Fender trapezoid pickup rattle -- photos of fixes anyone?

Ben Elder · From: La Crescenta, California, USA

I've scanned many threads about the infamous rattle in trapezoid pickups. I have at least two of three pickups on my Custom with the malady. (I should probably check the Dual Pro and the Deluxe one o' these days...) Does anyone have any photos of the fix described? I'm not ready or qualified to tear into these pickups myself and can't really envision what everyone is talking about: replacing bobbins, taping/shimming bobbins (what's a bobbin?), don't overtighten screws (screws? or long bolts holding body together?). Despite my utter lack of mechanical sense, my intellectual curiosity wants to know...
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"Gopher, Everett?"

Rick Stratton · From: Tujunga, California, USA

Hi Ben,
Maybe this pic will help you out-

The 'bobbin' is the plastic shell that the coils are wrapped around. The strings run through the bobbin. The bobbins often warp over time and cause the strings to hit it when you play, causing the rattle.

I had Jason Lollar make me new pickups and he included some plastic shims, in case I might need them in the future.
(see pic)
The pic shown is one of the old pickups I replaced. You can see it had a shim in it already- kind of leaning.
You can super-glue shims (between the strings) to keep the bobbin from colapsing further, or to widen the gap the strings pass through.

I'm in Tujunga, so if you'd like to have a look in person, I'd be glad to show you.
Send me an e-mail!
Good luck! They are great sounding pickups IMHO

Rick Stratton · From: Tujunga, California, USA

Ben,

I forgot to mention:

The shim technique can be done carefully without removing the pickup.

Additional vibrations might also be caused by the pickup not fitting tight enough in the metal case.
I solved that by putting a piece of foam-tape under and above the pickup so that it fits tighter.
To do that, you DO need to open the metal case.

Andy Volk · From: Boston, MA

Ben, the vibration is typically from the deteriorating plastic pickup liner sleeve wrapping the trapazoid pickup. I got rid of the rattle in my old custom by heating a butter knife and pushing it up, against the pickup liner. YMMD.

Garry Vanderlinde · From: CA

Hey Ben, Good thread. Smile

I didn't understand how these Fender pups worked(or not worked) Surprised

I thought they were like the Rickenbachers' where the strings ran through the magnet over a wound bobbin with pole pieces. Never knew that you could run strings through a wound bobbin with a surrounding magnet with no pole pieces.
Just shows how dum I am. Embarassed

P.S. LOVE those spectacles Razz

John Bechtel · From: Nashville, Tennessee, R.I.P.

I had a bobbin begining to collapse onto str. #7 and causing a string-buzz. I stood the guitar on end and placed a drop or two of Elmer's Glue~All onto the opening and spread it around and wiped off the excess-glue. Then I placed a piece of scrap-leather, as a wedge between the strings a the p/u casing, which expanded the bobbin back up into the casing, where it belongs. I let it dry over night and the next morning I removed the leather-wedge and the bobbin remained in placeand now the buzz is gone!
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<marquee> Go~Daddy~Go, (No), Go, It's your Break Time</marquee> L8R, jb
My T-10 Remington Steelmaster

Ben Elder · From: La Crescenta, California, USA

Thanks to all. I'll have to go get the Custom back out of storage to compare and contrast. (Those glasses supposedly have X-Ray Specs capability and maybe a retractable soldering iron in the temple.) When it was apparent that 2 out of the 3 pickups were more a percussion entity, I put the Custom away and pulled out a boxcar Dual Professional. (Separate issue there--lower neck sounds like it's coming over the phone--especially with selector in the both/middle position. Maybe I should work up "Winchester Cathedral" on C6...)
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"Gopher, Everett?"

John Bechtel · From: Nashville, Tennessee, R.I.P.

Since you're only keeping your T-8 Custom in storage, you should consider selling it to a friend of mine! He'll fix it to his own specs.!
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<marquee> Go~Daddy~Go, (No), Go, It's your Break Time</marquee> L8R, jb
My T-10 Remington Steelmaster

Garry Vanderlinde · From: CA

Hey Ben, the "coming over the phone" sound is a pickups out of phase thing (wiring problem). I actually have it purposely on my Surf-waiian guitar as a tone variation. But it's not a desired Vintage Fender tone...it can be fixed.

Howard Parker · From: Maryland

Hate to resurrect an old thread, but, I'm a needy person with upcoming gigs.

I have a bobbin that is rattling and shifted up into the housing. I'm going to attempt to add some padding between the two. It's not obvious to me how to actually separate the pieces.

Someone want to lend a little guidance on the steps once the housing is off of the body?

Thanks in advance.

h
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Howard Parker

03\' Carter D-10
70\'s Dekley D-10
52\' Fender Custom
Many guitars by Paul Beard

Raymond Jones · From: British Columbia, Canada

The pickup comes apart by unscrewing the nuts on the bottom of the plate. Be careful as the bolt part is fastened to the top cover, a big problem if it broke off. As well as the movement problem in my pickup the insulation at the back of the housing was not long enough to cover the two solder points of the coil. when the coil moved it would cut the sound out. Just another thing to check. BUT - love the sound when all is well !

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