Toaster Ohm Readings

[bubbasweet]

I have a 66 360. My question Is,, is it possible to measure toasters while in the guitar? I am getting around 8K on the bridge pickup but on the neck pickup funny reading between 19 and 240K depending on how the controls are set.. I think the other pickup should be around 8K also but I do not really want to disturb the solder joint to take it out of the circuit to measure. I am getting a pretty bad hum also like a bad ground when I plug it into an amp. Anyone technical here? I need to know if my bridge pickup is not giving me a proper reading because it is in the circuit. I measured my 68 and both are about 7.5K but I am able to measure in the circuit. I can fix amps no problem but guitar pickups are foreign to me.

The 360 is a stereo guitar though and has that double jack. Not sure if this maked a difference.

[doctorwho]

IIRC there was a post detailing how to do this, but I don't remember in what section and how long ago it was posted.

[jps]

IIRC there was a post detailing how to do this, but I don't remember in what section and how long ago it was posted.

This sounds a bit out of form for you, Gary.

[beatlefreak]

The best way to measure the resistance of the pickup coils while on the guitar is to open the control cavity. Set the pickup selector switch to the pickup you do not want to measure, then measure the one you do. This takes the volume and tone controls circuit out of the equation, isolating the pickup. Then set the selector switch to the other side and measure the other pickup.

[bubbasweet]

Then I might have a problem. 19K? What would cause this? Should be about 7.5K on the neck pickup no?

[beatlefreak]

Yes, it sounds like a problem there. Could be a cold solder joint where the lead wire attaches to the pickup coil wire.

[bubbasweet]

Yes I think it appears to be open. I will remove the pickup this eve and hopfully it is there that the open is.

Anyone know if these are in fact the original pickups for a 66 - 360?



http://img2.imageshack.us/img2/8135/imgp7095.jpg

[bubbasweet]

The Bridge pickup measures 7.9K The neck infinite.

[beatlefreak]

Those appear to be original. If you're not getting any reading, then the coil is open somewhere. Carefully take the pickup apart and inspect the joints where the coil waire attaches. The coil wire is extremely small (44 gauge), so work carefully. Hopefully the break is at or near one of the attachment points.

[Woodie]

I agree they look original, but I'm surprised to see a long pole in the neck in '66...

[bubbasweet]

The routes are definatly fireglow color and clear coated over. The Solder joiunts look untouched as well. I think I have read other posts where people have said they had this on their 360's. What year did it start/stop with the long in the neck position and what is the pro/con or tonal difference whether short or long in this position. I wonder why they changed or did this at Rick?

[Woodie]

If memory serves (and that's only sometimes), they switched to short poles in the neck in the mid 60's to maximize the strength of the neck joint. I think...

[collin]

I agree they look original, but I'm surprised to see a long pole in the neck in '66...

This past year, '66 Rics seem to follow me like crazy. I've inspected each one, and 3/4 of them all had the standard neck route.

I believe they started installing short pole toasters towards the end of the year (fall---Sept, Oct. etc. ) as they also transitioned to two-piece tops, though I've had three piece top models with the short pole toasters as well.

'66 is a well-documented transition year, most likely to deal with the massive demand for Rickenbackers and the huge production numbers that year, plus issues like the weaker neck joint were becoming obvious at that time. I'm just speculating here, but the changes seem to make sense.

[collin]

Ps....there is virtually no tonal difference between short and long pole toasters from the same era.

Short pole toasters are in demand because people missing pickups don't want to route their non-long-pole guitar.

[doctorwho]

IIRC there was a post detailing how to do this, but I don't remember in what section and how long ago it was posted.

This sounds a bit out of form for you, Gary.

Age - memory - they are inversely proportional ...