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Post subject: Volume loss
Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 11:35 pm
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I own a MIM tele and have a problem with it. The high e and b string now is almost inaudible. The other four strings are all right. I switched to different pickup selections, tried it on different amps, tried different strings, same results. When strumming chords or playing lead lines, I can't really hear the thinner strings!

Anyone heard of this problem before? The guitar was fine (actually perfect) before. I didn't change the pickup height or mess with the wirings at all!

Really need some help. Not sure what the problem is. Thanks in advance.


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Post subject: Re: Volume loss
Posted: Tue Oct 13, 2009 5:52 am
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Monroe wrote:
I own a MIM tele and have a problem with it. The high e and b string now is almost inaudible. The other four strings are all right. I switched to different pickup selections, tried it on different amps, tried different strings, same results. When strumming chords or playing lead lines, I can't really hear the thinner strings!

Anyone heard of this problem before? The guitar was fine (actually perfect) before. I didn't change the pickup height or mess with the wirings at all!

Really need some help. Not sure what the problem is. Thanks in advance.


Is this problem with EITHER pickup separately?

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Posted: Tue Oct 13, 2009 9:34 am
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And also have you tried tapping on each of the magnets and see if you hear it through the speakers.


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Posted: Tue Oct 13, 2009 10:44 pm
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atolleter wrote:
And also have you tried tapping on each of the magnets and see if you hear it through the speakers.


Yeap. Is it possible that each magnet has a different output?


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Post subject: Re: Volume loss
Posted: Tue Oct 13, 2009 11:09 pm
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Martian wrote:
Monroe wrote:
I own a MIM tele and have a problem with it. The high e and b string now is almost inaudible. The other four strings are all right. I switched to different pickup selections, tried it on different amps, tried different strings, same results. When strumming chords or playing lead lines, I can't really hear the thinner strings!

Anyone heard of this problem before? The guitar was fine (actually perfect) before. I didn't change the pickup height or mess with the wirings at all!

Really need some help. Not sure what the problem is. Thanks in advance.


Is this problem with EITHER pickup separately?


Yes, it's clearer on the neck pickup. Does thicker strings sound louder? I'm using gauge 11 strings but change the high e string to 10. So it's 10-14-18-28-38-48 instead of 11-14-18-28-38-48.


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Post subject: Re: Volume loss
Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2009 6:02 am
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Your string gauge run is not an issue.

A few things immediately come to my mind here:

The thicker an unwound string is, the easier a pick up 'hears' it.

Your pickups' pole pieces may be set at the old vintage stagger where the G string's pole piece sits very high in the pickup. If this be the case, this high pole piece is calculated for a wound G string which needs to be higher in comparison to a non-wound string's pole piece for an even string balance through the amp. Premising you have an unwound G string and a high pole piece on the G, your G will pick up disproportionately louder than that of the high E and B strings. So, you are not hearing a weak high E and B string per se, rather, you are hearing a too loud G string. As the last three strings are in fact, wound, the pole piece stagger of these remain appropriate and audibly balanced under either condition.

As you have a MIM, you MAY have ceramic bar magnets glued to the base of the pole piece slugs. If this be the case, these magnetic bars may have come loose from the high E and B strings, distancing themselves from the pole piece slugs thereby giving a weaker string report. Granted, this would be an astounding coincidence in its own right for this to happen with both pickups.

Excessive crud on the high E and B strings, impeding the magnetic pull; I kind of doubt this though.

Newer MIMs appear nowadays to be coming with the pole piece slugs themselves being the magnets, thereby no longer requiring the ceramic bar. If any motor such as a power tool or similar device is activated in too close proximity to a magnet, it will weaken or outright demagnetize it; in this case, said pole piece(s).

Why all of a sudden this problem? Well, actually maybe not. As one becomes more familiar with a particular guitar, (s)he tends to hear this individual instrument's nuances more readily and in more depth and of course, is more 'zeroed in' on a perceived defect once discovered.

What to do? You'd have to verify which condition(s) above do or don't exist in your situation and we'll continue to take it from there.

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Post subject: Re: Volume loss
Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2009 8:32 pm
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Martian wrote:
Your string gauge run is not an issue.

A few things immediately come to my mind here:

The thicker an unwound string is, the easier a pick up 'hears' it.

Your pickups' pole pieces may be set at the old vintage stagger where the G string's pole piece sits very high in the pickup. If this be the case, this high pole piece is calculated for a wound G string which needs to be higher in comparison to a non-wound string's pole piece for an even string balance through the amp. Premising you have an unwound G string and a high pole piece on the G, your G will pick up disproportionately louder than that of the high E and B strings. So, you are not hearing a weak high E and B string per se, rather, you are hearing a too loud G string. As the last three strings are in fact, wound, the pole piece stagger of these remain appropriate and audibly balanced under either condition.

As you have a MIM, you MAY have ceramic bar magnets glued to the base of the pole piece slugs. If this be the case, these magnetic bars may have come loose from the high E and B strings, distancing themselves from the pole piece slugs thereby giving a weaker string report. Granted, this would be an astounding coincidence in its own right for this to happen with both pickups.

Excessive crud on the high E and B strings, impeding the magnetic pull; I kind of doubt this though.

Newer MIMs appear nowadays to be coming with the pole piece slugs themselves being the magnets, thereby no longer requiring the ceramic bar. If any motor such as a power tool or similar device is activated in too close proximity to a magnet, it will weaken or outright demagnetize it; in this case, said pole piece(s).

Why all of a sudden this problem? Well, actually maybe not. As one becomes more familiar with a particular guitar, (s)he tends to hear this individual instrument's nuances more readily and in more depth and of course, is more 'zeroed in' on a perceived defect once discovered.

What to do? You'd have to verify which condition(s) above do or don't exist in your situation and we'll continue to take it from there.


Which ones are the ceramic bar magnets? After listening to it closely, only the b-string is softer but still on both pickups. I looked at both pickups and there are two bar magnets around the poles. Some of the poles have glue on them, some don't. So its not because of any faulty wiring?


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Post subject: Re: Volume loss
Posted: Thu Oct 15, 2009 4:53 am
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Monroe wrote:
Which ones are the ceramic bar magnets? After listening to it closely, only the b-string is softer but still on both pickups. I looked at both pickups and there are two bar magnets around the poles. Some of the poles have glue on them, some don't. So its not because of any faulty wiring?


Your's are the ceramic ones.

Apparently your wiring is fine then and per your perception, both B string pole pieces are sitting too low in the pickups.

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Post subject: Re: Volume loss
Posted: Thu Oct 15, 2009 5:49 am
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Martian wrote:
Monroe wrote:
Which ones are the ceramic bar magnets? After listening to it closely, only the b-string is softer but still on both pickups. I looked at both pickups and there are two bar magnets around the poles. Some of the poles have glue on them, some don't. So its not because of any faulty wiring?


Your's are the ceramic ones.

Apparently your wiring is fine then and per your perception, both B string pole pieces are sitting too low in the pickups.


Owh, and you're right about the G-string. It's clearly louder. I've adjusted the heights of the strings from the pickup so now at the bridge pickup it's fine. The only problem left is the neck pickup. The B-string is still softer. By the way, thanks man. You've been of great help =)


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Post subject: Re: Volume loss
Posted: Thu Oct 15, 2009 6:12 am
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Monroe wrote:
Martian wrote:
Monroe wrote:
Which ones are the ceramic bar magnets? After listening to it closely, only the b-string is softer but still on both pickups. I looked at both pickups and there are two bar magnets around the poles. Some of the poles have glue on them, some don't. So its not because of any faulty wiring?


Your's are the ceramic ones.

Apparently your wiring is fine then and per your perception, both B string pole pieces are sitting too low in the pickups.


Owh, and you're right about the G-string. It's clearly louder. I've adjusted the heights of the strings from the pickup so now at the bridge pickup it's fine. The only problem left is the neck pickup. The B-string is still softer. By the way, thanks man. You've been of great help =)


Glad to be of assistance!

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