What does "5211" mean on JB 71 pickups?

[ajacquem]

Found on a JB body dated from 1971 (SN317042).

Main question is:"are they OEM pickups"?

They were connected with plastic insulation wires, could have been changed but????

Back color is Grey-green with "5211" printed.

Thanks!

Jack

 

[JENDRAL BASS]

With pic may explainable

 

[GlennW]

Check with a magnifying glass and see if there's a 71 after the 5211. Most Fender pickups from that era have a 6-digit number stamped on the bottom with the last two digits being the year. A pic would help.

 

[ajacquem]

Here's a picture of Pu's back.

Could it help?

 

[GlennW]

I think they're both real Fender pickups. From the looks of the solder around the eyelets they may have been messed with or just had the leads replaced.

 

[ajacquem]

As you can see on the picture, the black and white wires are not connected in the same way on neck and bridge PU.

Is there an influence on polarity, on the sound?

What is the rule for standard JB? which side for the black wire? Same on both PU? Invert?

Thanks!

 

[GlennW]

They should be reverse wound and reverse polarity.

Reverse wound means one will be wound cw and the other wound ccw (likely with Fenders),
or
both wound the same way, but one will have the black and white leads reversed.

The black leads should be connected to the START (inside) of the coil, white to the ends (if they're reverse wound).

Reverse polarity means one has the magnets with north facing up and the other south up. You can confirm that by seeing if both tops (or both bottoms) of the pickup magnets want to attract each other. Don't let them make contact, just hold them close enough to each other so you can feel if they want to pull together or push apart.

I don't see a black lead on the top pickup in the picture. If you need to add a lead there be careful because that's probably the start of the coil and if you break the coil wire at the eyelet chances for a successful repair without rewinding are slim.