Suggestions for SD SSL-4 Quarter Pounder

[frets]

Searching for anyone out there that may know of an inherent problem with Seymour-Duncan’s Quarter Pounder Single Coil; or, can guide me through repairing it. It just went dead. Dead...dead. Suddenly. No Ted Nugent guitar antics, just playing along and it croaked. Where would be the first place you’d look at for a repair. I have it out of the guitar.

[blademaster2]

Well, if it was still in the guitar I would first check switches and controls to see if debris caused them to open circuit on the signal path. If it is out of the guitar you can check with an ohmmeter to see if it is still an unbroken coil (should read below 10,000 ohms typically).

If you have no ohmmeter, then you can take the wires from the pickup and connect them (even with fingers) to the two contacts of a guitar cord plugged into an amplifier (not turned up too loud), and then tap on something that is ferrous (like a screwdriver or other metal object) using, say, a pencil in front of the pickup. It should make the tapping sound come through the amplifier. If that works then the pickup is working - and you can look at the more likely causes of no signal, such as the switches and control knobs (or broken wire in the cavity).

Good luck.

[frets]

Blade,
Unfortunately it’s not measuring squat. And I tried the tap test - nada. I’ve never heard of a guitar pickup just all of a sudden not function in the middle of a song. I know I’m going to have to open it up and repair it. I was hoping someone could give me a couple of tips.

[b4nj0]

Have you excluded the pig tailsby measuring right at the eyelets? If as you say no output on a tap test and testing open circuit, look at those eyelets for a break. You may get lucky but you'll need even more to reconnect it. I'd need a magnifying glass! Otherwise, I guess it must be open somewhere in the winding. Thousands of turns but which one where? I kind of think that having established that much then I'd be filing it under "B" for bin but other folk are more determined than me. I too have a circa 1980 SD 1/4 pounder, so perhaps it's a ticking time bomb?

e&oe ...

[frets]

I think you’re right. It’s dead forever. I just don’t see how a pickup can just break a winding in the guitar. I guess there is a weakness in the wire and under such tension it just pops.

[newey]

I just don’t see how a pickup can just break a winding in the guitar. I guess there is a weakness in the wire and under such tension it just pops

It's just the 'ol 2nd law of Thermodynamics at work. Or, as David Byrne sang: "Things fall apart. It's scientific."

[frets]

Love it!!

[ziggystardust723]

Hello Frets,
I'm all New on this Forum..
But not in Life:
66yo & winding pickups for 8y..
Maybe since all the time,
> you Changed the PU, or Repared it.
- What did you.?
> Not came to wind pickups.?
- I got 3 Pickups like this,
= 3 Shaller Tele Bridge: 14,4k each.!
> Too Loud for a Strat (Ibanez Roadstar2, got in '86),
> I'd to Reduce the Neck pu to 10,5k
- the Middle to 11,5k,
> & keeped the Bridge on 14,4k..
- But a few days latter:
= I'd to change it for a HB SH-4..
I sold this guitar to a girl-friend
- but she died 6y ago..
> So, his ex friend-boy gave me backvthis Guitar (& a little Amp I sold to her + many Music things, cause He didn't play..)
Since this time: I pull off all the Pus, cause I got a windind machine,
> & Can't Hear no more the muddy Factory Sounds of all Pickups of the Market..
> With time: more you play, more your Hearring goes 0pened,
= so you can't hear what it's wrong:
Cause your Hear more & more..
= With Time: you can't Hear the 'Poor Sound' of Factory Pickups..
> They look too 'inconsistant'..
- I don't know for all people,
> but for me: it was 8y ago, when I was 58..
= I Had to get better Sounds, but not as money to 0ffer 'boutic pus' to my 10 elec guitars..
> So, I decided to Make a Winding Machine, & a Friend told me he was ok to bye 0ne with me: said 0k!
> So I got a Schatten, & Wind my 0wn pickups.. really Fun.!
& The Best Sound.!
> Got 7 Wires, waiting a 8th,
& Looking for an 0ther, & it's 0k.
- Try to Wind your 0wn pickups.!
> It's the Best Way.!
Bye, Ziggy.

[frets]

Yo Ziggy!!

I have long wanted to wind my own single coils and have never gotten around to doing it. However, your post has prodded me to ponder doing so in the near future. It is on my bucket list. But, I’d rather wind using a motorized setup. I ask those on the forum if any soul can recommend an inexpensive machine to do the deed?

[ziggystardust723]

Hi Frets,
Nice for answer..
I undestand it's not really easy to wind yourself,
- 1st when you work & all around
- to Wind is not really easy for anybody:
- at 7ender: since 1948 to End '64,
= 0nly Wemen did this Work, cause they got thin fingers to move the wire, like their Queen:
= Abigail Ybarra..
- For a Man: it's many times harder,
for bigger fingers..
- cause the Wire is really Thin,
= for a 'std' one:
- like Awg42 which were wound P-90, started in 1946 (with an Awg38 at the begining for some months.. like were made the 1st: the 1932 'Horse-Shoe' Rickenbacher, & so the Gibson 'Charlie Christian' in 1937..),
- then the Tele Bridge in 1953, the Strato set in 1954, the Gibson Paf in 1957, & many many since this time,
> Awg42 = 0,063 mm for diameter of the Copper Wire
= inside the Coat you see
= a little more with the Coat,
- but Wich one.?
- There are 3: Big, Moderate & Thin,
= for 3 Characters of Sound..
- the last one is very Thin:
= near 0,003 mm, so you Can See the Copper wire throug it (also it's a variety of Vernish: Polyurethane, but named Polysol for Pickups)
> like it's the Thinnest: it produces the Hotter Sound: for Blues
(but It's the Cheapper, & came Latter cause from 'Petrochimy', then 99% of all pickups of the Market are done with this one: But not All the World guitarists Play Blues)
-For Rock: it's the Middle called Plain-Enamel: brown (like Played J.Hendrix, Rory Gallagher, Richie Blackmore..)
- & for 'Vintage+ Sound', Jazz & Country: it is the Biggest Coat: The Heavy-Formvar, Red one (also for playing 'Sultans 0f Swing'/Dire-Straits = this kind of Coat: for 'Clean & Colored Sound'..)
- Today I received my 8th Wire: Awg44
- I need only 1more: Awg45 (0,044 mm)
> to wind all Hot-Rails, SH-4, SH-6..
- & It will be enough..
- But I din't find this one (only on E-Bay: but too Expensive..)
- Bye bye Butterfly,
- Ziggy (Paris, France).

[frets]

Hey Ziggy⚡️🪐,

Thanks for the information regarding the correct wire gauges for various styles of pickups by genre. I need to learn more about this. I am going to start researching it on the internet. The winding machine is my only anxiety.

[ziggystardust723]

Hello Frets,
I only told what I know well, but for the 0hms/Meter for Each Wire:
- It's 'about/around', nobody tell the sames.. but it gives an Idea..
- & gives to understand more why in Exemple:
- Tele Neck makes near 7,7k (Awg43)
- & Tele Bridge only 6,5k, being Bigger..
> 'cause wound with Awg42, since '53.
& To Wind is really an Adventure, but difficult for Men whom have big Fingers & bad Eyes:
- The wires are all really Smalls:
Ex: Awg42 the 'Std' is the biggest,
= but is only 0,063 mm/ Diameter,
& the Thickest Awg45 is 0,044 mm..
= You must have good Eyes & Fine Fingers,
> but if you want a Really Good Sound
= you have to Pull Well the Wire all along the Winding (for me: around 20/25 mnts for a Strato, 'cause I take care.. but don't have to Use Potting: & have much better Sounds..)
- The Friend who by the Winder machine with me: did't want to wind,
> I had to insist for make him winding 0ne Pickup: a Strato with 2 Ends: 1st around 6k for 'std Sound'
- & 2nd near 8k for 'Solos'..
- When you learn & learn: you can do many Sounds, all so Pretty!.
- How 0ld are you.?
- I started 8y ago: was 58, & now 66.
> & get 8 diff Wires at this time..
- Waiting to Find an Awg45 for good price (= not on E-Bay..) to wind 'Hot-Rails' Strato size, & kinds of SH-4/TB-4 & SH-6/TB-6 (Wound with Same kind of winding: 0nly kind of Magnets change: Alnico5 in SH-4/TB-4 & Ceramic for SH-6/TB-6 +many others)
- As I said: you learn many things..
From wich Country are you came from?
- Bye bye butterfly!.
- Ziggy (France, 8h02.)