HH 3 way wiring, getting a little bit of output from neck pickup when in position 1

GabenFreeman

New member
I just wired up an HH setup with a 3 way switch, I used this wiring diagram: https://docs.google.com/viewerng/vi...uncan.com/images/wiring-diagrams/2H_3B_1V.pdf

I plugged it in to test it before screwing on the pickguard and putting the strings on. I'm tapping on the pickups with a screwdriver to test the signals, and I'm getting a little bit of output from the neck pickup in position 1 and a little bit of output from the bridge in position 3. In position 1, the output of the bridge is measuring at 0 db in my daw, and the neck pickup is outputting at about -24 db just from tapping on it.

Is this normal or did I wire it wrong? I doubled checked the wiring and I'm not sure what could be causing it.

​​​​​​​Thanks
 
Just to clarify . . . pos #1 usually refers to the bridge position, and #3 the neck. Is that what you mean?

Also, in a DAW, dB refers to attenuation, so 0 dB would be full volume and -24 dB would be pretty low volume. Almost a residual output. Is that also what you mean?
 
Just to clarify . . . pos #1 usually refers to the bridge position, and #3 the neck. Is that what you mean?

Also, in a DAW, dB refers to attenuation, so 0 dB would be full volume and -24 dB would be pretty low volume. Almost a residual output. Is that also what you mean?

Yes to both
 
Ok, so next question . . . you have the pups wired up outside the actual guitar, and are doing a "tap test?" It's easy for the vibrations to migrate over to the other pup.

I just want to make sure I understand how you're testing.
 
Ok, so next question . . . you have the pups wired up outside the actual guitar, and are doing a "tap test?" It's easy for the vibrations to migrate over to the other pup.

I just want to make sure I understand how you're testing.

Ah ok interesting. The pickguard is in the guitar with a few of the screws in, so it's not moving around or anything. But yeah just giving it the tap test before putting all the screws in when I noticed it.
 
Ok, cool. And again, just to clarify . . . with the bridge selected, you tap on the neck pup, and get a teensy bit of output? And vice-versa?
 
Ok, then I think that's normal. When you tap the neck, some vibration is going to the bridge, which generates a little output. -24dB is pretty low.

If I'm understanding everything correctly, I'd just install it all into the guitar, and try it out. Then we can go from there.

I think you're good to go.
 
Ok, then I think that's normal. When you tap the neck, some vibration is going to the bridge, which generates a little output. -24dB is pretty low.

If I'm understanding everything correctly, I'd just install it all into the guitar, and try it out. Then we can go from there.

I think you're good to go.

Ok cool thanks!
 
Faint bleeding between disabled and enabled pickups is in fact relatively common. Most players just don't notice it. ;-)

A pickup remains... a microphone. There are videos on YT showing guys who sing through their guitar pickups under hi-gain. IOW, guitar pickups are sensitive to vibrations - and to perturbations of the magnetic field: tapping the poles of a disabled humbucker excites its magnet which excites the string(s) through the other coil and the strings faintly excite the enabled pickup : that's the principle behind sustainer pickups, whose active circuit just amplifies this phenomenon.

In guitar with long lengths of inner wire, there's also a possibility of cross-talk due to capacitive coupling. Many Les Paul's do that... See posts 6, 8 and 9 in this topic:

https://www.mylespaul.com/threads/i...lst-in-bridge-position-and-vice-versa.479243/

So and as Artie said, there's no reason to worry with a bleeding of -24dB... :-)
 
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