C-5 is noisy/hissing, is this normal?

[Naps]

I've had my C-5 for a while now and I've always played it in my apartment at relatively low levels. Well, I've always noticed a humming type sound when I switch on he C-5 (it's in the bridge) and it gets a little better when I put it in the 2nd position (C-5 with JB Jr) and the 3rd position is almost completely quiet. The 3rd position's little bit of hiss/noise is something I would concider normal, and it gets even better on position 4 and at 5 (neck lil59) is like nothing.

So, my question is: Is this normal? Do the bridge pickups usually hiss and have more noise than the others? I'm sure it can't be normal, because when I use my single coil strat on positions 2 and 4 there is no hiss or noise. So, What can I do to check it out?

On a side note, the C-5 I have is really treably, and doesn't have hardly any mids. it's a really thin sounding pup. It's not like I expected it to be with the extended bass, low mids ect.

I don't know, anyone have any suggestions or opinions?

 

[John Wymore]

Re: C-5 is noisy/hissing, is this normal?

The C5 should be dead quiet and not thin sounding. Sounds like maybe you only have one coil working. Does it also lack output?

With the guitar plugged in try lightly tapping the pole pieces on each half of the pickup with a small screwdriver. If you hear nothing or very little through the amp on one half of the pickup, that coil is not working.

Also check that you have the correct leads connected together between the coils (Red & white) and that the solder connection is good.

 

[Naps]

Re: C-5 is noisy/hissing, is this normal?

The C5 should be dead quiet and not thin sounding. Sounds like maybe you only have one coil working. Does it also lack output?

With the guitar plugged in try lightly tapping the pole pieces on each half of the pickup with a small screwdriver. If you hear nothing or very little through the amp on one half of the pickup, that coil is not working.

Also check that you have the correct leads connected together between the coils (Red & white) and that the solder connection is good.

Thanks, I'll try that. I think it has a good amount of output, however I noticed that when I put it together with the JB Jr. the tone sounds mostly like the JB Jr. I figured the JB Jr. was wound hotter or something.

 

[Artie]

Re: C-5 is noisy/hissing, is this normal?

It also sounds like you may have the two coils wired out of phase with each other. I believe that if they are out of phase, you not only lose the hum-cancelling affect, but the sound would be weak and tinny.

Like BlackRose said, make sure you have green and bare to ground, red and white together, and black to "out".

 

[Naps]

Re: C-5 is noisy/hissing, is this normal?

The C5 should be dead quiet and not thin sounding. Sounds like maybe you only have one coil working. Does it also lack output?

With the guitar plugged in try lightly tapping the pole pieces on each half of the pickup with a small screwdriver. If you hear nothing or very little through the amp on one half of the pickup, that coil is not working.

Also check that you have the correct leads connected together between the coils (Red & white) and that the solder connection is good.

my C-5 is covered :smack: would that work with the cover on?

Edit: I tried it on the back of the pup and both sides seemed to be working.

 

[Naps]

Re: C-5 is noisy/hissing, is this normal?

OK the green and bare are to the back of the volume pot. it that a good enough ground?

also, with the regular humbucker and two mini hums, can I use this diagram?
http://www.seymourduncan.com/website/support/schematics/schematicsjpg/strat-w-3little_hums.jpg

It's the closest one to what I have. (I have 1 hum, 2 mini hums, 1 vol, 2 tone, 5 way)
The reason I'm asking is that I don't have the capacitor or resistor (not sure what it's called) that is on the 5 way

 

[Naps]

Re: C-5 is noisy/hissing, is this normal?

It also sounds like you may have the two coils wired out of phase with each other. I believe that if they are out of phase, you not only lose the hum-cancelling affect, but the sound would be weak and tinny.

How would I know if that's it? And how would/could that have happened?

 

[Artie]

Re: C-5 is noisy/hissing, is this normal?

The only way you would have one coil out of phase would be if you accidently switched the black and white wires. For example, you did green and bare to ground, red and black together, and white out to the 5-way. If you didn't do that, then its not the problem.

One problem you do have, however, is omitting that capacitor. If you don't have that, you don't have a tone control. The cap is what makes it a tone control. Depending on how you wired up your tone pots, that could be part of your problem. If you took that lug straight to ground, they'ld be acting as psuedo-volume controls. Not exactly, but sorta.

Having the green and bare go to the back of a pot is fine as long as the back of the pot is also grounded. Ie., eventually connects to the negative terminal of the output jack.

 

[Naps]

Re: C-5 is noisy/hissing, is this normal?

I was messing with it and I think if I solder the bare wire to the lug on the volume pot it will not hum (I'll be leaving it connected to the back of the pot, just solder it to the lug on the way also). I'll do this when I get off work as right now I'm on lunch. If this is a bad Idea tell me please

EDIT: I typed this on lunch an when I got back to work I realized that it would probably affect the volume. right? Also, is there a lug I can solder it to on the vol pot as this is eliminating the hum.

And thanks for the help guys

 

[krankguitarist]

Re: C-5 is noisy/hissing, is this normal?

I've got a C-5 in my les paul and it's got a bit more of a noiticable hum than my 496R pickup in the neck. Though this has only really been noticable when I plug into my line 6 pod direct to my computer. Through my flextone pratice amp or krank revolution 1 half stack it seems to be fine. Maybe the C-5 is just a little more prone to electrical interferance?
I know though that my C-5 doesnt sound tinny at all, to me it sounds real full and crunchy. Though, then again, one man's muddy is another man's warm. so...ya know...

 

[Naps]

Re: C-5 is noisy/hissing, is this normal?

One problem you do have, however, is omitting that capacitor. If you don't have that, you don't have a tone control. The cap is what makes it a tone control. Depending on how you wired up your tone pots, that could be part of your problem. If you took that lug straight to ground, they'ld be acting as psuedo-volume controls. Not exactly, but sorta.
.

I have a .22 capacitor on the tone control, what I ment was the little thing that looks sort of like a capacitor on the 5-way in the diagram.
http://www.seymourduncan.com/website/support/schematics/schematicsjpg/strat-w-3little_hums.jpg

 

[Naps]

Re: C-5 is noisy/hissing, is this normal?

OK, I Check all the wires, even unsoldered and soldered back any connections thought could be bad. Figured out the soldering it to the volume pot lug killed the signal :smack: so that's out. I'm out of ideas.

Krankguitarist, I'm playing my C-5 on the clean channel with the output and masters both around 2-3 and I can hear it really well, do you hear it on your C-5 at this volume?

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: C-5 is noisy/hissing, is this normal?

I have a .22 capacitor on the tone control, what I ment was the little thing that looks sort of like a capacitor on the 5-way in the diagram.
http://www.seymourduncan.com/website/support/schematics/schematicsjpg/strat-w-3little_hums.jpg

That little thing is a spring...not a capacitor or electronic part.

Do I understand you right: did you solder the green wire and bare wire to the back of your volume pot and it killed the signal? If so, your pickup is wired incorrectly. Either by you or by Duncan when they made it.

This is correct:

green and bare to ground: the back of the volume pot.

red & white soldered together and either taped up or soldered to a switch for shorting out one coil for single coil tone.

black to hot: to the 5 way switch if it's a Strat or two the volume pot if it's a Les Paul type guitar.

Lew

 

[Naps]

Re: C-5 is noisy/hissing, is this normal?

That little thing is a spring...not a capacitor or electronic part.

Do I understand you right: did you solder the green wire and bare wire to the back of your volume pot and it killed the signal? If so, your pickup is wired incorrectly. Either by you or by Duncan when they made it.

Lew

No, it's soldered to the back of the volume pot. But when I was touching and pushing some of the wires around (with the pickguard off and the guitar hooked to a running amp so I could try to tell what was going on) I noticed that with it soldered to the back of the volume pot, I pushed part of the bare wire to the lug and it was silent - so I got a TV remote to check if it was getting any signal and it wasn't. So, I kind of ruled that out :smack:

I think it's just noisy. I checked everything out and it's all wired right (green and bare to ground on back of volume pot, black to switch, and red and white together) and soldered good.

Also, Thanks for clearing that "spring" thing up for me :smack: you can't see it on my 5-way. :blackeye: :laugh2:

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: C-5 is noisy/hissing, is this normal?

Cool! Glad you got everything straightened out.

That spring is visible on vintage Switchcraft 3 way and 5 way switches, but some modern & import switches have the innards sealed up inside plastic and you can't see the workings of the switch.