Low Gain Pickup Response

[minions]

I recently added a DiMarzio Area '67 to the middle position of my Strat and changed the wiring to this:

http://guitarnuts2.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=schem&action=display&thread=3144

Whenever I switch to the middle pickup, the volume is really low and the tone is very thin-sounding. I have a feeling it has to do with the fact that I'm using 500k pots, but it might be something else. Is there any reason why this is happening? How can I fix/modify it?

Thanks.

 

[Fikealox]

Re: Low Gain Pickup Response

I think it's more likely to be something else. Maybe check your solder joints, make sure there're no stray wires or blobs of solder creating partial shorts to earth, etc.

 

[minions]

Re: Low Gain Pickup Response

I figured it out, well partly at least. I thought that when the push-pull pots were down, the middle pickup was selected on its own, and when they were up, the middle pickup wasn't selected at all, etc. But it's actually the reverse. So, the thin sound is coming from the bridge and neck pickups. The neck pickup is a Vintage Vibe SP-90 and the bridge pickup is a Seymour Duncan P-Rails. I assume my middle pickup is just a naturally hotter pickup, but I may be wrong.

 

[astrozombie]

Re: Low Gain Pickup Response

I figured it out, well partly at least. I thought that when the push-pull pots were down, the middle pickup was selected on its own, and when they were up, the middle pickup wasn't selected at all, etc. But it's actually the reverse. So, the thin sound is coming from the bridge and neck pickups. The neck pickup is a Vintage Vibe SP-90 and the bridge pickup is a Seymour Duncan P-Rails. I assume my middle pickup is just a naturally hotter pickup, but I may be wrong.

Id... have someone check it out. That still doesn't sound kosher to me.

 

[Lonkero]

Re: Low Gain Pickup Response

That's quite natural. Middle pickup if it's singlecoil usually always drops volume to 50% or more if your humbuckers are high output. I my ibanez S, with the stock pickups always when the middle pickups was on (only it or with one humbucker) the sound was thin and weak. I took it away since I find it's pretty useless. In my opinion singlecoil is great but not in the middleposition, more like in the neck..

 

[Fikealox]

Re: Low Gain Pickup Response

Ahh, so you're talking about the middle position (3) of the 5-way, with all the push/pulls "off"? Going from the diagram, that should give you the neck and bridge in series, in phase. Which should be loud and a bit more midrangey. It sounds to me like it might in fact be giving you the neck and bridge in series but out of phase. Maybe try switching the wires from the neck (or bridge) pickup? (Or at least double-check the relevant colour codes).

Edit: If the above theory is correct, and the middle position (3) is OOP, fixing it will result in your current middle position (3) and your current bridge notch position (4) being switched. However, it'll also mean your neck notch position (2) will be in parallel in phase (coz if the wires are flipped, it's actually in parallel OOP at the moment). I hope that makes sense!