Guitar tone..

B

BloodRose

Professional Scapegoat
Not sure if this should be here or in the pickup section, but... Since I have to sell off my harum... I got my Squier strat outta the shed.. ( Not worth anything to sell, but important to me..) This is the guitar I did most of my learning on, and ALL my mod learning on..
I have put Sperzel keys, had a bone nut put on (under warranty thank goodness as the stock plastic one cumbled) Put a 3 ply pg, Blue lace sensor neck, Silver middle and Red bridge (that was then replaced with a couple humbuckers, currently a Duncan C5).. 500 k pots, push pull in bridge to split the bucker and new toggle.
The issue Im having is ... When playing the bridge bucker, I get a "squelchy" tone that actually sounds like Id expect from a single coil. This happens in both positions, but even more when its not split.. What would cause that? Cap? (IIRC, the cap is prolly orange drop 022) Other positions sound good/normal..
Suggestions?? Thanks
 
not the cap unless its wired wrong

the rest of everything sounds normal? is the output higher than the lace pups? do you have a multimeter handy?
 
Did you somehow wire the pickup in parallel? Because that sounds much more single coil than when in series.

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jeremy said:
not the cap unless its wired wrong

the rest of everything sounds normal? is the output higher than the lace pups? do you have a multimeter handy?
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Yes, everything else sounds normal. Output seems pretty balanced to me. And.... yes, have a multimeter that I got from harbor frieght, but I cant for the life of me, figure out how to use it.. There are so many settings and adjustments, it boggles my mind...

Demanic,
I may have, but don't know for sure.. done the same wiring in the past with no issues. But, anything is possible. I often have to hurry with my wiring as my wife hates when I have have the dining room table set up as a work station..
 
Jeremy, my multi meter has a 20k setting, (and 50 others, ugh) but it also has 3 places to plug in the leads. 10ADC, Vupside down horseshoe thing mA, and COM. I assume one of the plugs (red or black) has to go in the MA setting, but where does the other go? I tried the various settings and the numbers just start going all over the place.
 
Also,.... i played it a couple min with my hearing aids in. And on ALL positions (neck Blue lace sensor, mid silver Lace and bridge Duncan c5), it has has that sound. When I first strike the chords, I get this bright glass breaking kind of sound. I immediately plugged up a diff axe to make sure it wasnt windows rattling or something else, but its def the guitar..
 
you want the ohms (upsidedown shoe thing) and common. if all the settings sound weird, there is definitely something wrong with it. a clear detailed picture might help. if this guitar hasnt been played in a while there might be some corrosion too
 
Ill look into it early next week. been very busy and wife home next few days. will try the upside down horshoe setting lower the pup. As far as I recall, always sounded good before. Will also check for corrosion in the cavity. Thanks will report back after I cross those bridges.
 
Sadly, I need to sell it, but being an inexpensive though highly modded squier strat, not worth a dang, Would love to hold onto it as this is the guitar I did A) all my mod learning on, and B)most of my basic playing learning on. May try to figure how to keep for those reasons, but Im both surprised by the tone issues as I NEVER noticed before and those issues make it not so savvory for me to keep. crappy Hock shop offered me like $50 for it... But, im wondering...
 
IMO for the price that guitar would bring, it'd be worth keepin it. Especially since it has sentimental value beyond its worth.

I bet it would sound a lot less harsh with a 250K volume pot - that's the norm for Strats.
 
I was going to suggest that maybe the C5 was OOP compared to the Lace Sensors, until you said that it worked before you got it out of storage.

If you absolutely MUST sell it, remove the C5 1st. Maybe even the LS's, and sell them separately. I'll send you a humbucker and two singles to put back in there place, if you want. (Free.)
 
You said you got it out of the shed. How long was the guitar outside and what part of the country do you live in? I am wondering if there is corrosion from condensation on any of the internals of the electronics.
 
Hey, sorry so long getting back.. things been nuts,, had my disability hearing, kid issues, etc.. The shed i keep em in is in FL. But, I do pay a bunch extra for climate controlled shed
 
Hey Bloodrose, post a picture of the guitar if you can. How is the fretwork on the guitar? Is it a vintage Strat bridge? Maybe we can work something out.
 
ehdwuld said:
the Kids?
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Yeah, Kids have kids now.. and a couple are dealing with addiction issues, so keeps me crazy. Several years ago when they were minors, I was hunting them down all hours and locking em up in rehabs. cant do now that they they are adults,,

Leon, sorry bro, been a looooooong time. dont even recall what guit we were talking bout... sorry for not getting back. been off the grid for a bit. Back/med issues.. Dealing with kids, babysitting grands, disability etc..
 
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