JB on Strat bridge sounds VERY disappointing. Where did I fail?

[FUH]

Stratocaster American Standard. 3 single coils.
I bought an used JB and I wired it as it says here: http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=1h_2s_1v_2t_5w
Now everything works with the contacts.
The single coils are very loud and powerful.
The JB sounds like a crappy single coil for the bridge, super clean, super bright.
Where did I fail? Can't I wire a Seymour Duncan humbucker in a Stratocaster instead of the single coil? I had a Hot Rail in there and everything was ok. I didn't wire it though. Someone else did.
PLEASE HELP! It's so frustrating...
Thanks!

 

[Ed Hunter]

Re: JB on Strat bridge sounds VERY disappointing. Where did I fail?

did you twist the red/white wires together? also make sure that both green and bare go to ground on the top of the pot

 

[austin]

Re: JB on Strat bridge sounds VERY disappointing. Where did I fail?

Assuming it's still humbucking and not making noise, then it sounds like you might have it wired in parallel and not series? If it's noisy, then one coil might be shorted out. Assuming you did the wiring correctly, I'm guessing one coil is kaput.
-
Austin

 

[FUH]

Re: JB on Strat bridge sounds VERY disappointing. Where did I fail?

did you twist the red/white wires together? also make sure that both green and bare go to ground on the top of the pot

Done. Done. It can't be that.

 

[FUH]

Re: JB on Strat bridge sounds VERY disappointing. Where did I fail?

Assuming it's still humbucking and not making noise, then it sounds like you might have it wired in parallel and not series? If it's noisy, then one coil might be shorted out. Assuming you did the wiring correctly, I'm guessing one coil is kaput.
-
Austin

I really don't know what you're talking about. Series? Parallel? The humbucker looks normal. grey, green, black, and white + red. Is this enough to say it's normal?
What do you mean by kaput? Would it be fixable?

 

[FUH]

Re: JB on Strat bridge sounds VERY disappointing. Where did I fail?

Assuming it's still humbucking and not making noise, then it sounds like you might have it wired in parallel and not series? If it's noisy, then one coil might be shorted out. Assuming you did the wiring correctly, I'm guessing one coil is kaput.
-
Austin

I mean, I can play. It just sounds like a single coil (not as loud as the other single coils). A crappy one. Is there a way to quickly check if the coil is kaput?

 

[austin]

Re: JB on Strat bridge sounds VERY disappointing. Where did I fail?

If it is uncovered and you tap the polepieces with something metal when the pickup is selected (I use the tip of the same screwdriver I used to adjust the pickup height), then polepieces on both coils should make a loud "thunk" (you can tap some poles on one of the non-selected single coils to see what it sounds like when they are not selected). You could also just put on some high gain and see if the JB buzzes like the singlecoils. If not, then either the pickup is inexplicably wired in parallel instead of series (and the only way I know to definitely determine that is to measure the pickup resistance) or you just don't like the JB (which, I personally don't, but I wouldn't describe it as super clean and super bright).
-
Austin

 

[Ed Hunter]

Re: JB on Strat bridge sounds VERY disappointing. Where did I fail?

I mean, I can play. It just sounds like a single coil (not as loud as the other single coils). A crappy one. Is there a way to quickly check if the coil is kaput?

the JBjr if working correctly should be louder than those singles so sounds to me like you are not getting 100% of the JB's output,why is what we need to figure out? if you wired it correctly and have made solid solder connections(no cold solder joints) then it may be a defect in the pup?

 

[FUH]

Re: JB on Strat bridge sounds VERY disappointing. Where did I fail?

If it is uncovered and you tap the polepieces with something metal when the pickup is selected (I use the tip of the same screwdriver I used to adjust the pickup height), then polepieces on both coils should make a loud "thunk" (you can tap some poles on one of the non-selected single coils to see what it sounds like when they are not selected). You could also just put on some high gain and see if the JB buzzes like the singlecoils. If not, then either the pickup is inexplicably wired in parallel instead of series (and the only way I know to definitely determine that is to measure the pickup resistance) or you just don't like the JB (which, I personally don't, but I wouldn't describe it as super clean and super bright).
-
Austin

The guy who sold me the JB together with a PG for the bridge wrote me a text before closing the deal.
PG: 7.98/20K
JB: 16.04/20K
And now I try the tapping...well...the single coils reacts A LOT to the tapping.
Both the coils of the JB react, but 30% of the "thunk" that I hear from the single coils. Still something. But it might not be the same kind of "thunk" right?

 

[JimInMO]

Re: JB on Strat bridge sounds VERY disappointing. Where did I fail?

When you are sure everything is wired correctly try adjusting the pickup height. I have a little 59 in one my Strat's and didn't like it at all until I got the height adjusted. Now I wouldn't trade it for anything.

 

[Ed Hunter]

Re: JB on Strat bridge sounds VERY disappointing. Where did I fail?

The guy who sold me the JB together with a PG for the bridge wrote me a text before closing the deal.
PG: 7.98/20K
JB: 16.04/20K
And now I try the tapping...well...the single coils reacts A LOT to the tapping.
Both the coils of the JB react, but 30% of the "thunk" that I hear from the single coils. Still something. But it might not be the same kind of "thunk" right?

sounds like the singles are staying on with the JB together then?
when you have your switch to select JUST the JB in the bridge there should be no contact sound when you touch the singles

 

[FUH]

Re: JB on Strat bridge sounds VERY disappointing. Where did I fail?

When you are sure everything is wired correctly try adjusting the pickup height. I have a little 59 in one my Strat's and didn't like it at all until I got the height adjusted. Now I wouldn't trade it for anything.

It's not the height.
But there's less buuz when the selector is on the humbucker. I'm ingorant, but isn't this enough to say that both the coils are working?

 

[Ed Hunter]

Re: JB on Strat bridge sounds VERY disappointing. Where did I fail?

It's not the height.
But there's less buuz when the selector is on the humbucker. I'm ingorant, but isn't this enough to say that both the coils are working?

Less hum doesnt mean it is working 100%

 

[John E Rokker]

Re: JB on Strat bridge sounds VERY disappointing. Where did I fail?

It might be the switch. Does your switch look like the SD diagram or is it different?

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: JB on Strat bridge sounds VERY disappointing. Where did I fail?

 

[FUH]

Re: JB on Strat bridge sounds VERY disappointing. Where did I fail?

Hi everybody.
I wired the whole thing again.
Same problem. So... I removed the JB and wired the PG. It works.
Damn.
it's the JB.
I removed the tape and took a picture so you can help me understanding if it's in parallel or not. Last chance before accepting the fact that I got robbed.
Take a look at it and THANKS!