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Thread: Telecaster pickup question, need help?

  1. #1
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    Telecaster pickup question, need help?

    Hi,
    I’ve recently bought a telecaster and Lately I’ve been curious to know if it has the original pu’s or if these have been changed. Is there anyway to determine the year of production of the pickups without unsoldering them or is that the only way to check this out?
    A local guitar shop offers the service as I don’t have an ohm meter, but charges 150$ for such a checkup, so if there’s anyway I can check myself any info would be greatly appreciated.

    Best regards
    Torben

  2. #2
    Forum Member DanTheBluesMan's Avatar
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    Re: Telecaster pickup question, need help?

    I'd stay far away from that local guitar shop, that's beyond obscene what they are charging.

    I'd guess the best way to figure out if the pickups are original or not is to look at the solder connections. If they're clean and look smooth and shiny they're likely original. If they're smudged, rough, lots of flux present or dull and blobby, then they've probably been replaced. An ohm meter will not tell you anything about the year of manufacture, just what the pickup is reading.

    Any shop that deigns to charge 150 dollars for a 'checkup' is one to be avoided.
    "Live and learn and flip the burns"

  3. #3
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    Re: Telecaster pickup question, need help?

    Quote Originally Posted by Joe Perry View Post
    Hi,
    I’ve recently bought a telecaster and Lately I’ve been curious to know if it has the original pu’s or if these have been changed. Is there anyway to determine the year of production of the pickups without unsoldering them or is that the only way to check this out?
    A local guitar shop offers the service as I don’t have an ohm meter, but charges 150$ for such a checkup, so if there’s anyway I can check myself any info would be greatly appreciated.

    Best regards
    Torben
    Btw:
    Neck stamp says aug72B and serial number and PAT#on bridge are also indicating to be original from what I can read on the internet.
    But I’m very curious about the pickups, so ANY help would be appreciated here.

    Torben

  4. #4
    Forum Member Don's Avatar
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    Re: Telecaster pickup question, need help?

    Quote Originally Posted by Joe Perry View Post
    Btw:
    Neck stamp says aug72B and serial number and PAT#on bridge are also indicating to be original from what I can read on the internet.
    But I’m very curious about the pickups, so ANY help would be appreciated here.

    Torben
    Can you take a pic of the pots and switch and share them? Someone here might be able to tell if the pots and solder joints appear to be original.

    Also, you can tell all you need to know about the pickups if you lift them out of the cavities and and inspect them without desoldering them (you'll need to take the pickguard and bridge off the guitar). Whether you're an expert or an amateur, you'd gain nothing by desoldering them.

  5. #5
    Forum Member DanTheBluesMan's Avatar
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    Re: Telecaster pickup question, need help?

    so you're saying you might have a '72 tele and you didn't post any pictures? Uh-oh, the posting police will be coming for you

    yeah, no need to unsolder the pickups. Again, I'd be leery of that shop. "Oh, we unsoldered your pickups to check them out, and, uh ... somebody walked in while we weren't looking and took them. Yep, that's what happened. Sorry about that, we'll give you some free ones we have laying around."

    150 dollars to check out a guitar? SMH.

    Pics of guitar. If it's a real '72 and all original, you'll see some cool aging and fading. You've already taken the neck off, I gather. Pics of neck, neck pocket, neck plate, headstock front and back, pickup cavity, bottom of control panel, bottom of bridge plate. Guitar porn, we wants it
    "Live and learn and flip the burns"

  6. #6
    Forum Member CoyotesGator's Avatar
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    Re: Telecaster pickup question, need help?



    Pictures please!
    What happend?
    Who let the magic smoke out?

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