Problem with a recently purchased used JB

[Syscokid]

The guitar is a Hamer with 2 volumes, 1 tone, and 3-way switch.

Just bought a used JB to replace the stock SD 59 at the bridge. I'm getting a very weak (and I mean really weak...!) output signal from the amp at the bridge-only selection. The mid position kind of sounds right. DC resistance still measures at 16.35

When I rewire the green and bare wire combo to ground, to red and bare wire combo to ground, I seem to get the proper volume. However, with this type of wiring in the mid position, I get that super quacky, out of phase sound.

Is this pickup damaged?

Easy fix?

I'm stumped...o

 

[darthphineas]

Re: Problem with a recently purchased used JB

double check your wiring.

also, is this pre-owned JB totally unmolested or has someone gotten into it for a mag swap or a hybrid or something (i.e., maybe messed up the innards)?

 

[Syscokid]

Re: Problem with a recently purchased used JB

Quadrupled checked!

Nothing obvious as far as some previous molestation.

I'll take it out...again...take a closer look. Maybe peel it back...really violate it:wink:

 

[darthphineas]

Re: Problem with a recently purchased used JB

maybe try putting another bridge pup back in there and see if it does it too?

just gotta run down all the variables.

 

[Syscokid]

Re: Problem with a recently purchased used JB

I just did that. The original 59 works fine. I think I might have found the problem. After I peeled back the tape, I noticed the black lead wire that joins the green wire might have an intermittent short about a half inch from were these two wires join. I should have enough wire cut and paste. I'll have to work on this later tonight. Gotta get some fresh air and dinner.

I'm wondering if the previous owner had a problem with this PU? I haven't asked yet...

 

[Syscokid]

Re: Problem with a recently purchased used JB

Well...

That wasn't the problem...

After reassembly, it's still the same. Maybe the pickup got damaged in shipping. I went to the red and bare wire combo to ground. I think this is wiring the pickup out of phase. Very noticeable when in the middle position. It's still useable, but not in the ideal situation I wanted. Some kind of lesson was learned. Not sure what it is though!

 

[agentzero12]

Re: Problem with a recently purchased used JB

What's the neck pickup? Maybe the out of phase is with the neck not the bridge. Just thinking.

 

[Syscokid]

Re: Problem with a recently purchased used JB

What's the neck pickup? Maybe the out of phase is with the neck not the bridge. Just thinking.

The neck PU is an SD 59 with the 2 conductor wire/cable, which is wired correctly. On a different guitar, which is my SG, I have the bridge PU wired to a push-pull switch that puts the bridge in the out-of-phase mode. So when in the bridge only position, it seems the tone of the PU looses a tiny bit of low end. But when the PU switch is selected in the middle position, or 2 PU mode, with the bridge out of phase, is when I can get the super quacky out of phase sound. This is how my Hamer sounds permanently in the 2 PU mode.

There's definitely something wrong with this pickup. If I revert to wiring it properly, with the green and bare wire together to ground, and the red and white together by itself, then I get a sound that is struggling to make it to the amp.

I seriously think the PU was damaged thru shipping. The only thing I can complain about was that the PU was packed poorly. And I've seen our local Postal service do some crazy things...and I'll leave it at that...:crazy:

 

[darthphineas]

Re: Problem with a recently purchased used JB

I've gotten pup shipped like that before and they came though fine. Not saying that's the case here.

When you pulled back the coil tape did it look like everything else in there was correct? Were there any signs of modding?


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[Syscokid]

Re: Problem with a recently purchased used JB

I've gotten pup shipped like that before and they came though fine. Not saying that's the case here.

When you pulled back the coil tape did it look like everything else in there was correct? Were there any signs of modding?

I'm not very well educated in how SD pickups look under the hood. The wax did looked undisturbed though. The tape did not come off very easily. It shredded a bit, and tore into 3 sections.
This PU probably won't be worth fixing unless I can do it myself. Earlier today I submitted an Email to SD with the details. Maybe they can pinpoint the problem and suggest a fix.

Now for some reason I want to try the '59/Custom Hybrid. I think I'll buy it new at the local guitar shop.

...Hey! Maybe this is the lesson learned...:33:

 

[darthphineas]

Re: Problem with a recently purchased used JB

does sorta sound like everything was original. hard to tell without seeing it first hand while it's happening.

if you want to give it a crack, to make totally sure, a good thing to do would be to start with the multimeter right there at the wire that come off the coils. each coil will have a black and a white.



to confirm the rest of the wiring or to re-wire it....

on the slug coil:
white goes to white on 4-con lead
black goes to black on 4-con lead

on the screw coil:
white goes to read on 4-con lead
black goes to green on 4-con lead

the bare on the 4-con lead ground out to the baseplate.



probably has nothing to do with anything, but as long as you are in there, double check the mag to make certain it's facing the right direction. the north edge should have some type of sharpie mark or line to indicate north. that edge should be going toward the slug pole.

 

[Syscokid]

Re: Problem with a recently purchased used JB

Thanks for the good info. I'll be doing some exploratory surgery in the next few days.

 

[darthphineas]

Re: Problem with a recently purchased used JB

and that's also the lion's share of the info needed to make a hybrid.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Problem with a recently purchased used JB

When you say the pickup still reads 16K, what wires are you measuring this with???

Try wiring the typical series connection straight to the jack.

 

[Syscokid]

Re: Problem with a recently purchased used JB

When you say the pickup still reads 16K, what wires are you measuring this with???

Try wiring the typical series connection straight to the jack.

That would be the green and bare wire combo, and the black wire. I also tried wiring straight to the jack, and it was the same result.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Problem with a recently purchased used JB

Have you tried measuring the resistence of each coil separately? Measure between the black and white wire, and measure between the red and green wire. Each coil should read about 8k ohms (+or- 5%).

 

[eviltobz]

Re: Problem with a recently purchased used JB

have you also tried swapping one of the joining wires between the 2 coils? there is the colour coding to tell you what _should_ go where, but it is possible that your pup might have the hookup wires wrong, so when you think it's set for normal series operation it's really out of phase with itself which would make sense for being all kinds of puny. so where it's the red & white together, wap the red & black together, then hook it up straight to the jack with your green & white and hear it roar

 

[AlexR]

Re: Problem with a recently purchased used JB

If its reading 16k, yet the sound is thin and wimpy, it might be that there is 1 coil damaged......there is some coupling - enough for a resistance reading of the wire, but not enough for that coil to be making sound.

 

[Syscokid]

Re: Problem with a recently purchased used JB

I'll be exploring all these suggestions eventually. The previous owner noticed this thread, and offered to refund my purchase. He also assured me that the pickup was good before shipping and has sent many PU deals packaged in the same manner. But, I'm keeping it anyways. I'm obsessed with learning more and trying to fix it without doing any further damage to it. The PU is still very useable, and sounds pretty nice even with the alternate wiring. The mid position with the very nasally, quacky sound is OK, but only for a rare moment. I'll be applying this JB to a different guitar project. I just ordered an SH-16...!

 

[darthphineas]

Re: Problem with a recently purchased used JB

That's what it about, big man. I bought a pre-owned Custom to use for a C8 (which isn't for me) and then used it for a hybrid. It didn't work on arrival and just took a bit of probing under the hood. It's good to see some other guys suggesting a few of the paths I suggested, so maybe my ideas were on the right path. I'm thinking it's all I'm there if you have the patience to track it down. A big help would be to have a multimeter with the clips (if you don't already) and check your readings during each step so that you don't get too far before catching an issue.


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