• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Can A Pickup Just Break?

theevilplankton

theevilplankton

Jul 9, 2009
950
719
#1
I'm in the process of settling down with just one bass, my '74 Ricky 4001. Looking to maybe sell the other, as it's not getting the use.

My '74 has been nicely worked on and plays like a dream. However, with it potentially being my sole bass, I was wondering about the pickups. They're all original.

Is there any chance that they could just break on a whim? Just a bit concerned about having a gig (or playing at a gig) and have something go on me.

Rest of the bass is totally sound, no wiring issues as it's all been looked at.

Only ask the question, as I know of a player who had to have his 4001 bridge pup rewound some time ago, not sure of the circumstances.

Any thoughts?
 
#4
theevilplankton said:
I'm in the process of settling down with just one bass, my '74 Ricky 4001. Looking to maybe sell the other, as it's not getting the use.

My '74 has been nicely worked on and plays like a dream. However, with it potentially being my sole bass, I was wondering about the pickups. They're all original.

Is there any chance that they could just break on a whim? Just a bit concerned about having a gig (or playing at a gig) and have something go on me.

Rest of the bass is totally sound, no wiring issues as it's all been looked at.

Only ask the question, as I know of a player who had to have his 4001 bridge pup rewound some time ago, not sure of the circumstances.

Any thoughts?
Click to expand...

With no moving parts, I would think a pickup would (usually) only fail due to a handling mishap when installing or removing. I have had a rewind done for that reason. Some do a rewind to change the tone or output. Of course on a two pickup bass you always have a spare to finish the gig with if something happens.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Frenchy-Lefty
#5
Yes. I've had a pickup suddenly fail and it did so on the way to a recording session.

It was a Dimarzio P-bass pickup. Before I left for the studio I had changed strings and spent a half-hour or so practicing to "break them in".
Packed up and unloaded at the studio and recorded the first take and the D&G strings had almost no output at all.

After I got home and investigated I discovered that one of the magnets on either side of the poles had broken free of its glue and had flipped over to rest on the other magnet.

So yeah, that kind of stuff can happen, but I think it's pretty unusual.


Since then, I only use pickups that are potted solid and fully encased with epoxy. The Bartolini P pickup in the bass in my avatar is the same one that replaced the broken Dimarzio pickup in 1994.
 
Last edited:
#6
Nev375 said:
Yes. I've had a pickup suddenly fail and it did so on the way to a recording session.

It was a Dimarzio P-bass pickup. Before I left for the studio I had changed strings and spent a half-hour or so practicing to "break them in".
Packed up and unloaded at the studio and recorded the first take and the D&G strings had almost no output at all.

After I got home and investigated I discovered that one of the magnets on either side of the poles had broken free of its glue and had flipped over to rest on the other magnet.

So yeah, that kind of stuff can happen, but I think it's pretty unusual.
Click to expand...

Never thought of the magnets popping loose. I guess anything is possible, especially on a 40 year old product. Different situation, but I was surprised when I had to replace the foam surrounds on four audio/stereo speaker cabs that I bought in the 70's - the old foam completely disintegrated.
 
#7
I just figured out, after 30+ years, that my Ripper has a bridge pickup with one open coil. There's a thread here about it.

It's why I always thought the pickups were single coil: I got single coil hum in the three settings that involve the bridge pickup. Someone figured that out long ago and wired up only the working half. Also they swapped the wiring to give the only solo setting to the humbucking neck pickup.

I just sent it to Tom Brantley for repair or rewind, so it should be back to humbucking status.

So, yeah stuff can happen.

Otto
 
#8
ofajen said:
I just figured out, after 30+ years, that my Ripper has a bridge pickup with one open coil. There's a thread here about it.

It's why I always thought the pickups were single coil: I got single coil hum in the three settings that involve the bridge pickup. Someone figured that out long ago and wired up only the working half. Also they swapped the wiring to give the only solo setting to the humbucking neck pickup.

I just sent it to Tom Brantley for repair or rewind, so it should be back to humbucking status.

So, yeah stuff can happen.

Otto
Click to expand...

Easiest way to test which pickup coils are active in each switch/balancer position is to gently tap on the magnets with a metal object. If it's on it will speak to you very loudly. I use that trick a lot when building.
 
#9
Doner Designs said:
Easiest way to test which pickup coils are active in each switch/balancer position is to gently tap on the magnets with a metal object. If it's on it will speak to you very loudly. I use that trick a lot when building.
Click to expand...

I've always known which pickups are active. I even mapped out the switch to change parallel to bridge solo.

Bear in mind, Ripper pickups have one set of magnets and two sidewinding coils. So you can tell if it's active but not whether it has one or both coils wired in. The things that were diagnostic were the hum and the difference in DC resistance.

Ultimately it was looking at the wiring and seeing that it was wired across only one coil.

Otto
 
#10
Yeah - I have had 2 pickups fail - a Hofner (got it rewound) and a USA P. the P was interesting - it went harmonic for a while first - actually sounded kinda cool - like a very mellow fuzz, and then just died. I tried re-soldering the coil leads to the main leads - it worked for a while then died again, so I replaced it.
 
#11
theevilplankton said:
I was hoping that a pickup might spend a few weeks crackling first!
Click to expand...

A pickup is simply magnets with wire wrapped around them. You don't get crackling, and you don't get a slow death, with something this simple. If a pickup is to fail, it will usually be from one of three factors. Either the magnets will come out, or the wire will be broken, or the solder joints will fail.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Coolhandjjl and PaulJSmith
#12
theevilplankton said:
I'm in the process of settling down with just one bass, my '74 Ricky 4001. Looking to maybe sell the other, as it's not getting the use.

My '74 has been nicely worked on and plays like a dream. However, with it potentially being my sole bass, I was wondering about the pickups. They're all original.

Is there any chance that they could just break on a whim? Just a bit concerned about having a gig (or playing at a gig) and have something go on me.

Rest of the bass is totally sound, no wiring issues as it's all been looked at.

Only ask the question, as I know of a player who had to have his 4001 bridge pup rewound some time ago, not sure of the circumstances.

Any thoughts?
Click to expand...
The very thin coil wire gets old and maybe brittle. Heat makes wire expand and cold contract. This and/ or vibration among other things can cause the coil wire to break and then pickup quit working.
 
  • Like
Reactions: kbakerde and PaulJSmith
#15
Pickups are one of, if not the least likely components to fail on a bass, and by far the least likely electronic component to fail. I have seen very few pickups fail on their own. Most have been damaged when someone had them out of the bass and broke a coil wire.

If they work fine now, there is very little to be concerned about.
 
#18
Depends on the pickup. A sealed pup, like an EMG, is EXTREMELY unlikely to fail. A non-sealed pickup, like a standard Jazz or Precision, yeah, those can fail and fail with no warning at all.

I see this happen far more often with guitarists than bassists, not sure why. I do know the cause of almost every single one I've seen/fixed is sweat.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back