Invader is not working correclty - Please help!

[Paramite]

I recently bought SH-8 Invader in my Stratocaster, but I can't get it sound right. There's always some strange electric sound... which is pretty much everything you can hear. I wired it following instructions. I even tried my old humbucker's wirings. It didn't help.

http://puuhis.net/paramite/messy_invader.mp3

I appreciate any help you can give me. I'm pretty much out of ideas.

[ArtieToo]

Re: Invader is not working correclty - Please help!

Hey Paramite; welcome to the forum. Can you tell us what equipment and settings you used for that clip? It actually sounded pretty good to me. I'm not exactly sure what "sound" you're refering to. It sounded like a nice "metal" tone. Of course, if you weren't using any distortion or gain, that could be a problem.

[Paramite]

Re: Invader is not working correclty - Please help!

Hey and thanks.

I'm refering to that strange eletric buzzing, which should not be a Seymour Duncan thing.

I recored that sample with Line 6 POD 2.0 (with 2.3 firmware) 2x Rectifier model, so I think it should sound a LOT different. To me, it sounds like a singlecoil, with too much overdrive, compression, treble and... everyhing! Invader should be boosting bass and middle? My friend, who once had Invader, also said that there's definitely something wrong but couldn't tell where the problem is.

I'm looking for death metal tones. I know for example that Nile is using SH-8b and Rectifier. And their sound is full of bass and middle, like it should be.

I also tried it with my 15W Fender amp, so it's not the modelling.


Oh, and I did switch the ground and hot output wires. It didn't change a thing. I also tried it without singlecoils, so I don't think it's a magnetic problem.

Maybe I just have bad luck and my Invader is broken? Or maybe Invader just isn't what I expected.

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Invader is not working correclty - Please help!

It could be... I've never returned a pickup, but cruise the Seymour Duncan site, and find out what the return policy is. Sounds like maybe a wire inside is loose.

You're right... the Invader should NOT sound like a single coil in any way.

[Paramite]

Re: Invader is not working correclty - Please help!

Sounds like maybe a wire inside is loose.

That crossed my mind. I mean, sound didn't change a bit when I switched the wires.

[Paramite]

Re: Invader is not working correclty - Please help!

Can I open the piece-of-crap, without spoiling my warranty? I mean, only thing that matters is that it can't be spotted later.

[flank]

Re: Invader is not working correclty - Please help!

i do kind of hear that sound your talking about.......its kind of sounds like somethin with phasing or something......because it has a distantly similar sound to one of the tones Jimmy Page has on his les paul, which has all kinds of switches on it

maybe just exchange it?

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Invader is not working correclty - Please help!

That crossed my mind. I mean, sound didn't change a bit when I switched the wires.

Which wires did you switch?

Try this (if it's not how it's hooked up now). Wire it running directly to the volume knob, then to the output. The problem could be in your switch, or tone pot. Also, did you solder the red & white wires together, and insulate them?

[Paramite]

Re: Invader is not working correclty - Please help!

maybe just exchange it?

Yeah, that is probably only choice. I just have to mail it, because I ordered it from another city Well, this was the first broken equipment I have ever bought.

[flank]

Re: Invader is not working correclty - Please help!

wait, go straight to the output jack before you do anything else.......... that means put the black wire to the one tab of the output jack......the red and white wires soldered together......and then the green and bare wires soldered to the other tab of the output jack

this will eliminate all other electrical components in the circuit and your pickup is straight to the jack.........if it still sounds weird that way.......then the pickup has a problem....

[Paramite]

Re: Invader is not working correclty - Please help!

Which wires did you switch?

Try this (if it's not how it's hooked up now). Wire it running directly to the volume knob, then to the output. The problem could be in your switch, or tone pot. Also, did you solder the red & white wires together, and insulate them?

I switched hot output and ground wires, which should fix any magnetic problem with 5-way toggle and sinclecoils. I also tried the usual wiring.


I'll have to try that. Atleast it worked perfectly with my Pearly Gates. I did solder the red & white wires together. I even tried the alternative wiring, which I found in Seymour Duncan FAQ:

"If you are replacing the bridge pickup, the magnet will first need to be flipped to correct phase issues related to the parallel wiring and series coils between two split humbuckers that is utilized in the PRS 5 way switching. The Seymour Duncan humbucker will also need to be wired differently from the way it is usually wired into a guitar. The hot lead will be the white wire from the Seymour Duncan humbucker, the black and green wires will be connected together and the red lead will be ground."

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Invader is not working correclty - Please help!

Good call, Flank. For whatever reason, that never crossed my mind

[Paramite]

Re: Invader is not working correclty - Please help!

Yeah, I'll try that trick tomorrow and tell how it went. Do I have to disconnect all other components first?

[flank]

Re: Invader is not working correclty - Please help!

well.....you just have to get the invaders wires free.......and take one wire off the output jack.....which would have been the hot wire from the whole electrical circuit (i guess it should be coming from the volume pot i think...or one of the pots straight to the jack.........you have to unsolder that one from the jack)

and there should be a ground coming from the bridge which should be going to the output jack.....i think that can stay there, and that connection is also where you want to put you green and bare wires (because this is the ground)........

the other connection that you took away from the jack is where you want your black wire from your pickup to go........and of course the red and white are just soldered together

[Paramite]

Re: Invader is not working correclty - Please help!

It didn't help. Damn, I guess the pickup really is broken.