NGD USA Wolfgang Special... I’ve got problems.

Oldskewl808

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NGD USA Wolfgang Special... I’ve got problems.

US Wolfie from around 2000. It’s been rode hard and put away wet. For some reason the bridge pickup has very low output. At first I thought it was the neck that was quiet but then I realized the pickups were wired backwards to the switch. I swapped the wires but it still doesn’t put out strong. I’m thinking I might just replace the output jack and 3-way switch, if it still sounds weak I’ll have to replace the pickup.
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Re: NGD USA Wolfgang Special... I’ve got problems.

Re: NGD USA Wolfgang Special... I’ve got problems.

A multimeter would save you a lot of time here.

Nice guitar.

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Re: NGD USA Wolfgang Special... I’ve got problems.

Re: NGD USA Wolfgang Special... I’ve got problems.

Sweet guitar. You need a DMM to figure this out. Could be something simple.

BTW, the way you have the switch wired is now backwards to how they came from the factory and how Ed likes it. Up is bridge, down is neck. Same way on the EVH Wolfgangs.
 
Re: NGD USA Wolfgang Special... I’ve got problems.

Re: NGD USA Wolfgang Special... I’ve got problems.

Sweet guitar. You need a DMM to figure this out. Could be something simple.

BTW, the way you have the switch wired is now backwards to how they came from the factory and how Ed likes it. Up is bridge, down is neck. Same way on the EVH Wolfgangs.

No kidding! Ok it makes sense now. I’ll check the pickup with a meter too.


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Re: NGD USA Wolfgang Special... I’ve got problems.

Re: NGD USA Wolfgang Special... I’ve got problems.

Yeah, no sense in replacing working parts. Check it on the meter, and let us know what the results are.
 
Re: NGD USA Wolfgang Special... I’ve got problems.

Re: NGD USA Wolfgang Special... I’ve got problems.

Well the jack and the switch were both pretty wonky so I planned on replacing them anyway. I’ll check the pup later and post the results.


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Re: NGD USA Wolfgang Special... I’ve got problems.

Re: NGD USA Wolfgang Special... I’ve got problems.

Wonky stuff should absolutely be replaced.
 
NGD USA Wolfgang Special... I’ve got problems.

NGD USA Wolfgang Special... I’ve got problems.

I’m getting 16ohm from the neck, And having a hard time getting a reading from the bridge, weird. Anyways I repaired the switch back to Eddie specs. If I turn down the volume knob the pickups blend a little better but the neck is still way louder than the bridge. I am reading quite a bit of stuff on the net saying the same thing, the neck pups on these were spec’d hotter. I dunno. Strange guitar.

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Last edited:
Re: NGD USA Wolfgang Special... I’ve got problems.

Re: NGD USA Wolfgang Special... I’ve got problems.

they may be too low under the strings
 
Re: NGD USA Wolfgang Special... I’ve got problems.

Re: NGD USA Wolfgang Special... I’ve got problems.

they may be too low under the strings

I tried shimming the pickup all the way up it still doesn’t help.


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Re: NGD USA Wolfgang Special... I’ve got problems.

Re: NGD USA Wolfgang Special... I’ve got problems.

I like it; especially the color and relic look. Congrats!
 
Re: NGD USA Wolfgang Special... I’ve got problems.

Re: NGD USA Wolfgang Special... I’ve got problems.

16k ohms is a lot for a neck pickup

Volume all the way up?

Picture of the control cavity would help
 
Re: NGD USA Wolfgang Special... I’ve got problems.

Re: NGD USA Wolfgang Special... I’ve got problems.

16k ohms is a lot for a neck pickup

Volume all the way up?

Picture of the control cavity would help

Pretty sure that’s spec for these pups. This is a double bucker single volume. The pickups are wired directly to the switch. Not much of a control cavity to see.


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Re: NGD USA Wolfgang Special... I’ve got problems.

Re: NGD USA Wolfgang Special... I’ve got problems.

if you have a bare wire touching the sheilding
you loose the signal to the output jack

without seeing the thing its really hard to troubleshoot

this is true with most things
what would be obvious to me
may be not remarkable to you

i cant tell without seeing it
 
Re: NGD USA Wolfgang Special... I’ve got problems.

Re: NGD USA Wolfgang Special... I’ve got problems.

Well I ended up pulling the pickups and couldn’t get a reading out of the bridge which is strange because I do get some sound out of it but it’s about half as loud as the neck pickup. After closer inspection I noticed severed wire at one of the lugs. The wrapping tape had been worn through at the same spot. I re soldered it but still get the same result from the pickup so I don’t know if there was some kind of short or whatever but for now I think I will just throw some new pickups in it and shelf the others. So she will be getting a full upgrade. Pickups, output jack, and switch.


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Re: NGD USA Wolfgang Special... I’ve got problems.

Re: NGD USA Wolfgang Special... I’ve got problems.

You've most likely got a short, with capacitive coupling providing some continuity for a signal.

In those cases you don't get an ohm reading.
 
Re: NGD USA Wolfgang Special... I’ve got problems.

Re: NGD USA Wolfgang Special... I’ve got problems.

Have you tried to wire the bridge pickup directly to the jack to see what it might sound like when your are finished? What does your bridge pickup measure?
 
Re: NGD USA Wolfgang Special... I’ve got problems.

Re: NGD USA Wolfgang Special... I’ve got problems.

Have you tried to wire the bridge pickup directly to the jack to see what it might sound like when your are finished? What does your bridge pickup measure?

The bridge pickup is dead, long live the neck. I mean WWWD? What Would Eddie Do? Throw the neck in the bridge cavity and keep rockin.
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Re: NGD USA Wolfgang Special... I’ve got problems.

Re: NGD USA Wolfgang Special... I’ve got problems.

Yep....bridge to output.....don't need no fancy extras like switches or knobs. In fact gluing the switch into the neck cavity is very appropriate here.
 
Re: NGD USA Wolfgang Special... I’ve got problems.

Re: NGD USA Wolfgang Special... I’ve got problems.

Yep....bridge to output.....don't need no fancy extras like switches or knobs. In fact gluing the switch into the neck cavity is very appropriate here.

I went to the switch so now I have a kill switch for cool effects.


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