old f-100

I love my F-100 (non-active electronics version) and play it almost every night. It sounds good (and feels awesome!) but is a little dead sounding in the higher strings.

This thing is like 30 years old now so I'm wondering:

1. do i need to replace the pickups? (they look real dirty).

or

2. is there something i can do to breath new life into the pickups?

if you've picked up that i know nothing about how a guitar actually works then you understand the situation.

thank you.

1. do i need to replace the pickups? (they look real dirty).

I never heard that ceramic magnets would fade over time, at least that relative short time. So the other big part of a pickup, the coils do either work or they don't.

So, what most likely did change is the ability of hearing high frequencies.

Despite that, it's also possible that a coil of one of the pickups is broken. That could be easily checked with a multimeter and even without disassembling something, just by measuring between tip and ring at the free end of a plugged in cable. All cranked up, there should be different values, depending on the pickup selector position and the split switch and there should never be an infinite resistance, with the multimeter put to a range of 20 kOhm.

New strings would be the other idea, but I guess you came up to that already.

1. do i need to replace the pickups? (they look real dirty).

or

2. is there something i can do to breath new life into the pickups?

How do you have the controls set? Assuming you are familiar with the F-100's switching configuration...if not, the instructions are in the "Instrument Manuals and Wiring Schematics" section of the Gallery. You'll want the sheet for the F-100, not the F-100E. I'm not sure how to link directly to that page, so if anybody else knows please help out!

You mentioned not knowing how a guitar actually works, so I'll go out on a limb here with some very basics. Do you hear a big difference in the amount of treble when you turn the treble control? It's the middle knob. As that knob turns counterclockwise, the high frequencies should go away. Turn it all the way clockwise, and you should have every bit of treble the guitar is capable of. If both the large and small black switches are pointing toward the bridge, the treble control won't work. In any other switch positions it should. If you have the red switch pointing toward the neck, the guitar will have more bass in the signal; this could sound like a loss of treble. Also, the neck pickup shouldn't sound as bright and trebly as the bridge pickup. The large black switch lets you select the pickups (the middle position has both on, otherwise you get the pickup the switch is pointing toward). You could also just be due for a string change.

I hope none of that was too basic. If it was, I didn't mean to be insulting. If the controls seem overly complicated on your F-100, it's because they are. Leo was going for a single guitar that could get any sound a gigging musician might need. I'm just taking you at your word about not being familiar with guitar electronics...

Please let me know if any of that helps you get the sound you're after!

Ken

I'm not sure how to link directly to that page, so if anybody else knows please help out!

Link to F-100 switching page

Thanks!

When is the last time you changed your strings?

Thank you for the replies. I'm digging in now.

I run the big switch in the middle. The neck-side little switch is up the neck and the bridge side little switch is facing the bridge (I think; and I will edit this line if I am incorrect). This seems to give me the most beef and sounds the most right.

I crank the volume and tone knobs and will occasionally ride the volume knob and it works as expected.

I change my strings occasionally but I will throw on a new set.

So, I'm guessing that everything is working properly but I just haven't dialed it in. I'm not sure how the riser screws in the pickups should be set or each of the flat-head screws in the actual pickup should be adjusted to finesse the sound.

I'll read the material that was posted, try some stuff, rinse and repeat.

If there is some literature or advice on adjusting those pickups and bolts, I'm all ears.

For clarity, the high notes sound wimpy like the battery is dying a little (i know there is no battery ) compared to the big strings of an A barre chord, for example.

thank you again.

truck

I run the big switch in the middle. The neck-side little switch is up the neck and the bridge side little switch is facing the bridge

So you're using single coil mode and both pickups at the same time.

I would not change anything at the pole pieces, what you called "flat head screws", they should be even to the top of the pickup, not raised and not sunken.

If the sound of the strings is dying, maybe it's caused by one of the pickups or both are too close to the strings.

Maybe you look at these 6 videos to give you an idea of the setup for pickups, which is handled in one of theese, this is the first one, you'll have to switch to youtube for the other ones:

phpBB [video]

perfect! thank you.

For clarity, the high notes sound wimpy like the battery is dying a little (i know there is no battery ) compared to the big strings of an A barre chord, for example.


truck

I've had that sound when (most often) the neck pickup is raised too high, the magnetic field can dampen the vibrations of the strings and choke them out. Its real easy to lower the whole pickup ,an 1/8 inch or so will make the difference if this is happening.
If the frets haven't been levelled well , a fret thats a little higher than it should be can choke out notes before it on the neck.

just brainstorming a bit,
elwood

Do you have any pictures of your F-100 ?
We looove pics : )

For the look and sound of mine, look here: viewtopic.php?f=119&t=9234

ok, thanks for the tips; I hope to set it up later this week and am really looking forward to digging with some tools.

I'll try to take some pics tonight. I've been trying to learn some twangy lead stuff so I have some soundcloud 'notes' recorded of the F-100:
(apologies for the technique)

http://snd.sc/1hRhbda
http://snd.sc/1gf78mO
http://snd.sc/1gf7qdn
http://snd.sc/1gf7wSm

Miles Smiles: thanks for sharing that. amazing guitar and guitar-work there.

pics up over at this thread:

http://guitarsbyleo.com/FORUM/viewtopic.php?p=61226#p61226