Parralel Axis bridge fighting HotRail neck ?

[Exutus]

Hey guys!
First hi all this is my first time on the forum... I'm short on time because I have to go back to work (lunch is over)!

I got a Jackson with 2 pots, one for the volume the other is the tone.

I wired my 2 pick-ups on the switch and on the volume's pot.
It does work, the Axis is wonderful, sound great, but when I switch to the HotRail, I got such a loss of output!! It's not even funny.

I'm lost now, couldnt find anything googling, except this forum...
I waited a good while before registering hehe

I hope someone can help me get through!
Many thanks
Byebye!

 

[jeremy]

Re: Parralel Axis bridge fighting HotRail neck ?

welcome to the forum!!

do you have a multi meter? if so check the dc resistance at the output jack.

plug a short 1/4" cable into the jack and put the meter on the tip and the sleeve of the other end. with both controls all the way up and the switch just on the neck pup see what value you get it should be almost 11k.

if you dont have a meter, check your wiring.

 

[Exutus]

Re: Parralel Axis bridge fighting HotRail neck ?

Hi Jay!
Well I don't have a resistance there. the only place where I got a resistance is on the Tone pot.

I know that for both pickups, I put white-red togetter and insulated em, the black wires on the switch and bare+green on the Volume.

Since I wasn't getting much from the HotRail, I reversed the black with the green.

Oh yeah; when I turn the tone knob down, i lose the signal coming from the HotRail.

With the Tone up, it works, but can't get distortion really, it's weak.
I can't wait to get it fixed, I've never played with it but I'm sure it's great and gives a good tone, and for recording. (Is it ?)

May I post a picture of my electronics ?

Thanks for the help!

*note: I had the middle pickup, stock single coil, cheap jackson. I unplugged it. Can I wire it to get along the 2 duncans I have and still have the best signal ?

 

[jeremy]

Re: Parralel Axis bridge fighting HotRail neck ?

when you say you put the red/white together, you do mean you soldered them right? if not start there.

so you do have a meter? with both controls all the way up what readings do you get with the swtich in neck only, both, and bridge? if you get a good number for the bridge but not for the neck there is a wiring issue with either the neck pup or the switch

 

[Koreth]

Re: Parralel Axis bridge fighting HotRail neck ?

Feel free to post a picture of your electronics, it may make it easier for us to help you troubleshoot the guitar.

 

[DonP]

Re: Parralel Axis bridge fighting HotRail neck ?

Wooo horsey!

You have the black wire on the switch and the bare+green on the volume? The volume pot or a volume lug? If the volume pot is the pot grounded? If the volume lug, is it the ground lug, the middle lug, or the hot lug?

A picture is worth a thousand words. Please post some pictures.

 

[Exutus]

Re: Parralel Axis bridge fighting HotRail neck ?

Guys, please don't laugh at me, it think I was struggling for nothing...

I was about to shot a little video of my electronics when I realised that:

I DID change de Green and the Black (HotRail), but when I did it, the bare remained soldered to the green (bare goes through the switch with mister green lol)

I changed them because I read that if I encountered an output problem, the first thing would be to reverse black with green.

Do you think relocating the bare will fix this (dumb) issue ?

My apologies, I should have seen the problem many days ago when I installed the pick-ups!!!

 

[JohnnyGuitarCA]

Re: Parralel Axis bridge fighting HotRail neck ?

Yeah, that should fix it. But then you'll still need to decide which wires (green or black) to go hot and ground respectively. That will determine the type of sound you get when both pickups are on.

 

[Exutus]

Re: Parralel Axis bridge fighting HotRail neck ?

Ok thanks for putting that fact in perspective! Although, I don't know the differance ? Hot wire (it's just the opposite of cold to me. lol).

What are the differances if I plug the black vs the green? (and vice-versa)

The HotRail is on neck, which I wish to use for a more mellow sound when I turn the tone down... a liquidish sound for legatos, blues, fat arpegios and sweeps... but still have the crunch of the distortion when the volume is up and the tone all the way up!

And I need the Axis, at the bridge, to be the most brutal high-definition signal for dark bloody self-mutilated-razor-rust-metal alluminium rock n roll distortion, still clear like crystal to capture every low notes I play at high speed!

It is a Duncan "Parralel Axis Distortion"

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: Parralel Axis bridge fighting HotRail neck ?

Reversing the black and green will put the bridge and neck pickups out of pahse with each other when/if both are on at the same time, or out of phase with the middle pickup (as long as the middle pickup was not wired in such a way as to be out of phase with the neck pickup already).

Bassically they're the same wire, you can use either one. There will be no detectable change in the pickup's output/tone/power by swapping them.


Hot is output, ground is....ground (dead).

 

[Exutus]

Re: Parralel Axis bridge fighting HotRail neck ?

A big thanks to you all!
I'll swap them when I have some time to test, and will put the bare where it belongs!

Also, yes I do have a multi-meter, I'm looking foward to learn its use in the guitar electronics to maximise the chance of having the best signal; I bet there is already a thread that explains everything ??

I'm sure I'm at the right place to learn many new things

-f