Pickups way too unbalanced!

Re: Pickups way too unbalanced!

gregory said:
You might want to make it clear whether you want *all* the wax removed. Some may be under the impression that you want it gone even between the windings.

Could using too much heat be the reason you're having a problem? Yes. Is it only the windings that could have been affected? No.
Click to expand...

I DO NOT WANT ALL THE WAX REMOVED.

There, it is clear for everybody, I just removed the excess wax so it would look like a candle...

I don't think we have a problem with the overheating of the pickup. I'll unsolder them and check the DCR, that is the only place where the problem could be, right?
 
Re: Pickups way too unbalanced!

You don't have to cook the pickups using a hairdryer. Set it on low heat and keep it moving, I've never damaged a pickup that way but I've no doubt someone has 🙄

The wax is hot when they dip the pickups
 
Re: Pickups way too unbalanced!

waltschwarzkopf said:
But if the cap were faulty and now has some sort of continuity at all frequencies, wouldn't it work as a second volume?
Click to expand...
The affect on volume over all frequencies doesn't begin to happen until the resistance drops really low. For reference, even a TBX control doesn't do much to drop the volume at all frequencies when at 5 which is an 82k load.

The I should start by removing the pickups and measuring DCR there.
Click to expand...
Yes. If it looks right then reattach the pickup and take the reading at the outside lugs of the pot again. If you're now seeing the DCR of the pickups then the problem was at those solder joints.

If the DCR at the leads of the disconnected pickups are wrong then you've discovered that the pickups' connections to the volume controls weren't at fault.

I think the problem is on those Epi volume pots, I've seen this issue in the past with Epi guitars.
Click to expand...
You verified that they work correctly when you probed the and tested them at 0 and 10 and measured between the outside lugs.

Beyond that I'm stumped.
 
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Re: Pickups way too unbalanced!

Wattage said:
You don't have to cook the pickups using a hairdryer. Set it on low heat and keep it moving, I've never damaged a pickup that way but I've no doubt someone has ��

The wax is hot when they dip the pickups
Click to expand...
How is applying more heat to the pickups going to help in any meaningful or long-lasting way?

EDIT:
Sound future advice: +1
 
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Re: Pickups way too unbalanced!

Unless you aim to learn something technical, ditch those pickups and get SD, Dimarzio in any kind that suits your taste. Otherwise you are wasting your time.
 
Re: Pickups way too unbalanced!

The wear on the back adds character. She's a beauty.

A pair of 59s, a 59B/Full Shred Neck (covered and with regular screws in the bobbin closest to the neck), or a 59B/Bluesbucker and I'd be really happy.
 
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Re: Pickups way too unbalanced!

gregory said:
How is applying more heat to the pickup going to help in any meaningful or long-lasting way?
Click to expand...

Not sure the concern? I dont think Walt needs to do this to to fix his issue it’s just a better way than scraping it all off in the future.
 
Re: Pickups way too unbalanced!

gregory said:
The wear on the back adds character. She's a beauty.

A pair of 59s, a 59B/Full Shred Neck (covered and with regular screws in the bobbin closest to the neck), or a 59B/Bluesbucker and I'd be really happy.
Click to expand...

I have a pair of BurstBucker pros on an LP and a 490R/T set on an SG. Wouldn't the 59s sound similar to the BB pros? I can get the 59s or a Distortion set for a decent price online, but based on the demos I've heard the Distortion sounds too harsh...
Any suggestions to expand my sound range?


Wattage said:
Not sure the concern? I don't think Walt needs to do this to fix his issue it’s just a better way than scraping it all off in the future.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I don't want nor need to fully remove the wax. But I may blow dry them just to remove those tiny little bits on the top and between the screws.
 
Re: Pickups way too unbalanced!

beaubrummels said:
Seths sound closer to Burstbucker Pros than 59s.
Click to expand...

Oh, since the DCR and magnet of the BB pros are quite similar to the 59's, then I thought it was that way... So the 59's would be more like 57 Classics?

I mean, If I'm going to change pickups at some point, I'd like a set that is different than the ones I already own. Would that Duncan Distortion set on an LP would sound anything like Ace's Custom Budokan?
 
Re: Pickups way too unbalanced!

If you thought I said Burst Bucker, I didn't. It was the DiMarzio Bluesbucker.
 
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Re: Pickups way too unbalanced!

ok guys, getting back to the topic of the thread.

I just measured continuity between the ground of the output jack (the sleeve, correct?) and all other grounds; that is the switch, the back of all four pots, the outer leg of the volume pots and the grounds of the pickups and the jack itself (have I forgotten one?) and they are all continuous. Furthermore, I measured continuity between the ground of the output jack (sleeve) and all NON-grounds and I got nothing, so it looks that there is no current scaping to the ground at any point. I brought the guitar to work (we have a soldering station with all the tools needed) and if I have time I will unsolder everything, take DCR measurements and replace all cables (pickups wires too) and hopefully it should work out.
 
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Re: Pickups way too unbalanced!

I understand that you don't want to put more money into the guitar. But if you're going to take all the wiring apart, it might be worth installing better quality pots and perhaps a better switch when you put it back together. Especially since you're considering better pickups for the guitar eventually. Just a thought, since that would not take much more time and effort than putting it back together using the cheap Asian components.. Pots are not too expensive. (Even so, I wouldn't expect good pots to improve the stock pickups very much- there's a reason people call them mudbuckers!)
 
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Re: Pickups way too unbalanced!

eclecticsynergy said:
I understand that you don't want to put more money into the guitar. But if you're going to take all the wiring apart, it might be worth installing better quality pots and perhaps a better switch when you put it back together. Especially since you're considering better pickups for the guitar eventually. Just a thought, since that would not take much more time and effort than putting it back together using the cheap Asian components.. Pots are not too expensive. (Even so, I wouldn't expect good pots to improve the stock pickups very much- there's a reason people call them mudbuckers!)
Click to expand...

That is true, if I decide to buy new pickups, then I'd definitely upgrade te pots and switch too. But for the moment I just want to make it work properly and then sell it.
 
Re: Pickups way too unbalanced!

ok, I unsoldered the hot of each pickup to measure the resistance alone and I don't get any reading, zero. But if I wiggle the cable around a little bit it shows some values in the order of MOhm (that's right, mega), so it seems that the wires are defective and that is whic I get so little resistance and output.
 
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Re: Pickups way too unbalanced!

Just a last update for those who are still following.

I removed the pickups and the resistance measured was zero (0kOhm) I removed the wires and measured directly at the coils and it was still zero. I tock it to the electrician of my workshop, may I was doing something wrong. He didn’t know that it was a guitar pickup, but still he tried different methods of measuring and equipments and still no success. I took it back and replace the leads and reinstalled the pickups on the guitar and tried it out. There was a moment of sheer panic, when no sound at all came out of the guitar and I thought that I had messed it up badly. Then I opened it to measure continuity and saw that I had forgotten to plug in the connector that Epiphone uses between the switch and the pots. Then I did make a sound, the pickups were slightly unbalanced, but adjusting the height more or less fixed the problem.

I will not waste any more time on the guitar and will sell it. Maybe the new owner wants to invest in new pickups, as the guitar itself is nice and plays real nice.

Thank you all for your advise and sugestions!


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