Why is the copper metal plate used on the bottom of a Telecaster?
The plate used on the bottom of a Telecaster is commonly called an elevator plate to support the Telecaster bobbin and is punched out of a cold rolled steel and is copper plated to help keep the plate from rusting and the plating makes it easier to solder the ground wire. The plating reduces the oxidation and the early Broadcaster, Esquire and Telecasters can be found with non-plated elevator plates. They are adjusted by 3 – 6/32 machine screws. The early screws were round head slotted and later used round head Phillips. Only until recently the ferrous elevator plate was not wax potted to the pickup and playing at higher volumes caused the pickup to become microphonic.
