I love musical instruments. I love the sound, the smell, the feel, the vibration, the history, the whole idea that music can be hidden in a chunk of wood and that with a bit of human and electronic intervention, the whole things becomes magical.
In the beginning… I acquired a 1973 Telecaster Custom in pretty rough shape. The electronics suffered from oxidation and the bridge pickup was dead, it needed to be restored and re-wound. I then discovered that only half of the original “Wide-Range Humbucker” was working, so that needed restoration as well. After it was put back together and set up right, it sounded and played like the glory that this instrument is!
Here are some highlights…
- Disassembly and testing
- Cutting out the old wire
- Went all the way in, cleaned and treated the flat work, dipped in lacquer, Gaussed the pole pieces
- Rewound (8,000 turns of #42 plain enamel wire!)
- Wrapped
- Wax (beeswax from my own hives) potted and installed! Looks and sounds like it was supposed to!