Basic SH-5 installation - weird results

[jmerox]

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I'm replacing my bridge pickup with a Custom SH-5 and I noticed that my stock bridge pickup had the green wire soldered to the toggle switch and the black to ground, as opposed to the other way around. Thanks for the helpful replies.

So I just installed my new SH-5 and my first reaction is that it doesn't sound at all much different than my stock pickup, which leads me to think something could be wrong. I tried both soldering configurations: green to toggle and black to ground, as well as green to ground and black to toggle, and encountered the same results in tone; even when my toggle switch was in the middle position, nothing sounded "out of phase" on either of the soldering configurations (???). And it certainly didn't sound very high output, just sounded like an average stock pickup. I can hear a clear difference between the neck and bridge so I know the bridge is being selected.

Is it possible the pickup or the tone pot is damaged? I really don't know how to diagnose or guess what's wrong... The fact that I don't notice any difference or "phase" problems when I wire green to ground or toggle is really what's making me think something could be wrong. And I remember when I played the JB out of my amp one time it blew my stock pickup out of the water, so I'd assume the SH-5 would be at least close to that.

Thanks a lot for any help, this is real frustrating...

-Jay

 

[RG 2570]

Re: Basic SH-5 installation - weird results

make sure the red/white wires are twisted together and taped back that links the two coils in series.
the custom should blow the stock pup out of the water.

 

[flank]

Re: Basic SH-5 installation - weird results

it should be black to the switch, green and bare to ground.......and red and white together and taped off

if you have that right, you should mess around with the pickup height...... once i had my CC installed it was a bit dificult to tell the differnece between it and the stock pickup, but once i play with it a few days i gradually became aware of the big differnce in tone

 

[korovamilkdud]

Re: Basic SH-5 installation - weird results

Well, how'd you describe the tone of the pickup? I have a Custom, it sounds decent clean. Not too terribly hot. It shouldn't sound like an average stock pup, that's for sure. But it certainly does remind me of a PAF tone with a bit more attitude. 59 or Seth on steroids as it were.

 

[jmerox]

Re: Basic SH-5 installation - weird results

Stupid question, but what do you guys mean when you say the red and white should be "taped off"? If I tape their base, what difference is that supposed to make?

thanks!

-Jay

 

[rspst14]

Re: Basic SH-5 installation - weird results

Wrap a piece of electrical tape around the solder joint between the red and white wires. This will prevent the wires from touching something and shorting out one of the coils.

Ryan

 

[jmerox]

Re: Basic SH-5 installation - weird results

Thanks for the help everyone, I think it's working now... I can definitely hear the difference that's for sure... still don't know what was wrong, I just re-soldered and raised the pickup a bit.

Right now I have the black to the switch and green grounded, even though my neck stock pickup is the other way around. I honestly don't hear any phase problems or anything like that when it's this way or the other way (black to ground, green to switch), so still not sure what the deal is with that... Eh, whatever, if anyone can shed some light on this I'd still be interested.

Thanks again,

-Jay

 

[rspst14]

Re: Basic SH-5 installation - weird results

Remember, different manufacturers use different wiring color codes. What type of stock neck pickup do you have? It's most likely a color code issue that's confusing.

Ryan

 

[jmerox]

Re: Basic SH-5 installation - weird results

The stock neck pickup is a humbucker duncan designed (the guitar is a Schecter 006 Elite)... korean made guitar, someone in a previous post pointed out that korean guitars use green to hot instead of black for some reason. And hence suggested that I install the new bridge pickup as such to retain the consistency... but like I said, when I installed it, whether I grounded green or put it to the switch, it seemed to make no difference.

-Jay