pickups clipping a blackouts modular preamp

[glack]

Background:
2006? Ibanez S7420
Duncan Jazz 7 neck
Duncan designed bridge (assuming original)
BMP installed with 2 pickups, 1 Vol, 1 tone

I've seen this issue in other threads when I searched, but the only resolution was "call tech support" and I've been getting kicked off hold all week. Here goes...

Installed a blackouts modular preamp and the pickups seem to be clipping the preamp's input stage, mostly on big chords and when playing hard on the low B (seven string). Signal is 12dB down coming into the interface and is present regardless of guitar volume, so that's not the issue. I've checked my wiring against the diagram 4x over and checked all solder joints. Pickups are hard-mounted, so they aren't going any further back. The clipping seems even worse on the neck, which I don't consider to be a very high output pickup. New battery, tried different jacks... Same result. This behavior is the same across 2 different blackouts preamps, so it seems unlikely that both are defective. Considering a switch to a pegasus/sentient combo, but the product page shows their output as comparable to the jazz neck and that wouldn't fix the problem. Any additional theories floating around?

 

[Masta' C]

Re: pickups clipping a blackouts modular preamp

Not sure, but I do know that lower output pickups typically work best with the BMP. The Blackouts coil packs, the Gus G. signature set, etc are very low output winds and I know lots of early adopters had issues with some of the higher output models.

That leaves me surprised by the Jazz neck, though...seems like it should work well with the BMP given its moderate output

:dunno:

I'd keep trying to reach someone at Duncan (good luck)!