Hotrails Neck Output Question

[larryguitar]

After getting so much help on whether a Hotrails, with it's brass ferrules molded in, could be direct-mounted, I used the toothpick suggestion I got here and decided to put one in my HSS MIJ Jackson. (The HotRails neck version happened to be one of the 3-4 Duncan pickups my local GC had in stock-place is darned near empty.)

I've got it *barely* missing the fretted string, and its output is much lower than the JB in the bridge and the HotStack (that came stock) in the middle-quite a bit lower.

I've got red and white soldered together, green and bare to ground and black to hot, so I think I wired it ok; I was honestly expecting quite a bit more output from this thing, so I'm assuming I have something catywampus...any ideas?

Thanks,

Larry

[Mincer]

The Hot Rails is hot for a neck pickup. It isn't as loud as a JB, but should blend with the JB pretty well. The bridge Hot Rails is about as loud as a JB. The neck pickup area sees more string vibration at its location, so it doesn't need massive output. What's the HR sound like in your guitar?

[larryguitar]

Well, compared to the 'hotstack' in the middle, it's got less output, less distortion, overall 'cleaner'....yeah, something's wired wrong. I'm going to crack her back open and take a look.

Larry

[larryguitar]

Well, looks like, for the first time in my life, I got a bad Duncan out of the box; just metered the PU, and got this:

Nothing tied together
W-R=Open
W-G=Open
B-G=Open
B-R=Open
B-W=5.28

Red and White soldered together
BW=Open
G-(RW)=Open
B-(RW)=5.29

Looks like I've got a dead coil in this puppy.....

I guess I'll get to try out SD's CS for the first time. If only this wasn't a guitar with a Floyd, and I hadn't just strung it with NYXL's.....sigh.

Larry

[Mincer]

Let us know how the exchange works out.

[jeremy]

im assuming red/green is open too, though you didnt mention it. thats the one that matters. sucks to get a dead pup out of the box but it does rarely happen

[larryguitar]

im assuming red/green is open too, though you didnt mention it. thats the one that matters. sucks to get a dead pup out of the box but it does rarely happen

Yes, didn't write it out (don't know why I skipped that one...) but the only reading was the B and W.

Emailed SD service, we'll see what happens now. I know they're behind due to COVID.

Larry

[larryguitar]

Quick response from SD customer service, and after a couple back-and-forth questions (they're making sure I'm not installing it incorrectly, completely reasonable) they're sending me an RMA.

Nice to know the company whose products I like so much has also got great CS.

Larry

[Mincer]

Awesome. Make sure you update the thread when you get a working pickup back. I'd like to know how it sounds.

[larryguitar]

I ended up returning it to GC, as SD suggested; a replacement from GC would have taken until (I was told) SEPTEMBER or so, so I just got a refund.

I'll try again when stuff opens back up.

Larry