'59 Neck - Did I get a lemon?

F

francis

New member
Hi! I used to post here back in 2002-2003 but i forgot my username / pass and the email I had registered with does not exist anymore! :bigeyes:

Anyway, back on the topic.

I bought a '59 neck and Custom-5 bridge for my Agile AL-3500 (similar to a LP with a mahogany body/neck, ebony fretboard, and 3/4" flame maple cap).

The Custom-5 sounds great, but my '59 in the neck is very weird. When I switch to it i get lots of hum, about as much as a single coil. The sound is very thin and I get just about no bass. Could almost think its coil-splitted, yet its a single conductor :eyecrazy:

For the wiring, I've used the 50's Les Paul schematics. Pots are all 500k audio tapers, capacitors are Orange Drop 716P .022.. doubt the wiring is at fault here. I have also tried plugging the lead directly on the guitar cable, and I get the same sound, so it does not seem to be an issue with my wiring.


Any ideas?? I'll try to record it later..
 
Re: '59 Neck - Did I get a lemon?

If it's both humming AND sounding thin, it sounds like one of the coils isn't in the circuit so you effectively have a single coil. Is it a 4- conductor or 2-conductor with the braided shield?
 
Re: '59 Neck - Did I get a lemon?

It is the single conductor with the braided shield.

I have the nickel cover version.. I guess I have to take off the cover by unsoldering it to check the wiring?
 
Re: '59 Neck - Did I get a lemon?

Just to be sure, you have the wire that runs inside the braided shield soldered to hot (volume pot lug 3) and the braid soldered to ground?
 
Re: '59 Neck - Did I get a lemon?

Any special steps required to take off the nickel cover? Just unsolder the two spots and pull it off?
 
Re: '59 Neck - Did I get a lemon?

francis said:
Any special steps required to take off the nickel cover? Just unsolder the two spots and pull it off?
Click to expand...

Use a Dremel tool...It's quicker and you don't overheat the inside of the pickup and melt the wax etc....
 
Re: '59 Neck - Did I get a lemon?

francis said:
Any special steps required to take off the nickel cover? Just unsolder the two spots and pull it off?
Click to expand...

Shouldn't you just return it to Duncan for an exchange, or is this a used pickup?
 
Re: '59 Neck - Did I get a lemon?

STRATDELUXER97 said:
Use a Dremel tool...It's quicker and you don't overheat the inside of the pickup and melt the wax etc....
Click to expand...
I don't have a dremel :(

ratherdashing said:
Shouldn't you just return it to Duncan for an exchange, or is this a used pickup?
Click to expand...

It is new.. I don't think I can return it to the seller. Bought it at http://guitarpartsresource.com

RETURNS:
All returned merchandise must have prior approval within two weeks of delivery. Items returned due to our error will not incur a restocking fee. Items received without a Return Authorization(RA) number will be refused. RA numbers are issued by using this RA form. Returns are subject to 20% restocking fee minus shipping charges. Items must be received in the same condition as shipped - installed, used, or altered merchandise is non-returnable. Returns will not be accepted on items less than $20.00. Electrical components and installed pickups are non-returnable (pickups and preamps often carry manufacturer's warranty) . This return policy applies only to web site, phone, and fax orders; all Ebay auction sales are final.
Click to expand...

:(
 
Re: '59 Neck - Did I get a lemon?

They have to honor Duncan's 21-day exchange policy. You can probably call Seymour Duncan and tell them the situation and do an exchange that way if the place you got it from refuses. And tell Duncan about it too.
 
Re: '59 Neck - Did I get a lemon?

ErikH said:
They have to honor Duncan's 21-day exchange policy. You can probably call Seymour Duncan and tell them the situation and do an exchange that way if the place you got it from refuses. And tell Duncan about it too.
Click to expand...
Yeah, bought it off ebay with "Buy It Now" so technically its not an auction (they claim they don't accept returns on auctions).. I sent them two messages, and got one answer so far, asking me if it was defective (I answered yes of course ;) )

I'll see how this turns out...

STRATDELUXER97, eventhough I might not need it if it the pickup gets exchanged, I'm still going to sneak in and take YOUR dremel :bigeyes:
 
Re: '59 Neck - Did I get a lemon?

francis said:
Yeah, bought it off ebay with "Buy It Now" so technically its not an auction (they claim they don't accept returns on auctions).. I sent them two messages, and got one answer so far, asking me if it was defective (I answered yes of course ;) )

I'll see how this turns out...

STRATDELUXER97, eventhough I might not need it if it the pickup gets exchanged, I'm still going to sneak in and take YOUR dremel :bigeyes:
Click to expand...

Heck come on over and you can borrow it anytime brother!
 
Re: '59 Neck - Did I get a lemon?

On the soldering, I have found that humming can come from having multiple earth paths around the place.
 
Re: '59 Neck - Did I get a lemon?

Usually when I have a pickup which has a braided wire as the ground, I use that to solder the other pickups ground & tone treble bleed & solder the jack's ground cable to that as well. I put a .33 400V capacitor between the tailpiece ground / potentiometers ground / copper shielding and that as well. Kind of what I do with the strats (star grounding + shielding).
 
Re: '59 Neck - Did I get a lemon?

Update

Tech from the store wrote me saying that the pickup ohmed correctly (~ 7.6k)

I am still convinced something is wrong with it.. It sounded no way like a humbucker and was very noisy..

What gives?
 
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