Humbucker Wiring Issue

[punchlinechar]

Hello all,

Been many a moon since I posted here. Anyhow, I just installed some new humbuckers in my custom strat build yesterday (a TB11 and an SH1). The SH1 is sounding real good, but the TB11 seems to have some kind of issue.

The tone will get a little thin and there's some hum, almost like it's coil split, but if I fiddle with the selector switch and find the right spot it'll go away. Everything is wired in series, red and white tied together and taped off. I have black to the switch and green and bare to ground. It sounds great when it's working right but this is incredibly annoying to deal with.

Would this just be a matter of resoldering the hot to the selector, or is there a different diagnosis like a grounding issue? I want to try and fix it tomorrow since I have a gig on Saturday.

Thank you!

 

[larryguitar]

General rules of thumb: Check solder joints, check for intermittent grounds (I plug the guitar in and push/pull gently on the wires and components) and then check devices (switches and pots.)

In my experience, that's the order of most-less probable issues.

Larry

 

[punchlinechar]

I took the guard off and resoldered the hot and ground connections, and it's still having the same issues. I'm going reinstall the 78 I had in here to see if I experience the same issues with that pickup. I'm just hoping the custom custom isn't broken or something, since I ordered it as a shop floor custom.

 

[punchlinechar]

Whenever I moved the wire coming off the pickup it would make the noise stop, but there aren't any shorts or anything that I can see.

 

[beaubrummels]

Shorts aren't something you can see. You have to measure continuity with a meter to check.

 

[Clint 55]

Also check the red and white series connection. The weirdest thing that has happened to me was that series connection got pinched in the pickguard and the sound would come and go.

 

[punchlinechar]

I have them soldered together and taped off. Putting the 78 back in and everything is working perfectly.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Whenever I moved the wire coming off the pickup it would make the noise stop, but there aren't any shorts or anything that I can see.

Which wire are you referring to?
Or are you referring to the cable?

Sounds like one of the coil wires (either the red or white) has a bad connection or poor insulation at the pup and is intermittently touching a ground, essentially causing a momentary split pup.