Hybrid Conundrum

[Natman]

So I got my unpotted Sh-16 early when they first came out, popped an A2 magnet in her and slapped a cover on it. It went in the bridge of my Hamer Newport. Life was good. The one minor complaint is that "normal" neck buckers didn't hold a candle to the hybrid goodness at the bridge. I just recently got my hands on a 59/jazz for the neck and used an A4 mag (59 screws, jazz slugs FWIW). Great tones to match the bridge! What took me so long...

Now the problem is it's like my tone control doesn't do a whole lot. Has this happened to anyone else?

Cap is a 0.033 Vitamin Q but I also have a couple of wiring tricks: there's a coil tap and a second toggle to change the cap out for a passive midrange a la Torres/Rothstein. This is my favourite setup for 2 knobs and 2 mini toggles, it offers the most usable sounds with the least controls. Now it's possible I could have screwed something up but I've been wiring guitars for years and already caught and fixed one snafu. I have the exact same wiring on at least 2 other guitars so I doubt it's operator error.

I really seem to be getting little reduction of highs at the top range -where I would expect a good jazzy tone around 6-7 on the tone knob, I now have to turn down to 3... You know the bottom range of a pot where it starts to sound like a wah? Could I have I damaged the pot somehow?? Cold solder joint or something else? Could a neck hybrid be just so clear & zingy that the tone control doesn't tame the highs?

Thanks for your input guys!

 

[SJ318]

Re: Hybrid Conundrum

Hi,
Your SH-16 is a very powerful pickup, at around 11.5 K as people like to use as a measure sometimes, is louder with a lot of wire around the slug bobbin. So I use 2 of them in 2 guitars, bridge position, and that thing really responds to my tone control, but your neck hybrid could not be any brighter. I have a Jazz neck (in the bridge) and it sizzles for me. I mean that thing is a beauty, but bright bright bright. I can see why you have to turn it (tone control) down so much.
Also, on the wah tone setting, I know what you mean. On my Jazz neck, which I put in my Strat (in the Bridge position) is a guitar I keep on my bed 24/7 so I pick it up to play sometimes before I sleep. I gotta turn my tone knob way down, at least as far as 3, it is almost as bright as a Strat pickup in the bridge, almost, but not quite, so my experience matches yours. If I put a pickup as powerful as the SH-16 59/Custom Hybrid in the neck position, I'd expect it to never sound like a bridge Wah setting.
It is much harder to get that Wah sound with any neck pickup. Much harder if the neck is a humbucker.
The Wah sound is SO MUCH EASIER to get on the Bridge as opposed to the Neck any time, regardless of "power" or "strength". I am sure without looking that an SH-16 is a 59/Custom Hybrid. If not, I'll return and fix it. So I know this did not change anything in your set up, as your set up seems to be doing exactly what it should. We'll see what other forumites say.
Cheers,
Steve Buffington

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Hybrid Conundrum

I was wondering about that same thing today and yesterday also with my Phat Cat.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Hybrid Conundrum

I think the pot is probably fine, but you may want to alter the value or it (or the cap) to tame the highs as you like them. Any issues with the wiring would mostly result in a pot not working at all (or being full off all the time). If you verify the rest of the wiring is correct, you might have to custom match the cap and pot to give the sound you like- or just get used to turning down to 3.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Hybrid Conundrum

has it always been like this or just after you did the pup swap?

 

[Joey Voltage]

Re: Hybrid Conundrum

The pot taper will mater, did you use the same taper in all guitars. It sounds like you might have used an audio in one and a linear in the other. Did it work fine before? You could also try to post some pics.

 

[Natman]

Re: Hybrid Conundrum

has it always been like this or just after you did the pup swap?

Well I only added the midrange and coil taps when the pickup swap was done. Before that it was only a regular tone control. I did not change the pot but it is a new cap.
I am partly suspecting the mini toggle switch because the contacts are seated in a soft plastic, too much heat melts them like wax -done it before!

 

[Natman]

Re: Hybrid Conundrum

The pot taper will mater, did you use the same taper in all guitars. It sounds like you might have used an audio in one and a linear in the other. Did it work fine before? You could also try to post some pics.

It worked fine before but the real hassle here is its a hollow body so getting the guts in & out is a total pain! Can only access it all by removing the bridge pickup and fishing all the components out through the hole �� shoulda taken pics before closing her up!

Right now my plan is to replace the mini toggle and go back to 0.047 uF next time the strings need changing...

 

[blueman335]

Re: Hybrid Conundrum

It worked fine before but the real hassle here is its a hollow body so getting the guts in & out is a total pain! Can only access it all by removing the bridge pickup and fishing all the components out through the hole �� shoulda taken pics before closing her up!

One of the best things you can do when changing PU's & electronics is to test everything before you reassemble. This is especially important with F hole guitars. I test them thru an amp when everything's soldered, while the parts are still outside, and again once it's all in, but before I tighten up the knobs for volume & tone (wires can get stretched during re-entry. I now use longer wirings between pots & toggles to prevent stretching). Finally, I test it all a third time when everything's in & tightened. Why do I do all the testing? I've learned the hard way.

BTW, it's not hard getting the pots back in an F hole guitars. I use a long stiff plastic-coated wire (wrapped around the pot stems), running the wire thru the pot hole, and then pull the pot in place. Once there I hold it in place with a forceps while I put on the washer and nut, and tighten it with a T-handle nut driver (to prevent scratching the guitar's finish). I only have to do this for the neck tone pot. All of the other pots can be put in place and held underneath with forceps. I've re-wired F hole guitars dozens of times over the years and can get the parts back in, in 5 or 10 minutes.