Hot Rails Tele Neck Seems a Lot Quieter Than Bridge

[ThreeChordWonder]

Is this normal?

I've wired them in with a 5-way superswitch with the normal Tele selections in P1, P-3 and P-5, and auto coil splits in P-2 (bridge south only) and P-4 (neck south only) but the neck seems a lot quieter than the bridge in both P-4 and P-5.

 

[Mincer]

First, make sure both coils are working on P-5. Do this by gently tapping on the rails with a screwdriver...if the rail isn't working, that is the issue. It shouldn't be that mismatched. However, in P-4, obviously, with 1 rail, it will be quieter.

 

[ThreeChordWonder]

^ They seem okay.

Tomorrow I'll take the pickup out and try and get some ohms readings. I'll also check for any shorts on the switch etc.

Here's the wiring diagram I used, BTW.

 

[ThreeChordWonder]

And might this work better?

 

[ThreeChordWonder]

Right, I think the pickup is defective.

Ohms readings:

Black to white (north coil) at ends of wires = 5.3K ohms
Black to white (north coil) at solder lugs on pickup = 5.3K ohms
Black wire end to black wire solder lug = good
White wire end to white wire solder lug = good

Red to green (south coil) at wire ends = no circuit
Red to green (south coil) at solder lugs = no circuit
Red wire end to red wire solder lug = good
Green wire end to white wire solder lug = good

So the wires are all good, but somehow the south coil wires aren't connected. I've never touched the pickup ends of the wires, being fearful of damaging the very fine coil wires / connections (BTDT on a cheap MIM pickup), and I've never had the fabric tape off the coils either, so it must be defective from the factory.

These were bought earlier in April this year from an eBay seller, so I guess I'm "Donald Ducked" trying to get my money back there.

Anyone at S-D want to send me a replacement?

The label on the pickup says:

36LM 20201109
STHR1N NECK

Then there's something printed on the pickup baseplate itself, not a sticker but obscured by the sticker that says:

2066 Rev 03

 

[ThreeChordWonder]

Good news!

I contacted S-D this morning and they're going to send me a replacement.

I'll definitely keep buying S-D pickups now!

 

[Mincer]

Nice to hear that they are helping you out!

 

[ThreeChordWonder]

So.

Well done to Seymour Duncan!

I sent the duff pickup back and they sent me a new replacement, which arrived today. No quibbles, no arguments, no fuss, no problems at all. Just as it should be.

Turnaround was one day plus postage in each direction.

Very happy bunny here.

But by 'eck those Hot Rails are L-O-U-D LOUD and about as subtle as a B-52 strike!

Pix when Ive finished the setup and polished the guitar..

Now,, where are my ear defenders?

 

[Mincer]

Awesome! I'd love to know what was up with the other one!

 

[ThreeChordWonder]

• Seymour Duncan Telecaster Hotrails
• Allen Eden alder body, gloss black with cream double binding
• Mighty Mike neck, maple with rosewood fingerboard, Tusq nut, headstock painted gloss black by yours truly
• Fender Classic F-type tuners
• Gotoh high mass bridge
• Electronics by yours truly- 500k pots, 0.022uF cap
• 5 way Fender super-switch with the usual Tele settings in P-1, P-3, and P-5, auto coil splits in P-2 and P-4
• 8.1 lbs

 

[ThreeChordWonder]

Awesome! I'd love to know what was up with the other one!

Probably a manufacturing fault. I got no circuit on one of the coils, so either a broken wire deep inside or a bad solder joint where one end of the coil wires met the big wires.

 

[ThreeChordWonder]

PS the name for the new one is Krakatoa.

For those of you who don't know your history, Krakatoa was (and is now once again) a volcanic island in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, modern day Indonesia, in the South Pacific. On August 26-27, 1883, the volcano exploded. It killed an estimated 34,500 people.

The explosion was said to have been heard nearly 2,000 miles away in Perth, Western Australia, and been equivalent to a 200 megaton nuclear bomb.

It is said to be still the loudest noise heard in recorded history on the planet (except for, possibly, a 1980s Motorhead concert or when I dropped a piece of granite countertop on my big toe a year ago).