LiveWires Help

[pinto79]

I have a bunch of LiveWires coming. One is a set of Classics, H/S/S, so that's no prob, and another one I have coming is suposedly a Metal LiveWire. The previous owner says it's HOT HOT HOT!!! But doesn't know for sure. Is there any way to test them to determine which they are for sure?

Thanks!

 

[Mephis]

Re: LiveWires Help

I hope they're not actualy hot... *j/k*

 

[Inge Malmstein]

Re: LiveWires Help

I have a bunch of LiveWires coming. One is a set of Classics, H/S/S, so that's no prob, and another one I have coming is suposedly a Metal LiveWire. The previous owner says it's HOT HOT HOT!!! But doesn't know for sure. Is there any way to test them to determine which they are for sure?

Thanks!

Try the live wire metal on the clean channel - if you get a distorted tone, you can be sure that it IS a LW metal.
If you get a clear tone, than it can only be a LW Classic.

 

[pinto79]

Re: LiveWires Help

Try the live wire metal on the clean channel - if you get a distorted tone, you can be sure that it IS a LW metal.
If you get a clear tone, than it can only be a LW Classic.

That would be the easiest way wouldn't it... hmmm... I'm surprised that Duncan didn't put model numbers on them like the others...

Are there any electrical measurements I can make with my multi-meter?

 

[Davey]

Re: LiveWires Help

i think there are model numbers but i am not sure.

if you get a glassy tone, its the classic, if its the metal, it will kill you if you're not careful

 

[X-Ravin]

Re: LiveWires Help

Hey I figured I'd hijack this thread rather than make a new one. I've got a set of live wire hots for my strat coming in and I was wondering if I could just use them without the tone knobs. I don't ever go below 10 on the tone knobs so I would just like to eliminate them w/ a custom pickguard. If I can, is there anything special to it? Or do I just not hook them up to the switch?

Thanks!

Oh and BTW Davey, your Charvel Rocks!!!! I have an '88 Predator w/ a Screamin' Demon in the bridge and a scallope job from 10-22. And it has the orange crackle finish. Looks basically like yours. I love it! I can shred that baby like there's no tomarrow, now to just get used to my strat lol!

 

[Zerberus]

Re: LiveWires Help

Yes, no tone pot is no problem with ANY pickup, just makes it minimally brighter and more open. Just leave them out.

And Davey knows who he has to thank for theat ultimately playable Fusion Deluxe

 

[Davey]

Re: LiveWires Help

hehe exactly ..

though, at the moment its missing the neck pup =/

oh.. thread hijack over hehe

 

[idsnowdog]

Re: LiveWires Help

I had trouble finding 100k pots as recomended in the schematic. If you go with 250k pots they are a little clanky and bright. ALthough I have heard you can use a resistor with a 250k pot to bring them close to 100k.

Snowdog

 

[DonLduk]

Re: LiveWires Help

yes , if you put a 167k resistor paralel to the pot, the total resistance will go down to 100k.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: LiveWires Help

+1, I also have resistors on my EMG 89 because I could´t get a 50 k Push Pull in a hurry, so I used a 250k pot and a 133 or so resistor (I´d have to calculate or check in the axe, and I´m too lazy and tired for either right now)

 

[idsnowdog]

Re: LiveWires Help

Does the resistor go across the outer lugs on the pot or where?

Snowdog

 

[Zerberus]

Re: LiveWires Help

Hot to ground (pot casing)

 

[DonLduk]

Re: LiveWires Help

if you have to reduce resistance, put minor value in paralel. the formula is

R.equivalent = R1*R2 / (R1+R2)

so if you have 250k (R1), and want 100k (Req), solve for R2.

if you put 2 same values in paralel, you get half. so if you have 500k paralel to 500k, you get 250k. if one value is large and the other small, the Req will be smaller than the small value, so if you have 500k and put 100k paralel, Req will be less than 100k, around 80k or something.

all this works for 3 or more anyways. you can do anything!

 

[pinto79]

Re: LiveWires Help

OK... I got them today. the known classic reads 180K ohms. the other (presumed Metal) reads 150K Ohms. I have a single marked "Neck" that reads 171K ohms and another single that reads 166K ohms. Any thoughts? Anyone have any of these that can compare notes?

Also, I found a guy on eBay who has 100K pots galore, and cheap!

 

[idsnowdog]

Re: LiveWires Help

I tweaked my livewire setup tonight and put 100k resistors on all of the controls. This would I guess put the volume control somewhere near 150K+. It made the volume control much better and smoothed out the tone and made it less bright and bighting. I will keep the 100k resistor for the bridge tone control but I will remove the one for the middle and neck because it made them sound dead. A 250k pot on the neck and middle with a .015mfd sprague orange drop sounds great although the range on the control is less. The bridge pickup is still weak compared to the other two. I think a hot bridge would sound a lot better then the vintage.

Snowdog

 

[pinto79]

Re: LiveWires Help

I sent this to the Tech Support at SD, but I'll post it here too as maybe we can get some new ideas flowing. I'm hoping it's not me, I'm pretty good at this stuff, but I'm stumped...

Here's what I sent:

I'm having trouble with a set of LiveWires, and I have exhausted all the knowledge on the forum. I purchsed, second hand, a LiveWire Classic bridge and a (Presumed) LiveWire Metal bridge. Firstly, I need to know if there is a way to positively identify these pickups as the only markings other than the Seymour Duncan logo on the front, is a 'Bridge' sticker on the back of the one that I believe to be the classic model. Next, I purchased a number of 100K pots to use, as well as a stereo Jack and battery Clips as required. when connected as per the diagram, and a 1/4" cable pugged into the jack, I get minimal output, and the batteries start to get warm and when checked with a meter after being connect for a few seconds, they have lost approximately a Volt each, which seems wrong. Any info you can provide would be most appreciated.

Thank you

I may have not exhausted all info here, but it seems limited due to lack of popularity of the product.

I'll post what ever reply I get.

Trevor

 

[pinto79]

Re: LiveWires Help

Just a bump... I haven't heard from Tech Support, so any more info here?

 

[Artie]

Re: LiveWires Help

OK... I got them today. the known classic reads 180K ohms. the other (presumed Metal) reads 150K Ohms. I have a single marked "Neck" that reads 171K ohms and another single that reads 166K ohms. Any thoughts? Anyone have any of these that can compare notes?

Are you reading the DC resistance of your active pups? If so, that reading is more or less meaningless. You're reading across some active circuitry, rather than a coil. The reading you get will be different if simply read with different meters. I realize that info doesn't help, but just thought I'd let you know.

Artie

 

[pinto79]

Re: LiveWires Help

Are you reading the DC resistance of your active pups? If so, that reading is more or less meaningless. You're reading across some active circuitry, rather than a coil. The reading you get will be different if simply read with different meters. I realize that info doesn't help, but just thought I'd let you know.

Artie

Thanks Artie... I had an issue when I first hooked them up... I let the smoke out of the bridge pup... I may have toasted the pre-amp. I think I could fix it if I can find a schematic or at least get the epoxy off the back... any idea how I would get at the circuit board?

Trevor