Words can not express how let down I am with Duncan

Audioguy2279

New member
When I was thirteen, I had a buddy upgrade his pickups to Symore Duncan’s. I was floored. Fast forward 25 years later after my fourth different set of Duncan’s, I find my pair of humbuckers that will be my standard OEM as my go to humbucker set as I take the plunge into pursuing my dream as a custom builder.

So I build 3 prototypes and replace two other sets in my guitars (5 pairs of humbuckers) However to do this I have to flip the magnet and remember to flip the color code, I decide to pay around $380 after shipping for a custom pair. Nothing fancy just gold pole pieces and a reverse wound/ reverse pole bridge.

Me thinking about a future, I can keep the same color code for each pickup, Incase a technical issue comes up. Well after a few bits of burned flesh and and some burnt switches I have yet to figure out the wiring.

This is not a **** talking post. It’s being so excited to one day hopefully ordering 50 or 100 pairs to start, working with your pickup idol from when you were 13, and being let down.

So all i needed was the color code of my custom shop order. Neck North Start, neck North finish. (Should be standard I assume) and what bridge start, bridge finish WRWP color scheme is. Did they just flip the magnet and ship it to me? Did they follow the magnetic poles, did they follow the lugs?

You could say if I’m burning my hand and switches up it’s out of lack of experience but I assure you, it’s out of frustration. Maybe I leave the iron in to long at 3:00am working to late. I would like to follow the color code throughout the cuircut Incase of in issue so that means not just the four leads but all the other components and 20 or so solder points as well.

It on me, and was my mistake to assume they would give me what I asked for at that price, however as someone that was buying 10 more sets before the end of the year, thought I would not have to set up a test station with a simple wiring setup to ensure they are color coded correctly,and at least could include a wiring diagram for $380.

Agin,found my perfect pickup. So off the self your good, But unfortunate after weeks of phone calls 5-6 and emails to the custom shop. I can’t get a straight answer on how they wired. Hope someone will make it right.

If anyone can tell me their wiring code for a WRWP pickup if it even is a standard. This is a special Guitar that, that is a tribute to my father to show him what I can accomplish by Christmas. Don’t know with his health if there will be another Christmas with him. Sob story I know, but as we are entering November I’m getting worried he will never see it done.

Any help from you folks would really help me out.

Thanks!
 
Re: Words can not express how let down I am with Duncan

Im confused

Also, what kinda starting-out builder drops $380 / guitar on pickups???? Thats economic suicide
 
Re: Words can not express how let down I am with Duncan

Im confused

Also, what kinda starting-out builder drops $380 / guitar on pickups???? Thats economic suicide

Someone that has built before, has used the great off the shelf version, and to say impressed would be an understatement. But wanted to have a serious go entering the commercial available market, starting out with a special serial number 0001 guitar. giving the bes product that I had to offer.

So what you are saying is going through Seymour Duncan’s custom shop was a mistake, and $380 on a set of pickups would have been better spent elsewhere.
 
Re: Words can not express how let down I am with Duncan

Someone that has built before, has used the great off the shelf version, and to say impressed would be an understatement. But wanted to have a serious go entering the commercial available market, starting out with a special serial number 0001 guitar. giving the bes product that I had to offer.

So what you are saying is going through Seymour Duncan’s custom shop was a mistake, and $380 on a set of pickups would have been better spent elsewhere.

No im saying I studied the market

Difference between $380 and $80-100* max (less if self-wound) per guitar that other builders spend on pickups wipes out your margin... it's "sink or swim" level stuff

Add in $30ish Gotoh tuners vs $100 tuners, Bourns pots for <$2 vs CTS for $4+ etc etc etc...it all stacks up, it's the difference between a tight ship business and a splurgey hobby. If you start with $380 pickups that aren't specified by a special order client who prepaid, you-re never gonna make it.

Also, yeah, custom shop is probably gonna be less reliable than assembly line products, especially if you gave confusing instructions... which sounds plausible, considering I'm still not sure what exactly went wrong for you???


* - thats what a pair of DiMarzios will run you if you hunt discounts and buy bulk, their cheapest buckers being $65-70 ea retail all day every day...bill lawrence is even cheaper at $55. And chinese humbuckers cost $13 SHIPPED for the pair, so that gives you an idea of what in-house pickup building costs might be
 
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Re: Words can not express how let down I am with Duncan

I too am unsure about the specific issue, as you have no detail about the wiring you are doing. But if you are doing the PRS style 5 way with the 7-lug superswitch then the mag gets flipped, and you need to swap the colours on both coils.
 
Re: Words can not express how let down I am with Duncan

I’m no pickup expert compared to the other members here but do you not have a color chart?

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Re: Words can not express how let down I am with Duncan

To decode pole start and finish color codes:

1) use diagram above
2) take note of which two wires (if any) came connected, that's your series link and identifies 2 of 4 wires
3) if NOT, use a tester with the sound-out mode to find which pairs are pairs
4) or, you know, open the dang thing up and take a look

To test magnet poles, use another magnet.

Your incidences of soldering yourself to yourself and burning your switches aren't SD's fault. Furthermore, if you ordered custom wiring, then call customer service, they really wouldn't know what to tell you, since you specifically ordered non-standard wiring... and, if you also told them you managed to burn yourself soldering (something most of us have never, ever done), they're likely to come to the conclusion that whatever problem you got is of your own doing... even if it isn't.

So yeah, maybe they lost the instructions or documentations they wanted to semd you. Or maybe you misunderstood something. But your presentation of the issue isn't doing you favors.

Thats like me calling up Rancho and giving them an earful that it took 12 hours during which I dropped my Ford truck off the jack stands 3 times and nearly killed myself to try and fail to install their coilovers... the natural conclusion would be "this dude is unqualified, it's not us" (even if something actually WERE wrong, because you just freely admitted to being dangerously lost and confused). Furthermore, giving any further DIY advice could invite lawsuits from his potential widow if he goes on to kill or maim himself...



PS my ranchos on my Ford are fine, its just a hypothetical. Also, maybe wear leather gloves when you use a soldering iron? And disclaimer: I don't suggest using it without appropriate safety training, at all
 
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Re: Words can not express how let down I am with Duncan

That's not that big of an issue. Use a compass to determine the magnet's poles. The start lead comes from inside the coil, the finish is on the outside.
 
Re: Words can not express how let down I am with Duncan

I am sorry you are having an issue with your custom pickups. I ordered a rw/rp pickup from the Custom Shop and the colors were the standard ones (but the wiring in the pickup was reversed, as it should have been). If you need further assistance with this, send me a PM and I will try to direct you to the right person right away.
 
Re: Words can not express how let down I am with Duncan

Your incidences of soldering yourself to yourself...aren't SD's fault.

lol

When I was building my custom guitars I did it in a friend's cabinet shop and one day I was the only one there and I cut my hand. I flung blood all over the bathroom as a prank before I bandaged it up and left and the next day I came in and nobody even noticed, lol.
 
Re: Words can not express how let down I am with Duncan

To the OP, did you contact SD directly for support on your custom order, or did you just go to the forum and wait for someone to respond?

At a minimum I recommend the use of the contact form. Their phone number and hours of operation is also posted there.

https://www.seymourduncan.com/contact-form

Hope SD helps bring you satisfaction on the custom shop order.
 
Re: Words can not express how let down I am with Duncan

If you order reverse wound / reverse polarity, but don’t know what the resulting wiring would be, that’s user error. They gave you what you ordered. You just don’t seem to understand what you ordered.
 
Re: Words can not express how let down I am with Duncan

To the OP, did you contact SD directly for support on your custom order, or did you just go to the forum and wait for someone to respond?

At a minimum I recommend the use of the contact form. Their phone number and hours of operation is also posted there.

https://www.seymourduncan.com/contact-form

Hope SD helps bring you satisfaction on the custom shop order.

He did this , he said.
Agin,found my perfect pickup. So off the self your good, But unfortunate after weeks of phone calls 5-6 and emails to the custom shop. I can’t get a straight answer on how they wired. Hope someone will make it right.
 
Re: Words can not express how let down I am with Duncan

First off, all is fixed Arwin at SD got back to me, and got me squared away. Arwin rocks.

And to the other condisending questions:
Yes Five Phone two rusulting in an IDK, email the custom shop
2 in giving me wrong information.
Final call was I’ll have the custom shop call you since you never got an answer via email.

My mistakes I will admit to. Not testing beforehand expecting my directions would be followed . How naive of me to think at that price, a wiring diagram was not supplied they would follow my request.

2. Listening to any advice on the forums. And asumeing it was from past experience and not guessing.

3. Listening to the two other SD employees that didn’t say IDK, guess and assured they were right.

So with that said Arwin the rock star filled me in on some things. But please do not take it as a standard because he couldn’t be absolutely sure it would be true in every case. However in my particular case here is some miss minformation I got directly from Seymour Duncan

The color code follows the lugs not the polarity of the magnets RWRP= FALSE north is always black/ white, south is always Res Green reguarless of lug orientation.

If you order a set with one bridge reverse wound reverse pole you will get it FALSE ll always be the neck The is RWRP not the bridge.

Again this what was the result of my order, others may vary. It is not what I asked but just finished wiring it up and it is correct.

Also, I came here for a simple question what are North and south start and finish in a RWRP custom shop pair from anyone that may have gone through this before. Yes disappointed In my first custom shop experience sure. But lectures on not knowing what I’m am doing, and the profit loss analys on my business plan seemed a little ****ty for a new member trying to get info.

Aside for Minser, who also rocks, I’m kinda blown away from the lack of help and condisending additude to a new member. But I guess ****ing with a new member, gets you off I can take it.
 
Re: Words can not express how let down I am with Duncan

Truly........most of us couldn't understand what on earth your post was trying to say, so we had to guess. You probably need a few lessons on getting to the point and not waffling on about irrelevancies.

Once we can understand, we can help.

Only 1 member was condescending if we're being accurate, and many apologies on behalf of the forum - but he's well know for it.
 
Re: Words can not express how let down I am with Duncan

I am happy this is sorted out, and you can get back to building.
 
Re: Words can not express how let down I am with Duncan

Great you got it right.

But I must too, as a helpful hint, to point out you should write a bit more tighter and clear. Maybe not just spill on whatever is on your mind. Pretty important skill businesswise.

From your posts I had no idea what was wrong and what you got fixed.
 
Re: Words can not express how let down I am with Duncan

I read and studied what you posted...several times, and still don't have a clue as to what the heck you were saying.

Is English your second language? If so, I apologize for all of us on the forum that may not have known what you were complaining about. But to blame someone else for your inability to communicate is a rather poor show.

If English actually IS your primary language, I might recommend a few touch-up classes. Actually, many! (And this time stay awake in class and do all of the assignments/homework).

In any case, I'm glad to hear that you got everything squared away.
 
Re: Words can not express how let down I am with Duncan

Glad you got it sorted out, although I had trouble understanding what the exact issue was myself. If it helps Stewmac sells a cheap tool for determining north and south pole pieces.

I have to agree, if you are trying to start a guitar company 90% of your customers will be happy with a custom guitar with stock pickups, and you can make the custom shops a special order with a corresponding up charge. Although, if you are ordering a significant quantity, you should also be able to get a discount.
 
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