Strat Pickup Wiring Problem - Ideas?

[NoMoreMKIV]

Hello again-

Another question...

I've got a Strat Plus Deluxe that had lace sensors in it, but a few years ago, I had them removed and replaced with Seymour Duncans. Specifically, I had the following installed:

Bridge = SSL-2
Mid = SSL-1
Neck = SSL-1

The guitar never sounded right, and I never got it fixed.

Here's the deal - I think maybe the tech didn't install a RW/RP middle pickup. I'm almost sure, but not positive. FWIW, the stickers on the pickups say 1B on the middle and neck, and 1G on the bridge.

One thing I can tell you for sure is that positions 2 and 4 on the selector DO NOT cancel noise, which makes me think the middle pickup is not RW/RP.

My questions are:

1) is there any way to be sure of which polarity/winding that pickup is?

2) if, in fact, this pickup is NOT RW/RP, would you expect there to be other detriments to the sound, besides the lack of noise canceling? i've always felt that this guitar sounds kind of compressed with poor sustain, ever since removing the lace sensors (which i didn't like for other reasons).

thanks again - i just found this forum, and i'm hoping to finally fix some of the equipment i've got!

[bvc310]

Re: Strat Pickup Wiring Problem - Ideas?

the pickup may not be RW/RP, or it may have beeen wired out of phase causeing the thin compressed sound with little sustain on pos. 2,3,4. If this is the case, you can reverse the leads on the pickup(ala switch the black to the selector switch and white to ground, or vice versa)

[beandip]

Re: Strat Pickup Wiring Problem - Ideas?

take two of the pickups out and touch the pole pieces together. If they attact, then it is, if they dont, then it isnst. I think that a compressed sound with poor sustain is a characeristic of SSL-1's. Just to be safe, you might wanna try the Antiquities or APS-1s.

[NoMoreMKIV]

Re: Strat Pickup Wiring Problem - Ideas?

thanks for the replies - i did the pole attraction test, and all three pickups are the same polarity, so there's the answer to that question.