Support & Troubleshooting

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Please read the provided instructions. Even if you have installed other pickups before there are a few considerations specific to our products that will help ensure proper installation and performance.

Do not for any reason solder, cut or puncture the film. If you would prefer a different size element, contact PUTW, as we make numerous shapes and sizes for special applications.

The adhesives used in our tapes and products are chemically friendly with most all finishes, but can cause chips to come off if the finish is peeling, has cracks, or is very delicate. Please use your discretion, and contact PUTW for alternative mountings if finish damage is a possible concern for external mountings. PUTW or any of its affiliates cannot be held liable for damage to finishes.

We build our products to be as durable as possible but it is possible to damage them! The area where the lead wire enters the pickup is the most sensitive. If you need to bend the wire to route it in the proper direction, please allow about a half-inch between the bend and where the wire enters the pickup.

No Output –

• Check that the strap button allows the instrument cable or preamp to plug all the way into the jack.
• Check or replace instrument cables and make sure everything downstream is on and functioning.

Low Output –

• Are you using a preamp with at least 10db of gain? We recommend using a preamp with all of our products.
• Be sure to check the batteries and gain trim adjustments in any pre-amps or effects used.

If your pickup wont stick or is falling off –

• Make sure the surface you are mounting the pickup to is clean, smooth, and free of dust and oils. If the pickup is being mounted to an internal bridgeplate you can lightly sand the surface and apply a thin layer of wood glue to seal the surface.
• You may have removed the double-sided tape entirely. Using the extra white backed tape provided, apply a new adhesive layer and carefully peel back the white backing.
• If you have repositioned the pickup the adhesive backing may have lost its grab or might have picked up contaminants. Carefully remove the old tape starting at the end where the lead wire enters the pickup. Replace with some fresh white backed mounting tape.

If the logo end of the pickup won’t stay down –

• The provided red backed tape is for further securing the pickup to the mounting surface. Place a square of this tape over the area where the lead wire joins the pickup.*If the pickup is removed after applying this tape the world logo may come off. The logo is cosmetic and this will not affect the functionality of the pickup in any way. If desired, you may reattach it with a dab of non-toxic glue.

If your sound seems distorted or you are experiencing problematic feedback –

• In most cases, this is caused by the lead wire touching a brace or rattling against the soundboard. Ideally, the lead wire should make a straight shot to the jack without touching anything. The wire does have some memory and can be bent away from the surface. Did you use the red tape? If not, Cut a piece of the provided extra red tape in half, and use it to attach the wire to the side of the bass X brace right adjacent to the pickup mounting point. DO NOT attach the wire to any other point on the soundboard or the back.
• Low batteries in preamps and other equipment can sometimes cause distortion.

Intermittent signal –

• Please check all cables / batteries and equipment downstream of the pickup. If you have narrowed it down to the pickup being the culprit, please contact PUTW for repair/replacement options.

Unsatisfactory tone –

• Please contact PUTW for alternate placement/product options.

If all of the above troubleshooting methods fail please contact PUTW to discuss options. Pick-up the World guarantees its products to be free of defects for one year in normal use. If anything fails under normal operating conditions, it will be promptly repaired or replaced by PUTW.

Please read the provided instructions. Even if you have installed other pickups before there are a few considerations specific to our products that will help ensure proper installation and performance.

Do not for any reason solder, cut or puncture the film. If you would prefer a different size element, contact PUTW, as we make numerous shapes and sizes for special applications.

The adhesives used in our tapes and products are chemically friendly with most all finishes, but can cause chips to come off if the finish is peeling, has cracks, or is very delicate. Please use your discretion, and contact PUTW for alternative mountings if finish damage is a possible concern for external mountings. PUTW or any of its affiliates cannot be held liable for damage to finishes.

We build our products to be as durable as possible but it is possible to damage them! The area where the lead wire enters the pickup is the most sensitive. If you need to bend the wire to route it in the proper direction, please allow about a half-inch between the bend and where the wire enters the pickup.

If the logo end of the pickup won’t stay down –

• There is a small piece of double sided tape on the underside of the logo tab that will help secure this area. If this is ineffective the provided red backed tape is for further securing the pickup end to the mounting surface. Place a portion of this tape over the area where the lead wire joins the pickup attaching it to the top of the instrument. The red backing may be removed if found to be unsightly. Please read our general considerations about applying tape to the soundboard. If your finish is cracked, delicate or peeling please contact us for other options.*If the pickup is removed after applying this tape the world logo may come off. The logo is cosmetic and this will not affect the functionality of the pickup in any way. If desired, you may reattach it with a dab of non-toxic glue.

Is your bridge slipping forward or falling over? –

• Is the fit right? If not, Please contact us to discuss options.
• Some narrow bridges will have this problem when they are first being brought back up to pitch, but this can be addressed by leaning the bridge backwards to start, and continuing to do this as it come up to tension. The tipping will stop once it is pitched correctly. You will want to check the intonation as you begin, as the only damage to the pickup can come from sliding the bridge forward and back while it’s under full tension. Once everything is in place, it’s best to replace the strings a few at a time to keep the bridge in it’s proper orientation.

If your sound seems distorted or you are experiencing problematic feedback –

• In most cases, this is caused by the lead wire touching or rattling against the soundboard. Ideally, the lead wire should make a straight shot to the jack without touching anything. The wire does have some memory and can be bent away from the surface. If there is excess wire you may resolder to fit or you can tape the excess to the jack barrel.
• Low batteries in preamps and other equipment can also cause distortion.

Intermittent signal –

• Please check all cables / batteries and equipment downstream of the pickup. If you have narrowed it down to the pickup being the culprit, please contact PUTW for repair/replacement options.

Unsatisfactory tone –

• Please contact PUTW for alternate placement/product options.

If all of the above troubleshooting methods fail please contact PUTW to discuss options. Pick-up the World guarantees its products to be free of defects for one year in normal use. If anything fails under normal operating conditions, it will be promptly repaired or replaced by PUTW.

Please read the provided instructions. Even if you have installed other pickups before there are a few considerations specific to our products that will help ensure proper installation and performance.

Do not for any reason solder, cut or puncture the film. If you would prefer a different size element, contact PUTW, as we make numerous shapes and sizes for special applications.

The adhesives used in our tapes and products are chemically friendly with most all finishes, but can cause chips to come off if the finish is peeling, has cracks, or is very delicate. Please use your discretion, and contact PUTW for alternative mountings if finish damage is a possible concern for external mountings. PUTW or any of its affiliates cannot be held liable for damage to finishes.

We build our products to be as durable as possible but it is possible to damage them! The area where the lead wire enters the pickup is the most sensitive. If you need to bend the wire to route it in the proper direction, please allow about a half-inch between the bend and where the wire enters the pickup.

No output or fluctuating output-

• Check that the strap button allows the instrument cable to plug all the way into the jack.
• Check or replace instrument cables and make sure everything downstream is on and functioning.
• Most saddle slots will not be perfectly square right at the point where the sides of the slot meet with the bottom. This is caused by the bottom corners of the bridge routing bit wearing away before the rest of the bit goes dull, and this leaves tiny fillets in the bottom corners of the slot. If this is pronounced, it can cause the edges of the pickup to get pinched under so much localized pressure that the pickup will go dead. Sometimes an imperfect saddle slot will not fully short out the saddle pickup, but will cause random fluctuations in output. Slight radiuses will also cause the saddle to sit up on these points rather than make a solid contact with the bottom of the slot, and this robs acoustic tone from the instrument. This issue can be resolved satisfactorily by removing the saddle and using a file or sandpaper to roll off all the sharp edges from the bottom of the saddle. This will allow the bottom corners of the saddle piece to more closely match the slightly radiused corners in the bottom of the slot.
• It is also advisable to slightly round the sharp edge where the hole meets the bottom of the slot, and this is done with either a round jeweler’s file, an X-acto knife, or (very carefully) by using the side of the drill bit.

String balance issues –

• There might need to be some fine-tuning of the bridge saddle to get an ideal string balance and output from the saddle pickup (this can be true of all saddle pickups). The saddle should drop into the slot without pressure, nor should it be so loose that it wobbles in the slot. If it is too tight, shave or sand the saddle on the surfaces that are binding. If the saddle is too loose, a good approach is to apply thin layers or CA glue to one side of the saddle, let dry, sand flat, and check the fit. If a particular string is too ‘hot’ relative to the others, sand, file or scrape a smooth area about 1/4″ wide from the underside of the saddle below the offending string. If one or more strings have lower outputs relative to the others, a good approach is to apply thin layers of CA glue (about 1/4″ wide) to the bottom of the saddle just below where these strings go. When a good layer is built up and dry, carefully sand or file it smooth so it is flat across the bottom, but forms a gradual ramp under the strings to be corrected. Most applications are on the order of the thickness of a sheet of printer paper, but this approach can also be used to over-exaggerate string balance beyond the natural acoustics for boosted bass or treble response.

If your sound seems distorted or you are experiencing problematic feedback –

• Reach inside and feel the extra length of pickup coming into the body. This should be laid down pointing towards the bass X brace, and taped to the bridgeplate with a piece of the included red tape. This is an important step to avoid feedback and excess bass resonance!
• Cut a second piece of red tape in half, and use it to tape the wire to the side of the bass X brace so the wire points towards the back of the guitar. DO NOT attach the wire to any other point on the top or back of the guitar!

Raised action –

• The Stealth UST pickup is thin enough that it has very little effect on a guitar’s action. If this is an issue, sand the bottom of the saddle on a flat, level surface.

Unsatisfactory tone –

• Please contact PUTW for alternate placement/product options.

If all of the above troubleshooting methods fail please contact PUTW to discuss options. Pick-up the World guarantees its products to be free of defects for five years in normal use. If anything fails under normal operating conditions, it will be promptly repaired or replaced by PUTW.

Distortion –

• This is most likely caused by the battery being low or dead and can easily be solved by replacing it.

No Output –

• Check that the strap button allows the preamp to plug all the way into the jack.
• Test all cables and equipment downstream of the preamp.
• Check battery.

Snap, crackle, pop –

• Check that the strap button allows the preamp to plug all the way into the jack.
• Test all cables and equipment downstream of the preamp.