Help with a possible pickup failure!!!!

[greendy123]

I just got a 59 trembucker in the bridge and a super II in my neck. This was just last tuesday I got it back. When I selected either of the pickups the expected tone and volume was normal.

Today I adjusted the height of the 59 trembucker in my bridge and after doing that the output was very low. So I changed it back to the normal height but the same problem occured. Then I tried the switching to just the super II and that pickup was fine. With just the bridge on I checked and the outer coil of the 59 has very low output compared to the inner coil. When play with the pickup the sound is thin and very low in output, even when my marshall 2100 slx, known for high gain, with gain cranked up the it still sounds very clean.

Do you guys know of any reason why this has happened? I think it could be just some wires getting loose or wires touching when I moved the pickup. I also have the pickup in a hole cut for a humbucker, that could be a possible problem because trembuckers are wider so the bobbin wire may have broken while I adjusted the height. There's another weird thing to happened too, when i turn down the master volume on my guitar the bridge pickups volume basically muted. Just tell me what you guys think because I want to get back to playing guitar after waiting about a week and half just get my guitar setup with pickups.

Here's how I have wiring setup now to help understand my situation better
http://www.dimarzio.com/Text/Wiring/TwoHumbuckers5WayMultiple.pdf

 

[CronoDL]

Re: Help with a possible pickup failure!!!!

Since you did only minor adjustments to it, I don't think it would be a broken pickup. I'd guess that it's just got some loose wires/connections.

 

[bluey@sunni]

Re: Help with a possible pickup failure!!!!

Greendy123, did you have a tech do the replacement or was it a diy job?
The reason IMHO is stretched/broken wiring, cut down the ability to transmit the signal will cause a weak signal. This is an increase in resistance, unlike what we guitarists want is a higher resistive winding in the PUP. Sutble but important difference.
What you MAY have done is in effect is turned your volumne down from 10 to 1 or lower. Your tech should fix it for free,(If not protest long and LOUD) or if it is a diy job you have learnt something today,("A man's got to know his limitations.")

 

[greendy123]

Re: Help with a possible pickup failure!!!!

Yeah I plan to bring back the guitar to my guitar tech that installed in on tuesday, but that means I can't get it fixed earlier because he works on mon/fri and I have work on monday,so I guess that means I need to wait even longer for it now.

Thanks guys for the quick responds. I thought broke the pickup coil wire, and started to panic thinking I would need to buy another pickup. I really appreciate your guys help.

 

[Imp]

Re: Help with a possible pickup failure!!!!

broken coil = no sound

it's like a cassette tape with a cut in the tape - it won't work at all!

IMO it sounds like a dry/weak solder joint, nothing fatal

tom

 

[Funky P]

Re: Help with a possible pickup failure!!!!

This happened to me, weak solder joint on the hot wire.

Go back with your amp plugged in and tug on the hot wire, if it goes back to normal then just resolder.

 

[greendy123]

Re: Help with a possible pickup failure!!!!

broken coil = no sound

it's like a cassette tape with a cut in the tape - it won't work at all!

IMO it sounds like a dry/weak solder joint, nothing fatal

tom

Could it possible be that one coil is broken? When I dropped off the guitar to the tech to today he said that could be the problem or could it be a defective 5 way switch?

 

[pinto79]

Re: Help with a possible pickup failure!!!!

I think it's time for new tech...

Everyone should learn to do this stuff themselves...

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: Help with a possible pickup failure!!!!

I think it's time for new tech...

Everyone should learn to do this stuff themselves...

+1

Most techs can't wire their way out of a frankenstrat.

Luke

 

[JacksonMIA]

Re: Help with a possible pickup failure!!!!

+1

Most techs can't wire their way out of a frankenstrat.

Luke

LOL! Someone's losing their spot in my signature for that one!

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: Help with a possible pickup failure!!!!

Another vote for a cold/cracked solder joint.

 

[greendy123]

Re: Help with a possible pickup failure!!!!

Okay I recieved the report from the tech, he actually did great work from the wiring diagram I gave him. The tech did everything perfectly, it's just that my pickup was defective. It had wires that weren't going into something called a channel and because it was like that the wire broke between the coils.

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: Help with a possible pickup failure!!!!

Okay I recieved the report from the tech, he actually did great work from the wiring diagram I gave him. The tech did everything perfectly, it's just that my pickup was defective. It had wires that weren't going into something called a channel and because it was like that the wire broke between the coils.

What is he calling a channel? The cluster of wires on a SD is all on one end, it doesn't run through any kind of channel. If he had it installed where the wire was in the guitar body wire channel that would make sense; yet again it would be his fault, not the pup's.

Luke

 

[greendy123]

Re: Help with a possible pickup failure!!!!

I don't exactly remember what he said about the channel but it was something about the coil wires or the wire that connects the top half to the bottom half.

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: Help with a possible pickup failure!!!!

I don't exactly remember what he said about the channel but it was something about the coil wires or the wire that connects the top half to the bottom half.

So he was saying that the channel connects the top half of the coil to the bottom?

The way a coil works is from the top to the bottom it is one wire wound thousands of times around, there is not channel. On a humbucker One coil leads into another when wired in series full on. There is not a channel of any type. Here's a rudimentary illustration.

.................................... ____________________
.................................../(Coil 2)\............/(Coil 1)\
To Switch, or pot lug<------------............---------->To ground (pot shell)

Luke

 

[greendy123]

Re: Help with a possible pickup failure!!!!

Oh okay thanks for help. My pickup works now, but would you suggest I get the same pickup again or just keep using this until it dies, if it ever even happens.

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: Help with a possible pickup failure!!!!

Oh okay thanks for help. My pickup works now, but would you suggest I get the same pickup again or just keep using this until it dies, if it ever even happens.

I depends on persoanl preference. If you like it stick with it, if not get a different one, what do, or don't you like about it?

Luke

 

[tone4days]

Re: Help with a possible pickup failure!!!!

luke,

i think i understand what he is saying, but i wouldnt have understood it if i hadnt wired up my own pup at UGD right on the assembly line ... i think he may be talking about the way the start and stop ends of each coil are soldered to the conductor wire that ultimately gets hooked up to pots/switches, etc ... if greendy123's pup was only 2 conductor ('59 TB), the stop end of one coil was soldered to the start end of the other coil ... that connection gets tucked into a little 'channel' that is the gap between the two coils ... something couldve been hosed there

t4d

 

[greendy123]

Re: Help with a possible pickup failure!!!!

luke,

i think i understand what he is saying, but i wouldnt have understood it if i hadnt wired up my own pup at UGD right on the assembly line ... i think he may be talking about the way the start and stop ends of each coil are soldered to the conductor wire that ultimately gets hooked up to pots/switches, etc ... if greendy123's pup was only 2 conductor ('59 TB), the stop end of one coil was soldered to the start end of the other coil ... that connection gets tucked into a little 'channel' that is the gap between the two coils ... something couldve been hosed there

t4d

Yeah thats exactly what I think my guitar tech told me. The problem was the connection was not tucked into the little "channel" and it allowed the connection to easily break. This connection might have broken because the hole my trembucker is in is a little tight around it. So it may have happened when I adjusted the height.

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: Help with a possible pickup failure!!!!

luke,

i think i understand what he is saying, but i wouldnt have understood it if i hadnt wired up my own pup at UGD right on the assembly line ... i think he may be talking about the way the start and stop ends of each coil are soldered to the conductor wire that ultimately gets hooked up to pots/switches, etc ... if greendy123's pup was only 2 conductor ('59 TB), the stop end of one coil was soldered to the start end of the other coil ... that connection gets tucked into a little 'channel' that is the gap between the two coils ... something couldve been hosed there

t4d

I wired one too, but it was four conductor, I just have an innate distrust of the majority of techs.

Luke