Pickup Rewinding and Pickup Repair in Manhattan
A pickup that has gone dead, dropped half its output, or crackles when you tap it usually has a broken coil wire, not a dead magnet. Rewinding puts a new coil on the original bobbin and magnets, so a vintage PAF or a 60s Strat pickup keeps its parts and its sound instead of being replaced.
When a pickup needs a rewind
The classic signs: no output at all from one pickup, a big volume drop compared to the others, a thin or tinny sound that showed up overnight, or an open reading on a meter. Old enamel wire corrodes where it meets the eyelet, and one break anywhere in several thousand turns kills the coil. We diagnose it first ($65), which includes checking the leads, pots and switch, since a bad solder joint is cheaper than a rewind.
What a rewind is
We strip the old coil, keep the bobbin, magnets, baseplate and cover, and wind new wire to the original turn count and gauge, or to a target output you specify. $125 per coil: a single coil or P-90 is one coil, a humbucker is two. Wax potting is included so it doesn't squeal. Vintage pickups come back with their original look and DC resistance in the right range.
Smaller fixes
If the coil is fine but the lead wire is cracked or too short, new leads are $75 for a single coil and $100 for a humbucker, including vintage braided or modern 4-conductor wire. A steel baseplate on a Tele bridge pickup is $40 and adds low end. Magnet swaps and re-charging are quoted after we see the pickup.
What we rewind
Fender-style single coils, Gibson humbuckers and P-90s, Gretsch Filter'Trons, Jazzmaster and Jaguar pickups, mini humbuckers, Precision and Jazz bass pickups, and most lipstick and gold-foil designs. Epoxy-potted pickups (many actives and some budget pickups) can't be rewound and we'll tell you up front.
Prices
| Electronics Diagnosis & CleaningFind the fault before paying for a rewind | $65 |
|---|---|
| Pickup RewindPer coil, potting included | $125 / coil |
| New Pickup Leads, Single Coil | $75 |
| New Pickup Leads, Humbucker4-conductor or braided | $100 |
| Steel Baseplate, Tele BridgePer pickup | $40 each |
| Pickup Install, First PickupIf we reinstall it for you | $100 |
See the full repair and setup menu for everything else we do.
Rewinds take 1 to 2 weeks. You can drop off the whole guitar or just the pickup. Prices are labor; wire and parts are included in the rewind price.
Get a free quote
Common questions
- How much does it cost to rewind a guitar pickup in NYC?
- $125 per coil at Brothers Guitar Shop. A single coil or P-90 is $125, a humbucker is $250 for both coils. Diagnosis is $65 and is waived into the job if we rewind.
- Is it worth rewinding a pickup instead of replacing it?
- For a vintage or original pickup, yes: you keep the magnets, bobbin and cover that make it what it is. For a stock pickup on a budget guitar a replacement is usually cheaper. We'll tell you which.
- How do I know if my pickup is dead?
- No sound from that pickup position while the others work, or a sudden drop in output. A multimeter reading of open or infinite resistance across the leads confirms a broken coil.
- Can you rewind a humbucker with only one dead coil?
- Yes, we rewind only the bad coil and match it to the good one, $125.
- Do you rewind bass pickups?
- Yes. Precision, Jazz and most passive bass pickups are $125 per coil.