Screwy output from pickups - what the heck is going on here?

[tomizm]

I got my guitar wired, and everything seems okay. *The correct pickups are activated when they are supposed to, and there is no humming in any positions.
Here's the weird part, the bridge L-500 has really weak output. *It sounds like a cheap single coil when I play it thru my Dual Rec setting on the TriAxis, and the neck Duncan '59 on a clean sound, is very overdriven, to the point that it sounds like a distortion channel with the gain about halfway.
There isnt much of a difference in pickup height, so I dont think that will completely correct the problem.
Any ideas at all? * *:help:

[kennydoe]

keep in mind that this reply is from someone who knows next to nothing.

Try reversing the hot & ground.
~k

[ripl3y]

thinking simple it could be something like a faulty pup.
but try to exhaust all the wiring headaches first

Steve

[Vaibanez]

Quote: from kennydoe on 1:06 pm on April 25, 2001
keep in mind that this reply is from someone who knows next to nothing.

Try reversing the hot & ground.
~k

Yep...that'd be the first thing I'd look at.

[tomizm]

Well, with a second opinion, I most certainly will.
Thanx!

[rickboot]

I am willing to bet it is a wiring problem. Can you describe how this is all wired?

Rick

[tomizm]

In a nutshell, it's a 3 way switch. *The Duncan is a 2 conductor, Lawrence is a 4.
In bridge position, it's all bridge (but weak) and in the middle position, the Lawrence is tapped.
Neck position is all neck Duncan, and VERY powerful output.
Thats all I can describe, this wiring stuff blows my mind. *I swear Im missing something.

[Vaibanez]

Ok...two more questions, and I think I can help.

Are you using a 3-way Tele or 3-way LP switch?
What color are the wires on the Duncan?

Also, give me the exact config you want/have wired.

J>

[tomizm]

Wow Jimm, I appreciate the offer.

I bought a 3 way All Parts switch. *Im guessing it's a LP style, but it's a blade, not a toggle. *Is there anything unique about the Tele style? *or is that just the blade type?
Here's breakdown
Duncan has hot and ground
Lawrence is Red for hot, then the graphic I have for standard install shows tie the white and green together, then black is ground. *I'll upload a graphic from home later.
The only thing I didnt want as a config because I dont use it is both neck and bridge at the same time, so maybe *1. --Bridge *2. *--Bridge coil cut *and 3. --Neck
Once again.....'ppreciate it!

[Vaibanez]

Tom...check your email

J>

[ryan]

Tom,

Here's to hopin' Jimm got you straightened out, but the wiring diagram you listed for your Lawrence pickup reads like a cross between the Lawrence & DiMarzio configurations...

For the Lawrence pickup, (in standard series humbucking mode) the black is hot, the red is ground and the white & green should be connected to your tap point.

If you wire the red as hot, it's out of phase with the other electronics.

Check this diagram for further reference:

http://www.stewmac.com/wiring101/hum...g_options.html

[Vaibanez]

Quote: from ryan on 5:06 pm on April 26, 2001
Tom,

Here's to hopin' Jimm got you straightened out, but the wiring diagram you listed for your Lawrence pickup reads like a cross between the Lawrence & DiMarzio configurations...

For the Lawrence pickup, (in standard series humbucking mode) the black is hot, the red is ground and the white & green should be connected to your tap point.

If you wire the red as hot, it's out of phase with the other electronics.

Check this diagram for further reference:

http://www.stewmac.com/wiring101/hum...g_options.html

Being "out of phase" won't be a problem due to the fact the the Lawrence won't be combined with any other pickup in the configuration. Also, this is where I got the info for Tom.

http://www.guitarelectronics.com/colorcodes.html

J>

[ryan]

In theory, that should be true.

I just know from my own wiring on my RG-560 that a single humbucker, wired out of phase from the rest of the pickups, is less-loud than the others, even if it's the only one selected. *

This is a setup with a Steve's Special & two DiMarzio Fast Track II's in the middle & neck positions. *The middle pickup is wired out of phase... *If you select ONLY the middle pickup with the middle position on the 5-way, that pickup is way more quiet than the others.

Turn the wires around and the neck & middle have very similar volumes.

[Josh Blagg]

I had the same problem with two pickups. *One was a Dimarzio which I didn't have a color code diagram for. *The problem was, it was wired wrong. *Another was a stock Fender pickup in a Telecaster. *It was a bad pickup.

[Vaibanez]

Quote: from ryan on 6:19 pm on April 26, 2001
In theory, that should be true.

I just know from my own wiring on my RG-560 that a single humbucker, wired out of phase from the rest of the pickups, is less-loud than the others, even if it's the only one selected. *

This is a setup with a Steve's Special & two DiMarzio Fast Track II's in the middle & neck positions. *The middle pickup is wired out of phase... *If you select ONLY the middle pickup with the middle position on the 5-way, that pickup is way more quiet than the others.

Turn the wires around and the neck & middle have very similar volumes.

What you are describing is "parallel" vs. "series". I'm not sure if the term "phase" is synonymous. *:idunno:

J>