S/S/H guitar with volume problems (need your help)

[pedrozepelim]

Hi!
I have a Yamaha Pacifica 812w that came with Seymour Duncans (2xSLL1, 1x '59 Humbucker in the bridge.)
I realy like the way the single coils sound with my setup, but when I switch to the humbucker the volume diference is huge.
If I lower the humbucker height, it wont sound as good as it does now with overdrive, and also creates a big volume diference in the midle/bridge position.
Any ideas?

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: S/S/H guitar with volume problems (need your help)

You may have to find a compromize of raising the SC's a wee bit and lowering the HB a little bit.

Try raising the SC's as far as possible before you start getting stratitis, then lower the HB just a bit (not so much that it kills your sound) and see if the volume gap is now workable.

I actually like a bridge humbucker to give a noticable boost in volume, because that's usually what your going to solo with, when the time comes. This may require more volume knob adjustments.

If the above compromize doesn't work then you can start considering a lower output bridge humbucker. You will probably have to look into neck versions of lower output humbuckers.

You could also consider going to SC's that have lower string pull, so that you can set them significantly closer to the strings to better balance with the bridge HBer.

 

[Mephis]

Re: S/S/H guitar with volume problems (need your help)

Um, a 59 is already low output.

I'd say that's an ideal setup, you probably just have the singles way too low. The single in my carvin is around 5-6k and balances with my invader, so I know an SSL with balance with a 59.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: S/S/H guitar with volume problems (need your help)

fwiw, Seymour recommends the Jazz neck model as a balanced 'bucker to use in a HSS set.

 

[Robbiedbee]

Re: S/S/H guitar with volume problems (need your help)

I find that the 59 is the best humbucker you can go with in terms of matching up to Strat singles. The stock humbucker (awful) in my MIM Strat was quite a bit louder than my singles, but the 59 bridges the gap quite nicely.

You could try getting some slightly hotter single coils if you can't solve the problem by messing around with a screwdriver. Maybe SSL-3s or something hotter still, like a Cool Rails or something.

...any excuse to drop Cool Rails in there really.

 

[pedrozepelim]

Re: S/S/H guitar with volume problems (need your help)

fwiw, Seymour recommends the Jazz neck model as a balanced 'bucker to use in a HSS set.

But isn't it the Jazz a Neck Pickup only?

How close are your pickups from the strings? (if you could reply in cm, because I'm from Europe)

 

[jeremy]

Re: S/S/H guitar with volume problems (need your help)

there is actually a jazz neck and a jazz bridge model but for matching with a pair of singles the jazz neck model in the bridge position balances very well

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: S/S/H guitar with volume problems (need your help)

It's okay to use a neck pickup in the bridge position.

I checked a couple of my strats, and with the string held down at the highest fret, I'm about 3mm-3 1/2mm away on the treble side, and about 4mm away on the bass side. On a fat strat with a paf type in the bridge, it's (the bridge HBer) about 2 1/2mm from string on the treble side and 4mm away on the bass side

It's how close you can get them before the magnetic pull starts to become an issue. The string pull is cumlative, so you can compensate some what for higher neck pickup setting, by lowering the middle a bit. This would also help the middle balance with a lower bridge pickup in the notch position. I would get the SC's , particularly the neck, as close as you can, then adjust the bridge humbucker against the neck for volume.

 

[pedrozepelim]

Re: S/S/H guitar with volume problems (need your help)

It's okay to use a neck pickup in the bridge position.

I checked a couple of my strats, and with the string held down at the highest fret, I'm about 3mm-3 1/2mm away on the treble side, and about 4mm away on the bass side. On a fat strat with a paf type in the bridge, it's (the bridge HBer) about 2 1/2mm from string on the treble side and 4mm away on the bass side

It's how close you can get them before the magnetic pull starts to become an issue. The string pull is cumlative, so you can compensate some what for higher neck pickup setting, by lowering the middle a bit. This would also help the middle balance with a lower bridge pickup in the notch position. I would get the SC's , particularly the neck, as close as you can, then adjust the bridge humbucker against the neck for volume.

Lake Placid Blues: thank you for your fast reply!
Even more considering you gave the values in cm.
You have been great! In fact you all do! I just register yesterday, and in all the forums i visit you have been the best.

Thank you so much.

If anyone has some Les Paul pickup height sugestion please share them!

 

[JazzSinger]

Re: S/S/H guitar with volume problems (need your help)

If the level changes dramatically at a particular height, and then beyond that it starts coming up again, then the pickups are out-of-phase.

 

[Snake Aces]

Re: S/S/H guitar with volume problems (need your help)

Lake Placid Blues: thank you for your fast reply!

If anyone has some Les Paul pickup height sugestion please share them!

Les Paul pickup heights are much closer to the strings than Strats. A stock Les Paul usually has a pick-up height of around 4/64" (both bass and treble)

I have been playin with mine and really seem to like it at 3/64" but that was after doing some adjustments of the neck relief, string height and stop bar...

 

[steviekool]

Re: S/S/H guitar with volume problems (need your help)

I had this same problem, actually yesterday. I have a 59 in the neck, a cool rail in the middle and an invader in the bridge. My invader and 59 were not really giving the sounds I was looking for, but what had happened was when it was set up, the tech kept the two humbuckers about flush with the pickup frame, so it was really low. He said the reason he did this was to keep the volume constant when switching to the single coil. I went home and said, screw that, I raised both humbuckers, considerably, and I couldnt be happier. Its like new pickups again.

When playing through high gain, the volume drop is not too noticable, and I find when I mix the cool rail with the invader, I get a nice tone that is better than just the invader by itself. On clean though, when I switch pickups, it is a considerable volume drop to the single coil.

I will live with it, as I dont play much clean as it is, and to be honest, even in clean, I think mixing the cool rail with the 59 produces the best tone, so I am happy keeping the humbuckers high.

 

[Soumitra]

Re: S/S/H guitar with volume problems (need your help)

Hi!
I have a Yamaha Pacifica 812w that came with Seymour Duncans (2xSLL1, 1x '59 Humbucker in the bridge.)
I realy like the way the single coils sound with my setup, but when I switch to the humbucker the volume diference is huge.
If I lower the humbucker height, it wont sound as good as it does now with overdrive, and also creates a big volume diference in the midle/bridge position.
Any ideas?

Hi

I just purchased a yamaha pacifica 812W second hand adn I noticed the same problem about change in volume when I go to the bridge pickup.

But in addition there seems to be a significant string imbalance on the neck and mid pickups. The first two strings are almost unaudible compared to the rest. Turning up the amp does not help since that just makes all strings proportionately louder. :banghead:

However, the bridge humbucker seems to be quite balanced by itself.

Was just wondering if anyone has had experience with the 812W and has felt the same problem ?

S