Trying to replace actives with passives (and not going well)

[5150time]

Hi,

I've been at this one awhile, and still can't seem to figure it out. I've got a Schecter C1 HellRaiser that came stock with 81/85s. Wanted to swap it out to Invader/Jazz, but it produced some terrible hum! Then found out that I needed a bridge ground, so I had it drilled and did it. However, this didn't fix the problem, although it did quiet it a little. I've replaced all the parts and rechecked all my grounds, and it's still giving me this awful hiss clean, which turns into a buzz on distortion. I've followed Seymour's wiring diagram for 2 humbuckers, vol/tone + 3 way exactly as it's written (though this is an import guitar so it has a 3 way blade with lugs), and I've never had a problem soldering guitars before...just this one. I can't produce pictures - I kind of tore out all the wiring in frustration =P

What on Earth am I doing wrong?

Thanks.
Craig.

 

[Robert S.]

Re: Trying to replace actives with passives (and not going well)

Check and see if you have the output jack properly wired. The tip has to be hot and the ring must be ground. If you have the tip grounded all your components will act like an antenna and your guitar will hum.

If that doesn't do it you have to connect the bridge pickup directly to the output jack and then add components one at a time to find out which one is introducing the noise.

 

[5150time]

Re: Trying to replace actives with passives (and not going well)

Jack is wired properly, but now my bridge pickup seems dead - it has no gain and sounds clean even with the distortion just cranked on the amp.

I think I'll just take this to a tech.

 

[mustaine-who?]

Re: Trying to replace actives with passives (and not going well)

Make sure each HB is grounded to a pot...as well as your 3-way. Then make sure your pots are grounded to each other, and that the bridge and jack are grounded to a pot as well. Basically...from your trem to your output jack...everything should be grounded as if it were one continuous connection. Any break in that connection could lead to hiss...

 

[jhale667]

Re: Trying to replace actives with passives (and not going well)

Couldn't have said it better than any of the previous posts. Check all the ground connection. I just switched completely back to passives in all my humbucker-equipped guitars and couldn't be happier.

 

[Sanford]

Re: Trying to replace actives with passives (and not going well)

Is the output jack still a stereo version (used to connect the battery when the cable is inserted)?

 

[Robert S.]

Re: Trying to replace actives with passives (and not going well)

I doubt that it is a TRS jack issue.

If the bridge pickup is now dead it sounds like either bad soldering or a bad switch.