How should I go about un-potting my un-potted pickups?

SunDevil

PRS McCarty's with the McCarty pickups have a reputation for being a bit plummy, so I was always expecting to swap a set of Thornbuckers into this guitar when I got it, but I was surprised when I took the McCartys out last night

Pretty sure these were un-potted when stock and I'm fairly sure that nobody considers this a Pro-job of re-attaching the covers

https://i.imgur.com/aM3HW3v.jpg
(no idea why this isn't inserting the pic for me, it normally works? - thanks for @mrkb for posting below)

How much difference it'll make it probably debatable (it's clearer with the Thornbuckers, but you've never mistake it for an Ash Tele), but how would I go about taking a few pounds of wax out of these?

I'm reading that Naphtha (aka lighter fluid?) may be preferable to heating them up to melt the wax?

mrkb

ICBM

I think they're potted as new - I can't be certain since I don't have mine any more. I would use heat to melt the wax out - I'd be very cautious about using any kind of solvent.

For what it's worth, if you're intending to use these without coil-splitting, cut the white wires about an inch from the pickup, fold over the end and heatshrink to protect it. If you want to use the coil splits, it would be better to replace the cabling with two-core shielded. Why PRS intentionally leave the coil-split wires out of the shielding, I have no idea - it causes considerable noise issues. (Actually worse when not split, since the white wires then act as an aerial.)

SunDevil

Cheers @ICBM - any ideas on max surface temp for the metal of the pickup if I'm using heat?

Figuring that I can use a thermometer gun to keep it below the failure point of whatever's the weakest link in the pickup internals (the bobbin maybe)?

ICBM

SunDevil said:

Cheers @ICBM - any ideas on max surface temp for the metal of the pickup if I'm using heat?

Figuring that I can use a thermometer gun to keep it below the failure point of whatever's the weakest link in the pickup internals (the bobbin maybe)?

Yes, the bobbin is the bit to worry about.

I've always done it with a hairdryer and some kitchen roll to absorb the wax, and just use the minimum amount of heat until the wax starts to flow out. Not very sophisticated, but I haven't damaged a pickup so far...

Collings

ICBM said:

I think they're potted as new - I can't be certain since I don't have mine any more.

I've had 3 McCarty's and the pickups were potted in them all.

SunDevil

Cheers Gents - I’m assuming this has been extra-special thrice dipped at some point - not seen this much wax since a trip to Madame Tussauds as a kid

victorludorum

Hairdryer, as @ICBM said.

Henrytwang

I’ve used a heat gun on low, as soon as the wax starts to melt I remove the heat source so that I don’t overheat the bobbins etc. I’ve found that even some old Epiphone humbuckers can sound pretty decent when most of the wax is melted out.

Adey

Could you immerse it in some hot water, above the melting point of the wax, and then dry it out thoroughly?