Jazzmaster antiquity middle position lacks mids

[hessodreamy]

My Jazzmaster lacks mids in the middle position. It doesn't sound out of phase as such, just that the mids are cancelled and the bass and treble are overly pronounced. It's generally how middle positions sound, but more so. I've measured the volume output of each pickup and checked that they're putting out the same polarity voltage, just to double check they weren't wired out of phase!

Is this how this position sounds with the JM antiquities or could this be a dud set? Perhaps the variance in winds can create unpredictable results?

 

[jeremy]

Re: Jazzmaster antiquity middle position lacks mids

sounds like its working as it should. you can change the tone by adjusting the height of one of the pups

 

[Mincer]

Re: Jazzmaster antiquity middle position lacks mids

It sounds like they are working the way they are supposed to. As jeremy said, there is a whole host of tones you might get by varying the height. This will change the middle position significantly.

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: Jazzmaster antiquity middle position lacks mids

Yep, sounds like a middle position. I don't tend to like middle positions; never really use it much on my Jazzmasters in particular. Are you comparing to the stock pickups? What guitar?

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Jazzmaster antiquity middle position lacks mids

The rwrp neck has some to do with that scooped sound. Middle position between two pickups with same wind and polarity has more mids.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Jazzmaster antiquity middle position lacks mids

^ That might be a bridge too far. The RW/RP cancels hum but the signals generated are still the same. There are 2 electrical phase inversions going on that do it....not a change in the signal generated.

The debate is still on about rw/rp and strat pickups changing the tone in the notch positions, and they are way closer where magnetic flux between opposite polarity might come into play. But with the JM and the two wider spaced units I can't see anything being affected that way.
I've never found huge differences in the various forms of pickups with and without it - not something as obvious as '1 has mids the other doesn't'
If anything, its the crispness of the top-end where any difference lies

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Jazzmaster antiquity middle position lacks mids

Uh huh. I've tried a few combos in the same strat and I thought there was probably a difference. It was never the same model pickup set though. One time I actually had 2 rwrp antiquity neck pickups in the neck and middle with a regular ssl5 in the bridge and I was wondering why position 2 sounded different than 4. Again not identical situations however.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Jazzmaster antiquity middle position lacks mids

For mine I've found a LOT of difference not only in different pickups but also what guitars they are mounted in as to how the middle position sounds. Its not just a sum of the parts but a multiplication of the parts IME.

I have many different PAF clones, old strat type pickup winds, old style tele winds as well as p90's both new and old. Despite differing specs and varying 'strengths' there I am yet to find a correlation to how notch positions sound.

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Jazzmaster antiquity middle position lacks mids

Do you have 2 ssl1s and a rwrp ssl1?

 

[AlexR]

Re: Jazzmaster antiquity middle position lacks mids

I don't own (and actually have never owned) any ssl1's - only antiquities (but they're long gone).

The two sets I have that are closest are by Zhangbucker - one has a rw/rp middle and the other doesn't. They are similar winds - the K rating is close and in the two guitars they are in the overall tone is quite similar. These are my 'best' chance of knowing what rw/rp is like on an even footing, even though they are in different strats and there are other minor construction differences.

The other factor in my experience is the fact I have lost count of the amount of times I have just slid out the whole pickguard and swapped it between guitars. I have finetuned the pickups for the guitars I own, and in that process noted the way that that each guitar changes the way the switch positions sound.

 

[esandes]

Re: Jazzmaster antiquity middle position lacks mids

I have no problems either ant 2 jazzy pickups in my jazz master. Maybe raise them both closer to the strings.