Blackout sound issue with EMG solderless

[Pricey666]

So i have an older AHB-1b Blackout in the bridge of my Ibanez RG, sounded great but my output jack was messed up and would cut in and out. i decided to get the EMG solder-less setup to replace everything because my soldering skills are far from great so i wanted something that will surefire get the best sound from my pickup.. my problem now is that the thing buzzes/hums like crazy unless i touch the volume pot and its sound is very weak, which sounds like a ground issue but everything is connected correctly and i even tried grounding it to the bridge but no difference was made.
The blackout i have has both the quick connect underneath and the three wire setup. when i first hooked it up to the EMG system it had no sound, found out i had to flip one of the wires because they were backwards and now i get a weak sound and a lot of buzz.. please help.

 

[jaybonitrane]

Re: Blackout sound issue with EMG solderless

Blackouts require special 25k pots...SD sells them.
Other than that seems like it could be a case of cold solder.

 

[Pricey666]

Re: Blackout sound issue with EMG solderless

Its a solderless kit from EMG, so there is no solder. and they are 25k pots, so thats not the issue either. it really makes no sense why it isnt working

 

[PeterJCruz]

Re: Blackout sound issue with EMG solderless

I would double check your battery.. and also check your output jack connectors.. you may have swapped some of them.. They are not "labeled" well.. and you could easily plug the wrong ends onto the jack terminals..

Otherwise... did you remove the "ground wire" that connects from your control cavity to the string claw (or another ground in the guitar)? EMG's require that removed... but Duncan's do not.. BUT.. since you are using EMG's solderless system I would remove it.. that might be your "hum."

Good luck!

Its a solderless kit from EMG, so there is no solder. and they are 25k pots, so thats not the issue either. it really makes no sense why it isnt working

 

[jaybonitrane]

Re: Blackout sound issue with EMG solderless

The EMG solderless kit is not connected properly...or worst case it's defective.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Blackout sound issue with EMG solderless

Does your EMG Solderless wiring harness include the VLPF active Tone control? One of the 2-pin block connectors to the VLPF is supposed to go on "the wrong way around" compared to all of the other block connectors in the loom.

Misidentification of the terminals on a barrel jack socket might explain the hum and weak output level issues.

To provide a more complete answer, it will be necessary to know which precise model of Ibanez RG you have and what permutation of pickups and wiring accessories you have included in your circuit. Photographs will help enormously.

 

[formula73]

Re: Blackout sound issue with EMG solderless

I bought a solderless set when they were first introduced and one of the pots wasn't grounded. Easy fix, but for that kind of money, you'd think the QC would be a bit better. Having to solder up pieces in a solderless system kinda defeats the purpose.

 

[Pricey666]

Re: Blackout sound issue with EMG solderless

Does your EMG Solderless wiring harness include the VLPF active Tone control? One of the 2-pin block connectors to the VLPF is supposed to go on "the wrong way around" compared to all of the other block connectors in the loom.

Misidentification of the terminals on a barrel jack socket might explain the hum and weak output level issues.

To provide a more complete answer, it will be necessary to know which precise model of Ibanez RG you have and what permutation of pickups and wiring accessories you have included in your circuit. Photographs will help enormously.

It's just the standard passive tone 25k pot, but I'm just running one single pickup to the volume pot and the battery buss, and then battery and volume pot to the output jack. Don't use tone so I just one a simple volume and bridge pickup setup. I haven't tried messing with the wires at the jack. Busy work schedule and blah blah haha ill make sure I don't have any of them flipped around bu accident tomorrow and see how it works out.
Thanks for all the suggestions so far I appreiciate it

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Blackout sound issue with EMG solderless

The inverted two-pin block connector is only relevant for the VLPF tone control.

The EMG Solderless wiring harness output cable terminates in spade connectors, intended to press onto the contacts of a Switchcraft TRS jack socket.

Most Ibanez RG guitars employ a "barrel" jack socket. This passes through the edge of the guitar and is fastened within the control cavity. The contacts on the barrel jack socket are arranged in a different order to a Switchcraft TRS. More importantly, these contacts are far too small for a push-on spade electrical connector to remain physically connected for very long without resorting to pliers.

Once again, I request photographs of the wiring.

 

[Pricey666]

Re: Blackout sound issue with EMG solderless

The inverted two-pin block connector is only relevant for the VLPF tone control.

The EMG Solderless wiring harness output cable terminates in spade connectors, intended to press onto the contacts of a Switchcraft TRS jack socket.

Most Ibanez RG guitars employ a "barrel" jack socket. This passes through the edge of the guitar and is fastened within the control cavity. The contacts on the barrel jack socket are arranged in a different order to a Switchcraft TRS. More importantly, these contacts are far too small for a push-on spade electrical connector to remain physically connected for very long without resorting to pliers.

Once again, I request photographs of the wiring.

These should cover everything, I checked the output jack but everything was fine :/

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Blackout sound issue with EMG solderless

The block connectors on your volume pot are both to the pairs of pins intended for INPUT signals.

Such output as you are currently hearing is the leakage across the PCB tracks.

SOLUTION - Shift the block connector for the output cable across to the central pair of contacts. Leave the second block connector where it is.

 

[Pricey666]

Re: Blackout sound issue with EMG solderless

I just tried your suggestion, no change. it doesn't make sense, the only possibilities left are that the volume pot if faulty or the pickup is fualty. or it is something to do with the "exra wires" from the pickup, but it shouldnt have anything to do with that since i have it pluged into the quick connect now, right? its really starting to agrivate me now

 

[Pricey666]

Re: Blackout sound issue with EMG solderless

tried the other volume pot that comes with the set, tried the other pickup to pot cable. nothing

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Blackout sound issue with EMG solderless

In the "before" close-up photograph of the volume pot, one of the block connectors is inverted. Both should have the little holes showing the metal facing away from the PCB.

One thing not illustrated in your photographs is the 9v part of the system. Are your connections good? Is the battery clip damaged? Is the hard-wired red wire touching anything that it should not?

The constant hum that is reduced when touching metal parts of the guitar is usually indicative of a grounding issue. Having one of the block connectors inverted would be sufficient to explain this.

 

[Pricey666]

Re: Blackout sound issue with EMG solderless

i flipped it, still the same. the battery clip is fine, its new with a new battery. and none of the hard wires are touching anything, ill try electrical taping the ends so there are no exposed wires but i doubt that will do anything. just not making any sense at all

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Blackout sound issue with EMG solderless

With a passive guitar wiring problem, the usual "back to basics" suggestion is to connect the pickup directly to the output jack socket, bypassing any defective control circuitry.

For the EMG Solderless harness, the nearest that you can get to this direct to jack wiring is to connect the output cable block directly to the right and centre pins on the underside of the pickup and the red cable from the battery clip directly to the left pin.

If the pickup gives full strength output, either one of the cables or both of the volume pots are defective.

 

[Pricey666]

Re: Blackout sound issue with EMG solderless

i connected straight to the jack, sames thing as always, crap signal and loud hum/buzz, and if i unplug the battery from the pickup, nothing changes. so it might be a faulty battery clip/wire? the single box connector from it felt really loose on the pin as well, whereas the double connector was solid and un-moving. so i doubt, and am hoping its not the pick-up considering it worked before.. idk i just want to be able to play my baby lol

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Blackout sound issue with EMG solderless

With the guitar amplified, when you disconnect the battery, is there a short, loud sound through the amplifier or just a constant hum, buzz and minimal guitar sound?

 

[Pricey666]

Re: Blackout sound issue with EMG solderless

No short, just the same hum and buzz as always with weak sound

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Blackout sound issue with EMG solderless

My bad. Does disconnecting the battery whilst the guitar is amplified produce a transitory sound through the loudspeaker at the moment of disconnection?

If there is no discernible difference between battery in and out of circuit, the inference is that the pickup is not receiving 9v power at any time.