Dead STAT Pickups; Suggestions?

[schundog]

This summer I picked up my beautiful time-capsule 1986 STAT (the year I graduated High School) from our buddy and great player, Rhodescholar. He gave full disclosure before I bought it that the neck and middle pickup were not functioning. A couple of you guys took a look at it at PSP, and couldn't figure out what was wrong. I FINALLY took it to my tech today, and he just called me to tell me the bad news; the neck and middle pickup are dead. They are sealed, and can't be rewound, yada yada. He walked me through the steps he went through to make sure it really WAS the pickups and not the switches/wiring, and I trust him.

 

My question for you guys is: Should I try to find Schaller Single Coils, or replace them with something different. If so, what would be an equivalent or better to the stock pickups? I'm looking forward to your suggestions!

 

[Billgelder]

Not to 2nd guess your tech, but it is odd that both pickups are bad. There a ton of single coil pickups available. I have had good luck with SD Alnico 2 Pro APS2 or APS1.

[schundog]

I know, Bill. I had hoped it was just wiring or the switches, but Kevin is The Man. If the pickups, indeed, must be replaced, I want to do it right. Thanks for the suggestions!

[H]

Let's see some pics of the guitar so we can think of suitable replacements, Schundog

[PunkKitty]

I would send a note to Becky Lawrence at Wilde pickups to see what she suggests for a SSH set.

[Gitfiddler]

Send it back to the factory for Ren to retrofit what he thinks should go in it. That maintains the originality of that special instrument as much as possible, plus Ren is a certifiable genius when it comes to all things guitar techy...and more.

 

If it were just another single coil pickup swap, you could just drop anything in there. Call Ren first. Get him interested. From there you guys work out the best solution.

[tbonesullivan]

you might want to just replace all three, unless you want to stock with the schallers. If you go for all three, you can get a set that is calibrated/designed to work well together in an SSH setting. Maybe get the two singles RWRP so you can get hum cancelling when you use both.

[schundog]

Let's see some pics of the guitar so we can think of suitable replacements, Schundog

 

You are a Picture-Whore, Howard.... I am all too happy to oblige, however, haha.

 

PK: I'm not looking to spend a ton of money on "the best" pickups on this, but I'll check into that option.

 

Tim: Good idea; I almost left it with the boys at PSP, but they didn't seem all that interested in dealing with it. That could have just been that fact that I was presenting it to them on the day of the "Big Event." This should be fun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[H]

 

You are a Picture-Whore, Howard.... I am all too happy to oblige, however, haha.

 

 

You got me

 

The singles remind me of Bill Lawrence Keystones. You could do a lot worse....

[H]

Your foot, S-Dog?

[big bob]

The stock Schaller pickups are IMHO the perfect match for the stat. If I lost the set in my stat I would look to find a replacement set. If that was a bust there are lots of great options.

[schundog]

Your foot, S-Dog?

 

EWW,Sorry for the Foot Shot! haha

[yoslate]

Send it back to the factory for Ren to retrofit what he thinks should go in it. That maintains the originality of that special instrument as much as possible, plus Ren is a certifiable genius when it comes to all things guitar techy...and more.

 

If it were just another single coil pickup swap, you could just drop anything in there. Call Ren first. Get him interested. From there you guys work out the best solution.

 

There are probably a lot of answers to your question, Brian. Then there's Tim's, which is the right one.

[big bob]

http://www.touchstonetonewoods.co.uk/products/electric-pickups-180/schaller-electric-guitar-pick-up-s6-series-single-open-coil-1260.aspx

[DavesNotHere]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There you go Brian, The high E isn't on the roller. That will cause all kinds of nasty sh*t.

But seriously, it's hard to believe that two pickups went bad. Are they open or shorted?

I can believe two switches went bad as they are mechanical.

I say this with 30 years of electrical design experience. Pretty much the only way a coil goes bad is if it experiences excess current. I can't see how a pickup would experience excess current. It's possible that there was a latent manufacturing defect, but two on one guitar is highly improbable.

 

And I must say I love the Schallers in my STAT!

I Love My stat! Any excuse to post a picture

 

[High Flying Bird]

 

But seriously, it's hard to believe that two pickups went bad. Are they open or shorted? I can believe two switches went bad as they are mechanical. I say this with 30 years of electrical design experience. Pretty much the only way a coil goes bad is if it experiences excess current. I can't see how a pickup would experience excess current. It's possible that there was a latent manufacturing defect, but two on one guitar is highly improbable.

I have to agree.

[JohnCovach]

I like Lollar blackface pickups, flat pole pieces. You can get a neck and a reverse-wound middle for hum-canceling.

[holyroller]

Nice pics!!! These are kilker guitars!!!

[Alex94706]

I say this with 30 years of electrical design experience. Pretty much the only way a coil goes bad is if it experiences excess current. I can't see how a pickup would experience excess current.

 

Perhaps a clueless former owner, or a small child thereof, once plugged the guitar into the speaker output jack of an amp instead of the input?

[mars_hall]

Got an ohmmeter? Plug a cord in and measure the impedance between the tip and ring at the end of the cord with one of the two switches towards the neck turned on at a time. Turn it off then try the other. Should be around 8K or so on each pickup.

 

I like APS Duncans as well, but put Antiquity Texas Hots in mine. My next Strat pup swap will go with Dimarzio Cruisers like Andy Timmons (Greg's brother) uses.

 

[SouthpawGuy]

Another alternative if you do decide to replace the p'ups would be DiMarzio Injectors. They are noise free like the Cruiser but look like a conventional single coil. They're usually combined with a DiMarzio Area 67 in the middle position, it's a lot lower output but allows for more quack in the 2 and 4 positions.