Help: pre-war bakelite - electrical problem?

Mark Rende · From: Tokyo, Japan

I've got a pre-war Ric bakelite (chrome plates, single control knob), all original apart from the tuners. It sounds great - most of time.

There's an intermittent problem where the sound cuts out when plugged into an amp. When that happens, the sound comes through very faintly, and when I crank the volume to compensate, there's a loud hum and a lot of static through the amp. When I give the top of the horseshoe assembly a thump with my palm, it fixes it (sometimes several thumps are required) and the sound comes through loud and clear, no hum, no static.

Of course, when I took it into the shop, it wouldn't do it. It sounded fine. (Always the way, right?) They opened it up, cleaned it up a bit, sprayed some contact cleaner into the pot, checked the plug contact, and pronounced it good to go. (If it makes a difference, they were using a solid state amp at the shop, but I use a tube amp at home.)

Of course, when I got home, it still happens. I tried with different cords, but no difference. Does anyone have any advice? The Ric sounds wonderful when it's working, but I can't trust it for gigging like this.
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Rickenbacher B6 "C57" * Gibson ES-175D * Martin J12-40M * Gibson Les Paul 'R6' * Fender Telecaster '52 AV reissue

Mark Lavelle · From: San Mateo, CA

Did they look at where the wires come out of the pickup? If it's OK there, then you just might have something intermittent inside the pickup itself (making it a candidate for re-winding).

-- Mark
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Bill Creller · From: Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)

Don't know about early bakelites, but early frypan pickups had only one wire coming out, with the other wire against the magnets, under the pickup, as a ground lead. If your pickup has only one wire showing from the coil, and a ground running from the pickup bracket/base plate, that could be the way it's wired.
If it is that way, removing the coil and cleaning the wire end and the area where it contacts the magnet should solve the problem.

Mark Rende · From: Tokyo, Japan

Thanks so much for the great tips! Is it necessary to remove the pickup assembly from the body to check that?
_________________
Rickenbacher B6 "C57" * Gibson ES-175D * Martin J12-40M * Gibson Les Paul 'R6' * Fender Telecaster '52 AV reissue

Kelvin Monaghan · From: Victoria, Australia

Hi Mark,take off the strings and gently lift out the pickup,plug into an amp and strike a tuning fork,if you can get one,over the pickup,if all is well you will have a strong signal.With a chopstick or some non metallic implement gently poke the pickup wires a nd you should be able to find the short.The old Rick wiring is very simple poke around the pot solder joints quite often a dry joint or grounding is the problem.Cheers Kelvin

Kelvin Monaghan · From: Victoria, Australia

Hi Mark,take off the strings and gently lift out the pickup,plug into an amp and strike a tuning fork,if you can get one,over the pickup,if all is well you will have a strong signal.With a chopstick or some non metallic implement gently poke the pickup wires a nd you should be able to find the short.The old Rick wiring is very simple poke around the pot solder joints quite often a dry joint or grounding is the problem.Cheers Kelvin

Andy Barlo · From: Schererville, Indiana, USA * R.I.P.

Hi Mark,

I had the very same problem. What I found out was that the very thin coil winding wire had a break in it and when I tapped the horeshoe magnet it would work. Or sometimes when I turned the guitar over it would work. Remove the pickup carefully and check the coil wire for possible break. I resoldered the wire and it solved the problem. Hope this is the same easy fix for your situation. Andy

John Dahms · From: Perkasie, Pennsylvania, USA

What Bill Creller said applies to very early Bakelite pickups as well as his frying pan. corrosion (how could that happen after only 75 years?) adds resistance and the ground is too weak. I hope that's all it is in your case.
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Mark Rende · From: Tokyo, Japan

Thanks so much for all the help, guys. What a great forum! This is better than CarTalk! Smile

I'll let you know how I fare.
_________________
Rickenbacher B6 "C57" * Gibson ES-175D * Martin J12-40M * Gibson Les Paul 'R6' * Fender Telecaster '52 AV reissue

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

I just took down one of my several Ric's........one I haven't played before and encountered the same difficulty.

The problem is in my Volume pot. It's off until I find one little spot then it's on.

I'll replace it soon. It works just like an on and off light switch. Not nearly as technical as some of the other problems described herein.

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