Pickups out of phase?

mathrawk

Hi there, this is sort of a repost, but I'm having some issues with a jazzmaster I recently purchased. The Neck pickup sounds really awesome, and the bridge is pretty cool (real bright 'n crispy), but when both are playing together, I get a totally useless, thin sound that doesn't seem quite right. Are my pickups out of phase? And if they are, how do I correct this? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

jacksonjackass

I'm not sure they're really out of phase. Do you get a really quacky kind of tone when you play the pickups together?

mathrawk

I guess a little bit. It's just ULTRA thin, basically like my bridge pup but way thinner and quieter.

Robbmonster

mathrawk said: I guess a little bit. It's just ULTRA thin, basically like my bridge pup but way thinner and quieter.

Pretty much every guitar I have ever owned has beenmuch thinner in the in-between positions.

I just don't used them.

In fact, right now I'm building an Esquire, and have already modded my Jagmaster to have no in-between positions

Richie

If you don't like that sound, what you can do is reverse the polarity of one of the pickups by swapping the connections round between the pickup and the controls (so the white wire goes to ground and the black wire goes to the hot connection, instead of the other way round which is what it should currently be). This shouldn't change the sound of the individual pickup, but will make your middle position effectively a giant humbucker. Otherwise, that thinness is just the normal sound of a two single coil guitar's middle position.

jacksonjackass

My guitar sounds fat as hell in 2 pup position.

SRVness

mathrawk

someone said: If you don't like that sound, what you can do is reverse the polarity of one of the pickups by swapping the connections round between the pickup and the controls (so the white wire goes to ground and the black wire goes to the hot connection, instead of the other way round which is what it should currently be). This shouldn't change the sound of the individual pickup, but will make your middle position effectively a giant humbucker. Otherwise, that thinness is just the normal sound of a two single coil guitar's middle position.

Thanks man, I'm definitely gonna give this a shot. I'll let ya know how she turns out.

Disappearer

The inbetween setting is one of my most used ones, on HH guitars anyway. It's how you get that chimey Mayonaise intro tone that's used on a lot of SP songs out of a Les Paul. On a singlecoil guitar it sounds very Simon Neil-esque which is cool too.

mathrawk

Dude Richie, you rule. That made such an incredible difference. I was set on selling but I'm definitely keeping it. Thanks so much!

phreed

Richie,

Can I do the same mod to my Jag? I was planning on popping a hotrail into the bridge position...hate how the stock pup sounds. However, if this mod will beef up the sound it's worth a try before I hand over 80 bucks for a new one.

Phil

Richie

Don't see why not. It only makes a difference with both pickups selected mind you, it won't make a difference to the sound of the pickups individually, so if you don't like the sound of the pickups generally then replacing them might be the way to go. But by all means try it.

Mathrawk- no worries. 😉

Robbmonster

Richie, you are the new #1 got to advice man, congrats 😆

Personally, I think a hotrail in a Jag is a great idea.

Skybert

Richie said: If you don't like that sound, what you can do is reverse the polarity of one of the pickups by swapping the connections round between the pickup and the controls (so the white wire goes to ground and the black wire goes to the hot connection, instead of the other way round which is what it should currently be). This shouldn't change the sound of the individual pickup, but will make your middle position effectively a giant humbucker. Otherwise, that thinness is just the normal sound of a two single coil guitar's middle position.

Will this "humbucker" setup work on my japan mustang?

jacksonjackass

Eh? I don't get where the humbucker came in there

Skybert

Richie said: If you don't like that sound, what you can do is reverse the polarity of one of the pickups by swapping the connections round between the pickup and the controls (so the white wire goes to ground and the black wire goes to the hot connection, instead of the other way round which is what it should currently be). This shouldn't change the sound of the individual pickup, but will make your middle position effectively a giant humbucker. Otherwise, that thinness is just the normal sound of a two single coil guitar's middle position.

from here

jacksonjackass

Well, no, because those pickups are wired in parallel, wheras a proper humbucker is in series. If you want a humbucker, get one, don't use both pickups, it does something completely different.

Richie

mcconnachiea said: Well, no, because those pickups are wired in parallel, wheras a proper humbucker is in series. If you want a humbucker, get one, don't use both pickups, it does something completely different.

Still two coils in wound in opposite directions = still a humbucker. SD make the Duckbucker remember. It sounds terrible but it's still a humbucker.

You do have a point though regarding difference in sound. But, the people who've tried it so far seem to pleased with the results...