[HELP] STK-S4 phase issue in HSS configuration

[Crazy_Guitar]

Hello there!

Long time user of the STK-S4, and completely pleased with it, I decided to move things around a bit.
I have a pair of STK-S4n/STK-S4m and they were installed with a Pearly Gates Plus on a very old Aria Pro II guitar. They were a bit "too much" for that guitar in particular, but ok.

A few days ago I decided to move the STK-S4 pair to a 1990 Yamaha Pacifica 712. (That's one hell of a guitar, trust me on that!!!) I kept the PGP on the old guitar and bought me a brand new '59/Custom Hybrid Trembucker for this one.
I got everything wired and done as per this schematic. This is exactly how I had it working on the old Aria Pro II and it was working like a charm!
However, and following this diagram (being the only change the switch, still a "super-5" with 4 poles - due to cavity space restrictions), everything is working fine except position 4, i.e., neck+middle single parallel. The sound is terribly thin and nasal, not the "straty" tone. Position 2 (middle single + bridge split) and all others are just fine, loud, full body Strat bell-like tone.

The magnetic polarities should be a match, as the STK-S4 pair was working perfectly on the Aria Pro II. Nonetheless, when I had them removed, I threw them in the same bag, together with a lot of über-powerful neodymium magnets that I use for repairs on guitars.
Is it possible that I have incidently changed the magnetic polarity of any of them? That shouldn't be the problem, as this would result on a non-hum-cancelling tone, yet, fully bodied tone.
Should I try and remagnetize the STK-S4 pair? Could it be any other issue?

I read here this:

"If you end up reversing the phase of your Stack Plus: To use the coil splitting option, you will need to wire your split switch so the red wire shorts to the black wire instead of ground."

How can I do this??? I mean, the black wire is grounded on the diagram... should I be lifting it from ground? On which conditions?


I have also tried to resolder the wires on the pickup back itself, always with the same issue. I tried several combinations. Reverted to factory settings, as it didn't seem to be the problem.
Anyone know the internal components of the STK-S4? What/where are the 3 conducters wired to?


Please help... thank you. Any input is truly appreciated!
Sorry for the long post...


And some porn... the Yamaha Pacifica 712 and the Aria Pro II (in the way of relicing) with the pickups aforementioned.

 

[Chistopher]

Re: [HELP] STK-S4 phase issue in HSS configuration

Switch the hot and ground on the neck pickup, then it'll be fine.

 

[Crazy_Guitar]

Re: [HELP] STK-S4 phase issue in HSS configuration

Switch the hot and ground on the neck pickup, then it'll be fine.

White and black? Did that.
Would you mean switch white to black and then splitting by shorting the red and the black wire? Well... that could be a possibility...

What dazzles me is that this exact wiring worked perfectly, first time up, on the Aria Pro II guitar!

 

[Chistopher]

Re: [HELP] STK-S4 phase issue in HSS configuration

Black is ground, white is hot, the red wire when grounded taps the pickup. And you're sure everything is wired correctly?

 

[Crazy_Guitar]

Re: [HELP] STK-S4 phase issue in HSS configuration

Black is ground, white is hot, the red wire when grounded taps the pickup. And you're sure everything is wired correctly?

Yep. Been around that like... a million times!
Hence my doubt: could I possibly have demagnetized or inverted the polarity on one pickup? Maybe the STK-S4n, because the middle/bridge split is working as it should.
If so, how can I remagnetize it? On what polarity?

 

[Chistopher]

Re: [HELP] STK-S4 phase issue in HSS configuration

Even if you did interfere with the magnetism it could still be fixed by switching the hot and ground, so I don't think that's your problem.

 

[Crazy_Guitar]

Re: [HELP] STK-S4 phase issue in HSS configuration

Even if you did interfere with the magnetism it could still be fixed by switching the hot and ground, so I don't think that's your problem.

Exactly! That was my thought on the 1st minute.
Do you happen to know the pinout of the STKs? AFAIK, it operates in a slightly different mode as opposed to other single stacks. White-red is the top (main) coil and red-black is the bottom ("negative hum injector" coil)?

 

[gregory]

Re: [HELP] STK-S4 phase issue in HSS configuration

Been through this quite a few times:
The coils of a Pearly Gates Plus are wired out of phase from the coils of a Pearly Gates.

To reverse phase and maintain proper split operation on a SD humbucker (including the PG+), connect the black to green as your split wire, connect white to hot and red to ground.

Don't attempt to mess with the phase of the STK-S4. They weren't designed to be manipulated that way.

 

[Crazy_Guitar]

Re: [HELP] STK-S4 phase issue in HSS configuration

Been through this quite a few times:
The coils of a Pearly Gates Plus are wired out of phase from the coils of a Pearly Gates.

To reverse phase and maintain proper split operation on a SD humbucker (including the PG+), connect the black to green as your split wire, connect white to hot and red to ground.

Don't attempt to mess with the phase of the STK-S4. They weren't designed to be manipulated that way.

I don' have problems between the STK-S4m and the TB-16! Position "2" (middle + slug coil bridge split) is working perfectly.
The problem I have is with between STK-S4n and STK-S4m! Hence, position "4" (neck + middle stacks split).

 

[gregory]

Re: [HELP] STK-S4 phase issue in HSS configuration

Do the S4N and S4M repel when you put them face to face?

 

[Crazy_Guitar]

Re: [HELP] STK-S4 phase issue in HSS configuration

Do the S4N and S4M repel when you put them face to face?

I wasn't able to have them off the guitar, but I did test with a tiny magnet. I actually ended up demagnetizing the STKs, the other day!!!




So, I went over and carefully remagnetized the STKs, so they were "N S NS".
Thank you for all the info on this thread. Worked like a charm!


But... I have the feeling I have "overmagnetized" the pickups, actually. Is that even possible?

Thanks for the input.

 

[Chistopher]

Re: [HELP] STK-S4 phase issue in HSS configuration

Nope. You can't overmagnetize pickups, if you could, it would have happened some way or another to all of my pickups by now.