Quarter Pound Flat SSL-4 Problem?

[RiX-007]

Hi All.

This is my first post so please be gentle.

I recently bought a second hand 1999 Fender USA Strat with a Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound Flat SSL-4 pickup in the bridge position. The problem is I don't seem to get any output from it from the high e and b string unless I have the guitar volume turned to at least the 6 setting. At around the 5 setting I get intermittent output, and below that I get nothing at all. All the other strings give great sound on any volume setting all the way down to 1. Is this normal? Has anybody else encountered this?

I've tried adjusting the pickup so it is closer to the high strings, but it hasn't made any difference.

If anyone has any advice or useful comments I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks and best wishes,
Rick.

 

[DreX]

Re: Quarter Pound Flat SSL-4 Problem?

Based on your description, it's hard to tell if you're describing a wiring problem or a perceived tone problem. Does it crackle when you turn the knobs? Does the high E and B cut out instantly or gradually?

One thing to keep in mind about the SSL-4 is that it's a dark, high output pickup. As you turn down the volume, the higher notes will be the first thing to go, but it would be a gradual drop off, not sudden. If that's all it is, you can remedy that with a treble bleed mod, or maybe "50's wiring" would help a little, and switch to 500k vol and tone pots to get more treble out of the SSL-4.

 

[J E C]

Re: Quarter Pound Flat SSL-4 Problem?

I wonder if there is a possibility of the mags that are under the B and E being partially demagnetized?

 

[AlexR]

Re: Quarter Pound Flat SSL-4 Problem?

How close is the pickup to the strings??? These are pretty beefy mags here, and the two thinnest strings have the least energy. Typically a strat pickup of the vintage output range would be a fair way away, and this pickup will have much stronger magnet pull. I'd be thinking that down near level with the pickguard would be a good height to start.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Quarter Pound Flat SSL-4 Problem?

I tend to have the qp tilted more than usual, lower on the bass side by a decent amount and it is an over all dark single coil.

when the volume is full up, does it sound good?

 

[uOpt]

Re: Quarter Pound Flat SSL-4 Problem?

Sometimes an almost broken wire (or solder point) only lets sound through when the base frequency is low.

Check all the wires. Try to rip them off, the offender will come right off, easily.

 

[hamerfan]

Re: Quarter Pound Flat SSL-4 Problem?

I would guess your volume pot act as tone pot. Lower than 5 on the tone pot i cannot hear the high strings too.

 

[RiX-007]

Re: Quarter Pound Flat SSL-4 Problem?

Hi All.

Thanks for all your replies, I'm not sure I understand all of them, but I am learning a thing or two so it's all good.

This evening I have had another play with the Strat. I've had to use headphones which aren't brilliant, but our kid is asleep and if I wake him my wife will go nuts, but I've noticed a couple of things.

Firstly, this phenomenon with the high E and B string output only seems to occur with the amp (Blackstar id15) set on the OD1 and OD2 voices (my favorites). It's hard to tell with the headphones, particularly with the guitar on the lower volume settings, but it seems like all the strings are coming through with similar output from the Quarter Pounder when the amp is on the other voice settings. Hopefully you all know what I mean?

So it is just the OD1 and OD2 voices that seem to be affected. With those two voices, if the guitar volumes is on 6 everything is ok and it sounds brilliant! On volume 5 for every 10 picks at the high E or B strings around 7 of them will sound ok but 3 of the 10 picks output nothing through the amp. Below volume 5 neither string outputs anything, while the lower 4 strings all come through clearly.

I hear no crackling when I turn the knobs. I turned both tone knobs through their full range of motion whilst picking the high E string on volume 4 and it didn't help.

At the high E string the pickup is 3/32" from the string, at the low E the gap is 6/32".

Hope this clarifies the weirdness, thanks again for all your comments and advice.
Best wishes,
Rick.

 

[DreX]

Re: Quarter Pound Flat SSL-4 Problem?

If it only happens on OD1 and OD2 and not other channels, that would seem to be an amp problem. That it only happens at volume 5 or less also suggests it's an amp problem, like once the load hits a certain point the pre-amp goes on the fritz.

It wouldn't actually be the case that the high E and B would cut out, rather whatever is going wrong causes you to lose all of the treble all of the sudden, creating the impression that the high E and B are not working. I've heard this exact sound when my tone pot cap solder point was loose. It's impossible for specific strings to not make an sound with a typical single coil like the SSL-4.

 

[uOpt]

Re: Quarter Pound Flat SSL-4 Problem?

Does the rig work normal with the other pickups in the guitar?

 

[RiX-007]

Re: Quarter Pound Flat SSL-4 Problem?

Does the rig work normal with the other pickups in the guitar?

Hi All.

Sorry for the late response, I've been mad busy lately and not had time for guitar playing. :-(

I checked the problem with the other pick ups and it seems it's not just a problem with the Quarter Pounder. If the pickup selector is in any of the single coil positions, i.e. positions 1, 3 and 5 then the same problem occurs. If it's in positions 2 or 4 for two pickups then it doesn't.

So I guess it's not the Quarter Pounder that is at fault, but is it the switch that needs replacing then?

Thanks again for all your help.
Rick.

 

[Artie]

Re: Quarter Pound Flat SSL-4 Problem?

I checked the problem with the other pick ups and it seems it's not just a problem with the Quarter Pounder. If the pickup selector is in any of the single coil positions, i.e. positions 1, 3 and 5 then the same problem occurs. If it's in positions 2 or 4 for two pickups then it doesn't.

So I guess it's not the Quarter Pounder that is at fault, but is it the switch that needs replacing then?

The electrical contacts used in position 2&4 are the exact same ones used in 1-3-5. If it only occurs with a specific amp setting, and a specific volume setting, it can't be the switch.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Quarter Pound Flat SSL-4 Problem?

Doesn't sound like there is anything wrong with your pup or guitar. Sounds like a "problem" with your amp, but probably not anything wrong, per se, but just a typical quirk in your amp model.

Have you tried other single coil guitars in your amp at the settings that act up with your Strat? Have you tried your Strat in other amps?

 

[jeremy]

Re: Quarter Pound Flat SSL-4 Problem?

my guess is its the change in tone you are getting from rolling the volume down. youre losing high frequencies which makes it seem like the e and b strings are going away. id try either a 50's mod to load things less or a treble bypass to retain high end as you roll the volume down