b/w lead wires and coil windings. Guitar is yours since new? I was wondering if somebody took it apart to flip the magnet around or something and stripped out the screw holes by overtightening it on reassembly.
 

jm345

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I just got the guitar and I don't know it's history. The threads on the metal baseplate are fine. It is just that the holes in the bobbin are too big so it can ride up and down on the screws and polepieces. Looking at the holes in the bobbin they look smooth - like they were always too big for the screw. The bridge pickup seems the same way, but I have one pole adjusted down to where it just happens to be holding the bobbin in place. The neck pick has a sticker that says, "NECK, PICK UPS, BHK". And another sticker that says,"RoHS Compliant".

The way neck pickup was installed all the wiring connections are towards high E side. I assume that is correct?
 

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Pics have to be posted elsewhere (imgur is what I use) and embedded using the third button from the right. __/\
 

jm345

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Thanks, yeah I looked at Imgur. Not familiar with it. seems kind of sketchy. Plus their terms of service include this:
"Also, don't use Imgur to host image libraries you link to from elsewhere, content for your website, advertising, avatars, or anything else that turns us into your content delivery network."

Is there something besides imgur or what about linking to a Dropbox folder?
 
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fronobulax

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Thanks, yeah I looked at Imgur. Not familiar with it. seems kind of sketchy. Plus their terms of service include this:
"Also, don't use Imgur to host image libraries you link to from elsewhere, content for your website, advertising, avatars, or anything else that turns us into your content delivery network."

Is there something besides imgur or what about linking to a Dropbox folder?

If you feel like it there are several threads in Misc. about where people are hosting photos for display here. No one seems to have mentioned the terms of service which you quoted. If imgur enforces them we will have another photobucket on our hands.

Embedding an image hosted in Dropbox so that it displays for everyone is a sketchy process in my experience. Same thing for Google Photos. I'm not sure whether my particular setup contributes to me seeing embedded images that no one else does or what. I have given up embedding. I make a publicly visible Google Album and make people click through to that. Eventually I'll figure out what that problem is but I'd rather be playing bass...
 

jm345

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Trying MS Onedrive. That should show the pics of my neck pickup.
 
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Trying MS Onedrive. That should show the pics of my neck pickup.

https://1drv.ms/w/s!AkF6SB7_7nOiuBuQZCFMDRercoUV

s!AkF6SB7_7nOiuBuQZCFMDRercoUV


It's a word doc, that's one reason it's not showing up. :-/ That's the same arrangement as my set of repro Franzes. if it's bouncing up and down, then they stripped out the threads, because my coils are solidly attached. What I would try is rubber banding the coils firmly to the baseplate, and dropping some wood glue down into the screwholes that are stripped. It might soak in enough to hold the coil down, yet allow the screw to be backed out later.
 

kakerlak

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Those look like machine screws. I'd have expected something more like sheet metal screws to bite into the plastic bobbin material? Awfully large diameter holes for that, though... Wonder if a tight wrap of electrical tape around the bobbin and baseplate wouldn't solve this, though -- just tape it together and don't worry about the screws. Surprised they haven't just fallen straight out and into the guitar, though, if they aren't getting any purchase on the bobbins.
 

jm345

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It's a word doc, that's one reason it's not showing up. :-/ That's the same arrangement as my set of repro Franzes. if it's bouncing up and down, then they stripped out the threads, because my coils are solidly attached. What I would try is rubber banding the coils firmly to the baseplate, and dropping some wood glue down into the screwholes that are stripped. It might soak in enough to hold the coil down, yet allow the screw to be backed out later.

Yes, my thoughts too now. Put something in the screw holes to secure it enough so it doesn't rattle but could still remove the screws if necessary. Thanks
 

jm345

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Those look like machine screws. I'd have expected something more like sheet metal screws to bite into the plastic bobbin material? Awfully large diameter holes for that, though... Wonder if a tight wrap of electrical tape around the bobbin and baseplate wouldn't solve this, though -- just tape it together and don't worry about the screws. Surprised they haven't just fallen straight out and into the guitar, though, if they aren't getting any purchase on the bobbins.

Yes, they seem to be machine screws. But the baseplate has threads so the screws are tight and won't fall out. The holes of the bobbin just seem like they were too big to begin with.

This is a 2013 model. I wonder if there is something related to a change in production where the baseplate screws and bobbin holes didn't match up size wise? Is this the first year of the NS X-175B? When did Cordoba take over production from Fender?
 

kakerlak

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Yes, they seem to be machine screws. But the baseplate has threads so the screws are tight and won't fall out. The holes of the bobbin just seem like they were too big to begin with.

This is a 2013 model. I wonder if there is something related to a change in production where the baseplate screws and bobbin holes didn't match up size wise? Is this the first year of the NS X-175B? When did Cordoba take over production from Fender?

That's a really weird way of assembling these pickups -- there shouldn't be any need for the baseplate to be threaded, as it ought be being sandwiched b/w the screwheads and the bobbin on either side.
 

jm345

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So I took a better look at the bottom of the pickup. The two base machine screws actually thread into the magnet. The magnet has threads for the 6 pole screws and the 2 baseplate screws. Looking closely at the bobbin it does not look like there were any threads in the plastic to begin with. The walls of the holes where the machine screws go look smooth. I think they are the same diameter as the holes for the pole pieces. So the bobbin has been floating all along. Not sure why it was set up that way but I assume it came from the factory that way. Mine is a 2013 and maybe any early run with available parts?

I am thinking of using some small strips of elastic self-fusing silione rubber tape to wrap/secure the bobbin to the baseplate. With the bridge pu the tape would interfere with mounting it so I am thinking of dripping some Permatex 81730 Flowable Silicone Windshield and Glass Sealer into the two screw holes of the bobbin - hoping it doesn't eat away the plastic or something worse. Any other suggestions? Thanks
 
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Walter Broes

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No threads in the magnets in these pickups, I think you're mistaking a spacer for a magnet. There are two alnico bar magnets in these pickups, and Alnico can't be worked to have threads.
 
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