MMB-5: The Un-Levined Loaf

**Bass Guy** · 12-09-2018, 07:46 PM

Took delivery of my next project, and came across an issue in the preassembly stage. The pickup has an unattached grey fibrous collection of wire coming out from the bobbin. I'm a little concerned that the pickup may be damaged, or am I missing something basic?

See the link below- for some her irritating reason photos won't upload to this site from my phone.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?sto...4&id=708560123

**Simon Barden** · 12-09-2018, 09:10 PM

That's the end of the cable screen. If the pickup has a metal baseplate, then it should be connected to that so that the plate is grounded. If it's a plastic baseplate, then it's still quite normal for the screen to be connected to the two magnets to ground them. On these cheap pickups, that's often done simply by using the wax from the pickup dipping to keep the screen or ground wire in place. So it either needs to make contact with the magnets (probably ceramic so I doubt if they could be soldered), or cut off back to the end of the cable. Without any connection to the magnets, then the pickup may be very slightly noisier than normal, but with the pickup being a humbucker, it shouldn't matter too much unless you split the coils when it will be more noticeable with just a single coil (though screening the cavity should provide a similar level of noise reduction).

**Brendan** · 13-09-2018, 12:12 AM

Right - so plans?

**wazkelly** · 13-09-2018, 04:46 AM

Also keen to find out what you have planned for this one.

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**Andyxlh** · 13-09-2018, 05:21 AM

Simon...... I have yet to see you stumped by a problem, well done!

**Bass Guy** · 13-09-2018, 06:44 AM

Thank you Simon- that's a great relief to know!

Plans are still in incubation. Yesterday I was contemplating a Red Special colour scheme (cherry body with matching headstock, black pickguard and silver pup housing) simply because I have the stain, but that might be a bit rash.