Experts on Pickup Wiring Out There..Please Help..

O

oceantracks

New member
I have PRS SC245.

I didn't like the pickups in it, so ordered a PRS SC250 Neck PU, and a Gibson Classic Plus for the bridge. I know both these pickups well.

The tech put them in today and when I got home, the bridge sounded as expected, as did the neck. But the middle position for both pickups is just downright weird. Sounds like a Strat, or a coil split thing going on. I asked the tech if they could have been wired wrong, and he said "There's only one way to wire those PUs, each only has a positive and a ground coming off of it."
He thinks it's just how these two different brands of pickups are sounding together. I say no way. This is too weird. Sounds like a Fender Mustang or something.

SO...is it possible that even though he has the wires running technically correct, that flipping one of the pickup's wires around might solve this? Someone said that because of the different manufacturer's magnets or something you might have to do this, even if they look wired correctly.

Thanks so much
Tom
 
Re: Experts on Pickup Wiring Out There..Please Help..

sounds phase reversed
swap only one set of pickup wires

ground becomes hot
hot becomes ground
 
Re: Experts on Pickup Wiring Out There..Please Help..

ehdwuld said:
sounds phase reversed
swap only one set of pickup wires

ground becomes hot
hot becomes ground
Click to expand...

Thanks EHD...it's got to be the answer...taking it back to him tomorrow...

Will report the results...

Tom
 
Re: Experts on Pickup Wiring Out There..Please Help..

Er, does the PRS SC250 have single con + shield cable like the Gibson?
 
Re: Experts on Pickup Wiring Out There..Please Help..

Funkfingers said:
Er, does the PRS SC250 have single con + shield cable like the Gibson?
Click to expand...

I thought that as well, that could be interesting...

EDIT: I couldn't find any info for it on the PRS website, anyone know about this pickup?
 
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Re: Experts on Pickup Wiring Out There..Please Help..

http://stores.myregisteredsite.com/...PAS&Product_Code=ACC-3091-BN&Category_Code=PU

Good news is that it is an open bobbin PU. Solution is to flip the magnet in one or other of the pickups.

The section in the product description that reads, "compatible with three-way toggle selector" is Smith's polite way of saying that the SC250 is NOT compatible with coil-tapping circuitry. Inference: Single conductor with braided shield cable.
 
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Re: Experts on Pickup Wiring Out There..Please Help..

OK guys here's the frustrating update.

Both pickups have a single wire, and a ground.

We tried flipping one of the pickups wiring, which the tech said was not going to work but we tried it anyway. That gave us only one pickup working. He was right.

So next, we tried physically flipping one of the pickups upside down.

Bad news...same result...out of phase sound, coil tapped sound, still not right.

Tech at this point is saying this must just be the way these two pickups sound together. Guitar playing salesman at store agrees with me, just isn't right. But it makes no sense. This one is a real mystery.

Any more suggestions?

T
 
Re: Experts on Pickup Wiring Out There..Please Help..

Must Agree with them Funkfingers
flip a mag and it should work
 
Re: Experts on Pickup Wiring Out There..Please Help..

after I got mine out
100_0118.jpg

I flipped it over to get to the screws on the back
4 of em take em out
100_0119.jpg


now where the tape round the coils laps over the edge of the base plate
take a small flat screw driver and lift it a bit sose it aint stuck to the lip any more
not much just to free the base plate
100_0120.jpg

on the side away from where the wire comes out
take the same screw driver or pocket knife and wiggle it gently between the base plate and the
spacer on one end
100_0121.jpg

pry up to separate its full of wax so dont worry it aint breaking anything


now do the same to separate the magnet in the middle those things on the sides are spacers
100_0122.jpg

the magnet in this one is 1/4 inch thick
the A5 I got from Mojotone is about half that so yours may be thinner

just roll it = top becomes bottom = flipping the magnet

and put it back together

wa-la:bling:
 
Re: Experts on Pickup Wiring Out There..Please Help..

Thanks so much, will email this to the shop. Hopefully it gets fixed tomorrow, thanks for taking the time to post that!

Tom
 
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