How to fix loose pickup pole pieces?

GotMetalBoy

Power User
I have 2 identical Ibanez RG421PB guitars. One I use all the time and the other is my backup that I play once in a while. I noticed my backup guitar sounded like it had more gain and kept getting feedback, so I checked the pickup height and noticed that some of the bridge pickup's pole pieces are super loose and just sink into the pickup. They're stock pickups and no longer in warranty and I don't want to change pickups bc then I'd have to change them on both guitars and have to tweak my presets and it'd be expensive. I've done some online searching but can't find much about lose pole pieces but found info about potting pickups but not sure if that will fix my issue? I don't know how pickups are built, so I'm not sure what holds the pole pieces in place but I've noticed wax comes out around them sometimes when I'm adjusting them on other guitars.

Has anyone had this issue before and know a quick cheap fix? If I need wax, what kind do I need and where do I get it? If I need wider pole piece screws, what kind of metal do they have to be and where do I get them?
 

Thanks for the suggestion but I don't think Loctite Threadlocker Blue 242 Nut and Bolt Locker will work bc there's wax in the Pole Piece hole but I may buy some for other repairs.

I'm going to try removing the loose Pole Pieces and dipping them in melted Paraffin wax and then put them back in while the wax is still hot. If that doesn't work I'm going to try dripping hot wax into the Pole Piece holes.
 
Just pot it. That should do. BTW, how is your guitar stored so that wax even comes out of it ??? In plain sun in Nevada desert or in the back of your car ? During a stay in Indonesia I had ants getting in the guitar and eating wax of the PU...
 
Just pot it. That should do. BTW, how is your guitar stored so that wax even comes out of it ??? In plain sun in Nevada desert or in the back of your car ? During a stay in Indonesia I had ants getting in the guitar and eating wax of the PU...

On some of my other guitars I've noticed wax coming out around the pole piece screws when I'm adjusting them. I adjust the pole piece screws, so each string is the same level and similar dynamics. I think my backup guitar issue is just bc it was a super cheap guitar, so I can't expect great quality control. My 2 main guitars are usually in my basement which is usually under 67 degrees and 50% humidity. I keep my other 20 something guitars and basses on the 1st floor which is kept at 67 degrees. I never leave my gear in my car very long during gigs, so it doesn't get too hot or cold.
 
I deal with this a lot. Several times a month, actually.
For loose pole screws, I'll clean out any wax from the threads in the bobbin, and drop-fill the hole with thin cyano glue. Then I'll run through it with a 5-40 thread tap.
For pole slugs, I'll fix them at the height they need to be, and place a small drop on the bottom side of the bobbin, 2 drops per slug, on on each side between slugs, so that the glue does not interfere with magnetic contact. You'll have to remove the slug-side from the base-plate to do this, though.

Wax potting may help. Be careful though. If you hit 180F with the wax, you're entering a danger zone of melting the bobbins.



Building pickups since 1998 has taught me a lot of things.
 
I deal with this a lot. Several times a month, actually.
For loose pole screws, I'll clean out any wax from the threads in the bobbin, and drop-fill the hole with thin cyano glue. Then I'll run through it with a 5-40 thread tap.
For pole slugs, I'll fix them at the height they need to be, and place a small drop on the bottom side of the bobbin, 2 drops per slug, on on each side between slugs, so that the glue does not interfere with magnetic contact. You'll have to remove the slug-side from the base-plate to do this, though.

Wax potting may help. Be careful though. If you hit 180F with the wax, you're entering a danger zone of melting the bobbins.



Building pickups since 1998 has taught me a lot of things.

Thanks for the info!

I have a few questions:

Is cyano glue the same thing as Super Glue?
Will it affect the sound of the pickup?
Do you fill the entire hole with cyano glue?
Do I need to use anything special to remove all the wax, so the cyano glue adheres to the bobbin hole?
 
Has anyone had this issue before and know a quick cheap fix?
It may be the PU cover also. Mark Day cured his feed back pick up issues by hot gluing the cover to the pickup. He said it was the pick up cover vibrating, so he hot glued the cover at a few points
 
Thanks for the info!

I have a few questions:

Is cyano glue the same thing as Super Glue?
Will it affect the sound of the pickup?
Do you fill the entire hole with cyano glue?
Do I need to use anything special to remove all the wax, so the cyano glue adheres to the bobbin hole?

More or less the same, yes.
Will not affect the sound noticeably, if at all.
I usually drop fill around the threads, but not filling up the entire hole, no. A toothpick is good for holding small drops of glue.

To remove wax, I use a liquid called D-limonene from a local candle supply place. Citrus based. There are several otehr brands of wax removers. A soaked Q-tip in the hole would work well...
 
I deal with this a lot. Several times a month, actually.
For loose pole screws, I'll clean out any wax from the threads in the bobbin, and drop-fill the hole with thin cyano glue. Then I'll run through it with a 5-40 thread tap.
For pole slugs, I'll fix them at the height they need to be, and place a small drop on the bottom side of the bobbin, 2 drops per slug, on on each side between slugs, so that the glue does not interfere with magnetic contact. You'll have to remove the slug-side from the base-plate to do this, though.

Wax potting may help. Be careful though. If you hit 180F with the wax, you're entering a danger zone of melting the bobbins.



Building pickups since 1998 has taught me a lot of things.
Thank you for this info, but can you expand a lil on it as follows: 1) for pole screws, once you clean out the wax and put the glue then there is no more wax and that type of glue serves the same function as typical waxing does? 2) for pole screws, does the running through with 5-40 tap allow to cause sort of friction as in when putting the glue alone it will be too smooth to ‘grab onto the poles? 3) for pole slugs, can you clarify on do I remove baseplate, then putting 2 drops on each slugs side and not on the two ends of slugs flat surface? 4) or other than doing any of the above then using (re) waxing instead is other option?
Sorry, I’m kind of ‘dense as I can see or I should say sense what your teaching, but when grabbing onto some concepts since I don’t know some terms used and instructions so I need read the context then see like a diagram or photo showing the pictures of the parts with labels of what part it is and perhaps step by step instructions of what you describe so please add a link or file or such where I can see the images too. Thanks for your time and energy!
 
Sorry, I had forgotten about this post. I haven't been here much lately...

The glue basically builds up enough surface area to be able to cut new threads.
On the slugs, one drop on each side. The glue will seep into the hole and secure the slug. As a matter of fact, that's what Seymour Duncan does for the vast majority of the 7-string humbucker I've seen come through here. The bobbins are Korean, and the holes are slightly oversized and don't fit the 3/16th inch slugs properly.
Repotting could help, but wax has a tendency to be too soft...

I'l see if I can make some pictures soon.
 
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