Problem with pickups

[katat0nic]

I have been having this problem for a while now. I got new pickups a few months ago (Duncan Distortion bridge and Jazz Model neck) and replaced the old stock Hamers I had in before. They were sounding great, and I thought it would be cool to throw in a push pull coil split in the tone position just for more variety. It was great for a few weeks until out of the blue I pick the guitar up and it sounds super bright and twangy and thin in both pickups, even though the switch was in the HB position (Can a push pull damage passive pickups like that?). I took the switch out to no avail, and have even changed out all the electronics in it besides the pickups, but nothing has really worked. Can anyone tell me what is going on and if there is a fix, or should I just call it a day and get new pickups?

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Problem with pickups

Never assume that brand new parts will work perfectly.

If your pickups sounds as if they are coil split all of the time, they probably are. Something on the coil splitting switch may be shorting.

Photographs of your soldering on the push-pull switch contacts might help to explain this. It also possible that the internal parts of the switch have been damaged - either physically or by heat.

From your description, I assume that you have each pickup coil split by one pole of a single DPDT with both poles sharing one ground point. To test whether the switch is faulty, temporarily disconnect the common grounding wire.

 

[Demanic]

Re: Problem with pickups

Either a bad switch or a cold solder joint.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Problem with pickups

If the switching mechanism has stopped working, then whatever mode it was in before the failure is what it is in now. I have had a p-p physically fail, so its certainly possible.

 

[Darg1911]

Re: Problem with pickups

I read it as he eliminated the push pull switch and no longer has the coils split. Yet, the pickups are still bright. I would suggest making sure that the red and white wires are well connected together and taped off. Never heard of a passive switch damaging a pickup. Check with a meter to make sure that each pickups measures near the full rated resistance. If all of that checks out ... do you own more than one guitar and amp? Have you been playing the other instruments or through other amps that are warmer sounding lately? I have some guitars that sound darker than others, cabinets that sound different etc. If I play a warmer sounding guitar through a thicker sounding amp and cab combo and then switch to a brighter guitar through a brighter amp and speaker combo, that guitar may sound overly bright because I have grown accustomed to the darker sound. Rule out the pickups as I mentioned, then consider whether it may be your ears having grown accustomed to a different guitar/amp/speakers.

 

[katat0nic]

Re: Problem with pickups

I read it as he eliminated the push pull switch and no longer has the coils split. Yet, the pickups are still bright. I would suggest making sure that the red and white wires are well connected together and taped off. Never heard of a passive switch damaging a pickup. Check with a meter to make sure that each pickups measures near the full rated resistance. If all of that checks out ... do you own more than one guitar and amp? Have you been playing the other instruments or through other amps that are warmer sounding lately? I have some guitars that sound darker than others, cabinets that sound different etc. If I play a warmer sounding guitar through a thicker sounding amp and cab combo and then switch to a brighter guitar through a brighter amp and speaker combo, that guitar may sound overly bright because I have grown accustomed to the darker sound. Rule out the pickups as I mentioned, then consider whether it may be your ears having grown accustomed to a different guitar/amp/speakers.

Right, I apologize for not making clear that I no longer have any form of coil splitting in the guitar whatsoever. I did check the wires and they're all soldered together, and I tried a different amp and a different guitar on the amp I normally use. I found that the single coil-y sound is moreso in the neck pickup, as there has been a slight buzz in that one for a while now even though I've made sure none of the solder joints are cold or anything like that (there is no buzz in the bridge pickup, and in the other amp it sounds like a 100% humbucker; I think its just a really bright SH-6).

 

[Darg1911]

Re: Problem with pickups

Duncans are pretty darn consistent. Do you have a meter? A Duncan Distortion should measure around mid 16K ohms. The Jazz, I think is in the mid or high 7K ohm range. That would confirm full humbucker.
Again, I have never heard of a bad pot taking out a pickup. Also never heard a noticeable change in the sound of pickups over a relatively short span of time. There is no mechanical break-in like a speaker cone surround or spider. Never owned a Duncan Distortion so cant help there. The Jazz is articulate. I guess it could be described as "bright" but only relative to neck humbuckers, IMO. And I wouldn't describe it as sounding like a split humbucker. Maybe focus your attention checking the Jazz since you think it sounds like it's split. If nothing is wrong with the pickups, I still lean toward them having grown on you, but not in a good way. It happens.