Buzz after reversing phase?

[alex1fly]

Would love some help!

I put a Duncan Donahue in my Tele, middle position was thin so I reversed ground and hot on my neck pickup (Fender Vintage Noiseless) which fixed the middle position but the neck position hums like crazy now and even more so when I touch the pickup. Have redone all the solder points… seems fine in the cavity. Is there something I’m missing with the neck pickup?

 

[beaubrummels]

In Teles, the neck cover has to be grounded, separate from the signal. You don't want to just reverse hot/ground on the neck without ensuring the cover is grounded separately.

 

[beaubrummels]

...and yeah, Duncans are typically out of phase with Fenders.

 

[ehdwuld]

Fender has a south start
Duncan uses a north start

I had an issue where I had a vintage noiseless in the center of of an HSH
And got it wired backwards
It was almost inaudible with the lower coil active

 

[alex1fly]

Like ao

In Teles, the neck cover has to be grounded, separate from the signal. You don't want to just reverse hot/ground on the neck without ensuring the cover is grounded separately.

Solder a brand new wire to the cover, then? The fender pickup only has two wires coming out of it.

 

[alex1fly]

Ok yeah, that was it. The cover had a little jumper to the former ground wire... when I swapped the wires, then the cover was part of the hot signal. Swap the jumper over and the buzz goes away. of course now I'm like "man the Duncan sounds so much better than the Fender, maybe I need another Duncan in the neck" lol

 

[Mincer]

Ok yeah, that was it. The cover had a little jumper to the former ground wire... when I swapped the wires, then the cover was part of the hot signal. Swap the jumper over and the buzz goes away. of course now I'm like "man the Duncan sounds so much better than the Fender, maybe I need another Duncan in the neck" lol

You totally need one in the neck now.