Frustrated like a fat kid locked out of a cakeshop

[PipeRain]

So, I got handed a guitar to "Fix". It's a Jackson Dinky(?)of some sort with 2 humbuckers, 1 volume, 1 tone, a 3 way blade switch and a string-thru fixed bridge. It had no output other than a very strong hum. Think "Cheap Chinese single coils in a neon sign factory lit entirely with crappy fluorescent lights" hum. Utterly obnoxious. The soldering job was pretty messy, a first-timer job, so I desolderd everything, replaced the mini push-pulls with standard 500K large pots and soldered it back up. Hum is still there, unchanged. I started eliminating stuff, one at a time. First one pup, then the other, then wired each pickup straight to the output. Any permutation of that will recreate the hum. I finally disconnected everything and tried it. No hum. I am at a loss. It may be some sort of grounding issue, but I dunno where to start or how to troubleshoot that.

If it matters the pups are a Dimarzio Tone Zone at the bridge and a Bluesbucker at the neck. At this point I am wondering if the pups themselves are toasty, but it seems like the chances of both of them being toast is fairly small, statistics being what they are.....

Any ideas?

 

[dotsdad]

Re: Frustrated like a fat kid locked out of a cakeshop

Maybe the output jack is the culprit. Somehow the ground connection isnt getting to ground. Are the hot and ground leads connected to the correct lugs?

 

[PipeRain]

Re: Frustrated like a fat kid locked out of a cakeshop

Maybe the output jack is the culprit. Somehow the ground connection isnt getting to ground. Are the hot and ground leads connected to the correct lugs?

I checked the wiring at the jack and it appears correct.

 

[dotsdad]

Re: Frustrated like a fat kid locked out of a cakeshop

Could the jack itself be fried? Too much heat from your buddys soldering iron
.

 

[dotsdad]

Re: Frustrated like a fat kid locked out of a cakeshop

Only other thing to check is that the Dimarzios are wired correctly. Their color code is different than stock Jackson pickups,
Duncans, etc.

 

[PipeRain]

Re: Frustrated like a fat kid locked out of a cakeshop

Could the jack itself be fried? Too much heat from your buddys soldering iron
.

Bow howdy, that would have to be one hot iron. I don't think that's it, if I disconnect everything from the jack and plug in, no hum.

Only other thing to check is that the Dimarzios are wired correctly. Their color code is different than stock Jackson pickups,
Duncans, etc.

That might be it, I looked up Dimarzio's color codes, but I'll double check.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Frustrated like a fat kid locked out of a cakeshop

Is the bridge grounded? Did you meter the pickups to see if you are getting the full output?

 

[PipeRain]

Re: Frustrated like a fat kid locked out of a cakeshop

Is the bridge grounded? Did you meter the pickups to see if you are getting the full output?

The bridge is grounded but I don't know how to meter the pickups. Guess it's off to google eh?

 

[daenius]

Re: Frustrated like a fat kid locked out of a cakeshop

Yeah Google how to measure your pickups with a multi-meter. Many people make the grave mistake of assuming that pickup color codes are universal and so when they replace pickups with different brands they just match the same color wires: recipe for disaster. It's very likely that the Dimarzios are basically not wired as humbuckers, lol

 

[Dave Locher]

Re: Frustrated like a fat kid locked out of a cakeshop

It sounds to me like the jack isn't grounded? I did the same thing to my own guitar a couple weeks ago. If any solder got where it shouldn't be OR if there is a broken wire anywhere it will sound like that.
If the pickups are wired correctly, then it's gotta be the wires themselves.

 

[Liko]

Re: Frustrated like a fat kid locked out of a cakeshop

If the jack was shorted, disconnecting everything should have still resulted in buzz. I would try wiring one pickup directly to the jack, and see if you get anything besides buzz, then repeat with the other. As much as has probably been done to this axe, it actually wouldn't surprise me if both coils were roughly handled and got a break somewhere. Testing with a multimeter is also a really good idea, and really simple, just be careful when testing the actual winding wires (to see if there's a break where those wires meet the leads).

Sent from my VS985 4G using Tapatalk

 

[Kamanda~SD]

Re: Frustrated like a fat kid locked out of a cakeshop

Testing with a multimeter is also a really good idea, and really simple,

+1
Testing with a multimeter is absolutely essential. You can guess all day but the meter will tell you right away.

Doesn't need to be an expensive one either, I have a $30 one here that I use all the time.

 

[PipeRain]

Re: Frustrated like a fat kid locked out of a cakeshop

Welp, I tested the pups and they test OK. Man, that Tone Zone is hot! 15 and change K. At this point the only thing left to swap out is the switch so it's off to the LMS for a 3 way. I can't really tell by looking, damn old age and creaky eyes, but I'm wondering if the switch isn't fried from all the soldering and de-soldering or one of the trace to tab connections isn't burnt through. So anyway, that's where it's at so far, thank you to everyone for the advice and when it's fixed, I'll update.

 

[Hank-]

Re: Frustrated like a fat kid locked out of a cakeshop

Also check for continuity on the ground connections while the meter is at hand.

Edit:double check the instrument cable a well.

 

[PipeRain]

Re: Frustrated like a fat kid locked out of a cakeshop

Okay, I have the new switch installed and while things are getting better, there's still some odd stuff going on.

I have either sound from both pickups in the center position, and no sound when switched to either neck or bridge, or sound from the neck pup only when switched to neck position and no sound at middle or bridge position. I have found two different wiring diagrams for 3-way blade switches and have tried both permutations with the results described.

This version, from the SD wiring diagrams, gives me output from both pups in the middle position only and no output at bridge or neck positions.

View attachment 79583

I have also found a few instances like this around the net, where two lugs are jumpered, so I tried it. This gives me neck output only when switched to neck position, but no output at middle or bridge. (I can't find the actual images I saw so I "Doctored" the SD original)

View attachment 79584

Then, there's this, at Stew-Mac. I haven't tried it yet, but I wonder if this is my answer.

View attachment 79585

Can anyone provide some clarity for me?

To recap, here's where I started and what I've done in a nutshell.

• Guitar is a 2 humbucker, 1 volume, 1 tone, fixed string thru bridge
• Guitar had no output, but massive hum
• Removed push-pull pots, replaced with 500k pots, still no output, still humming
• Removed tone pot, wired volume straight to jack, still no output, still humming
• Removed pups, swapped in junk single wire buckers, still no output, still humming
• Wired each junk pup individually direct to output, got signal from each, no hum
• Tested both original pups, (Dimarzio Tone Zone & Bluesbucker) TZ is 15+K, BB is 8+K, both test good
• Tested continuity to bridge ground, 0 ohms resistance, good ground.
• Tested jack, not leaking continuity between tip and sleeve
• Put Dimarzio's back in, replaced switch with new from LMS, output as described above.
• Wired per SD diagram, output from both pups in middle position only, no individual bridge or neck
• Jumpered lugs on input sides as shown in second diagram, get signal from neck only, no middle, no bridge.
• Still no cake, still frustrated.

 

[Darg1911]

Re: Frustrated like a fat kid locked out of a cakeshop

What type of jack does it have? Standard open frame or the closed cylinder / deep panel type?

Time to post some good, clear photos I think.

 

[PipeRain]

Re: Frustrated like a fat kid locked out of a cakeshop

OK, Success.

Took the guitar down to the LMS and caught their "Tech" as he was going out the door. He took a look, poked around a bit, condemned my soldering (Which, admittedly is no work of art) and told me to pay him to replace everything and resolder with "Vintage" wire. I was not impressed. Eventually I just took it home. During all the poking around, he had pulled the ground wire from the front pickup loose from the solder blob it was in, so I soldered it back down and plugged it in. It all worked and worked properly. I buttoned it back up, strung it up and called it good.

I dunno what the issue was, given all the weird symptoms, but I guess the evidence says that it has to be a craptastic soldering job by yours truly. Still and all tho, to my mind, it's a headscratcher.

Anyway, thank you all for the help!

<side note>
That Tone Zone sounds like unmitigated ass. The Bluesbucker is ok. Unremarkable, but OK. Dunno what possessed someone to put those two pickups in the same guitar.
</side note>

 

[daenius]

Re: Frustrated like a fat kid locked out of a cakeshop

OK, Success.

Took the guitar down to the LMS and caught their "Tech" as he was going out the door. He took a look, poked around a bit, condemned my soldering (Which, admittedly is no work of art) and told me to pay him to replace everything and resolder with "Vintage" wire. I was not impressed. Eventually I just took it home. During all the poking around, he had pulled the ground wire from the front pickup loose from the solder blob it was in, so I soldered it back down and plugged it in. It all worked and worked properly. I buttoned it back up, strung it up and called it good.

I dunno what the issue was, given all the weird symptoms, but I guess the evidence says that it has to be a craptastic soldering job by yours truly. Still and all tho, to my mind, it's a headscratcher.

Anyway, thank you all for the help!

<side note>
That Tone Zone sounds like unmitigated ass. The Bluesbucker is ok. Unremarkable, but OK. Dunno what possessed someone to put those two pickups in the same guitar.
</side note>

Never tried the Bluesbucker but the Tone Zone is usually pretty good. It needs a lot of fine pickup height adjustments to get the sweet spot though. Otherwise it just sounds super congested and muddy.