Guitar pickups are essentially electromagnets that convert the vibrations of the strings into electrical signals. These signals are then amplified and sent to the speaker, producing the sound that you hear.
When a pickup winding dies, it means that the wire has broken inside the pickup. This can happen for a number of reasons, such as age, wear and tear, or impact damage.
If you suspect that your pickup winding is dead, there are a few things you can do to diagnose the problem:
- Check the output of the pickup. Plug your guitar into an amplifier and turn the volume up to a moderate level. Play a note and see if there is any sound coming out of the amplifier. If there is no sound, or if the sound is very weak, then the pickup winding is probably dead.
- Check the resistance of the pickup. You can use a multimeter to measure the resistance of the pickup winding. If the resistance is very high or infinite, then the winding is dead.
If you have diagnosed that your pickup winding is dead, there are a few things you can do to fix the problem:
- Replace the pickup. This is the simplest and most reliable solution. You can buy new pickups from a variety of retailers.
- Rewind the pickup. This is a more complex and time-consuming solution, but it can be done if you have the right tools and skills. You can find instructions on how to rewind a pickup online or in guitar repair books.
If you are not comfortable replacing or rewinding the pickup yourself, you can take your guitar to a qualified guitar technician.
Here are some additional tips for diagnosing and fixing a dead guitar pickup winding:
- If you are not sure if the pickup winding is dead, you can try connecting the pickup directly to the amplifier. This will bypass the guitar’s electronics and help you to determine if the problem is with the pickup itself or with the guitar’s electronics.
- If you are rewinding the pickup yourself, be careful not to overtighten the wire. This can damage the pickup and make it unusable.
- If you are not comfortable replacing or rewinding the pickup yourself, take your guitar to a qualified guitar technician.
Safety guidelines:
- Be careful when handling electrical components. Always unplug your guitar before working on it.
- If you are rewinding the pickup yourself, be careful not to overtighten the wire. This can damage the pickup and make it unusable.
- If you are not comfortable replacing or rewinding the pickup yourself, take your guitar to a qualified guitar technician.