Possible Defective Custom 5? Low Output

[AlexR]

Re: Possible Defective Custom 5? Low Output

Oh boy. Outside of trial and error, can one use a multimeter to figure it out?

No, you need to look at the wires from the pickups and what colours they attach to. The amount of wax, plus the lack of coil tape indicates to me someone has most likely been inside this pickup since it left the factory. White and black on the slug coil match to those 4-conductor wires......and if my maths is right then red will attach to the screw coil's white wire and green to the black coil wire on the screw coil.

 

[krovatron]

Re: Possible Defective Custom 5? Low Output

No, you need to look at the wires from the pickups and what colours they attach to. The amount of wax, plus the lack of coil tape indicates to me someone has most likely been inside this pickup since it left the factory. White and black on the slug coil match to those 4-conductor wires......and if my maths is right then red will attach to the screw coil's white wire and green to the black coil wire on the screw coil.

I am feeling foolish. Not sure how this differs from the typical?

 

[metalchurch79]

Re: Possible Defective Custom 5? Low Output

The leads from the actual start and finish from one of the coils could be mixed up causing the colored hookup leads to represent the wrong end of the coil and make the pup be out of phase. Follow the hookup leads back to where it ends and is connected to the actual wire of the pickup. The start is buried under the coil. The finish ends on top of the coil. Make sure the slug start goes to black, slug finish goes to white, screw start goes to green, and the screw finish goes to red.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Possible Defective Custom 5? Low Output

The leads from the actual start and finish from one of the coils could be mixed up causing the colored hookup leads to represent the wrong end of the coil and make the pup be out of phase. Follow the hookup leads back to where it ends and is connected to the actual wire of the pickup. The start is buried under the coil. The finish ends on top of the coil. Make sure the slug start goes to black, slug finish goes to white, screw start goes to green, and the screw finish goes to red.

That's exactly what I was going to say.
Obviously someone has messed with the pup since leaving the factory. I don't see a factory wiring mistake here, most likely whoever took it apart messed with the wiring. It's easy to check and to fix, however. Just do like metalchurch79 suggested. If you find the colored wires are not as they should be, resolder them to the correct coil wires. Be very careful not to disturb the thin coil wires, however.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Possible Defective Custom 5? Low Output

......and if my maths is right then red will attach to the screw coil's white wire and green to the black coil wire on the screw coil.

Not quite...
the screw coil is green (start) > red (finish). The white and black wires are from the SLUG coil (not the screw coil)...Slug coil = white (start) > black (finish).

 

[krovatron]

Re: Possible Defective Custom 5? Low Output

The leads from the actual start and finish from one of the coils could be mixed up causing the colored hookup leads to represent the wrong end of the coil and make the pup be out of phase. Follow the hookup leads back to where it ends and is connected to the actual wire of the pickup. The start is buried under the coil. The finish ends on top of the coil. Make sure the slug start goes to black, slug finish goes to white, screw start goes to green, and the screw finish goes to red.

That's exactly what I was going to say.
Obviously someone has messed with the pup since leaving the factory. I don't see a factory wiring mistake here, most likely whoever took it apart messed with the wiring. It's easy to check and to fix, however. Just do like metalchurch79 suggested. If you find the colored wires are not as they should be, resolder them to the correct coil wires. Be very careful not to disturb the thin coil wires, however.

First off, all of you are so awesome. I agree with the alteration. What a pain this is turning out to be. Hopefully I don't botch it. I shouldn't have jumped the gun and put the cover back on :grumble:

Instead of resoldering the correct wires, could I just note the new scheme and wire accordingly? I have attempted to do this in the past when transferring baseplates (trying to fit a full shred to a nighthawk plate) and was not successful

 

[jeremy]

Re: Possible Defective Custom 5? Low Output

yes, you dont need to open it up again. you can just change the wiring combination of the colored wires

 

[krovatron]

Re: Possible Defective Custom 5? Low Output

yes, you dont need to open it up again. you can just change the wiring combination of the colored wires

Can you use a multimeter to test the individual coils? or regardless of whether I get a start or finish, it will give me a reading, but won't help with phase issues? I could hook it up with clips and just try to trial and error it?

 

[jeremy]

Re: Possible Defective Custom 5? Low Output

using a meter will not help, it will just tell you the resistance between the two ends. you could hook it up with clips but it will probably be noisy. you should be able to tell which sounds full and which sounds thin though

 

[krovatron]

Re: Possible Defective Custom 5? Low Output

using a meter will not help, it will just tell you the resistance between the two ends. you could hook it up with clips but it will probably be noisy. you should be able to tell which sounds full and which sounds thin though

Yea, just measured. Black and white give me a reading of 6.8k and red and green give me 7.2k

And when I reverse hot the hot and ground on the meter, same read. Seems it is wired correctly? Is it just in my head? LoL

Maybe black and green taped off and use red and white?

Could the starts and finishes be mixed up?

 

[metalchurch79]

Re: Possible Defective Custom 5? Low Output

Edit:
Good job

 

[AlexR]

Re: Possible Defective Custom 5? Low Output

Not quite...
the screw coil is green (start) > red (finish). The white and black wires are from the SLUG coil (not the screw coil)...Slug coil = white (start) > black (finish).

Er, I'm talking about the coil wires here......coil wires only ever have black and white.
Internally in the humbucker you have to connect two finish or two start wires for the series connection. So in a 2 conductor you should have the 2 white wires permanently soldered for a duncan.

 

[krovatron]

Re: Possible Defective Custom 5? Low Output

Just wanted to check in and let folks know that it is fixed. Not sure if it was the new magnet or what. Currently in a PRS SE Zach Myer semi hollow and not sure I am digging the bridge pup....might go ceramic to tighten everything up? Perhaps Alnico 8?