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Post subject: New CS '69 Pickups, Need Help
Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2010 5:42 pm
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I've recently swapped out the stock pickups on my MIM strat with three CS '69 pickups, and, after installing and plugging in, rather than getting the vintage, chimey sound that every review and every online demo had in great abundance, they sounded extremely dark and dull, almost as if the tone knob was rolled all the way off. My question is: could this be the result of a poor wiring job (I didn't do it, a far-more-handy friend of mine did), did I get a bad set of pickups, or is there some other possible problem?

thanks for the help


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Post subject: Re: New CS '69 Pickups, Need Help
Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2010 6:44 pm
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amzunica01 wrote:
I've recently swapped out the stock pickups on my MIM strat with three CS '69 pickups, and, after installing and plugging in, rather than getting the vintage, chimey sound that every review and every online demo had in great abundance, they sounded extremely dark and dull, almost as if the tone knob was rolled all the way off. My question is: could this be the result of a poor wiring job (I didn't do it, a far-more-handy friend of mine did), did I get a bad set of pickups, or is there some other possible problem?

thanks for the help


Welcome.

The odds are overwhelming that something is wrong with the wiring and not the pickups.

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Post subject:
Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2010 8:00 pm
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well thank you, I figured as much.

so now all I need to do is find a good tech...


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Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 1:09 pm
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amzunica01 wrote:
well thank you, I figured as much.

so now all I need to do is find a good tech...


You're welcome.

Yea, that's always the problem: A competent tech vs. a hack.

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Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2010 6:40 am
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Placement of the pickups really matters with the CS69s-refer to Fender's site for optimum placement of "vintage" pickups-even one screwturn makes a difference. It does sound like a wiring issue, as they are somewhat trebly pups-The neck pup isn't, but I would not call it muddy. It may take awhile to get used to them (I had large buyer's remorse a couple of weeks in) But you will (likely) learn to love 'em.


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Post subject: Re: New CS '69 Pickups, Need Help
Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2010 1:11 am
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Martian wrote:
amzunica01 wrote:
I've recently swapped out the stock pickups on my MIM strat with three CS '69 pickups, and, after installing and plugging in, rather than getting the vintage, chimey sound that every review and every online demo had in great abundance, they sounded extremely dark and dull, almost as if the tone knob was rolled all the way off. My question is: could this be the result of a poor wiring job (I didn't do it, a far-more-handy friend of mine did), did I get a bad set of pickups, or is there some other possible problem?

thanks for the help


Welcome.

The odds are overwhelming that something is wrong with the wiring and not the pickups.
I would check the wiring but I can guarante it's your tone cap value. I have a similar thread on here. Check out "tone caps" thread thers a guy who posted some really usefull info on to caps. Basically you need to reduce the cap value my friend. A cheap and easy mod


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Post subject: Re: New CS '69 Pickups, Need Help
Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2010 6:55 am
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therise123 wrote:
Martian wrote:
amzunica01 wrote:
I've recently swapped out the stock pickups on my MIM strat with three CS '69 pickups, and, after installing and plugging in, rather than getting the vintage, chimey sound that every review and every online demo had in great abundance, they sounded extremely dark and dull, almost as if the tone knob was rolled all the way off. My question is: could this be the result of a poor wiring job (I didn't do it, a far-more-handy friend of mine did), did I get a bad set of pickups, or is there some other possible problem?

thanks for the help


Welcome.

The odds are overwhelming that something is wrong with the wiring and not the pickups.
I would check the wiring but I can guarante it's your tone cap value. I have a similar thread on here. Check out "tone caps" thread thers a guy who posted some really usefull info on to caps. Basically you need to reduce the cap value my friend. A cheap and easy mod
Or stick some no load tone pots on your guitar. That's what I did with my 69s when there on 10 they cut the pot and cap out of the circuit. Awsome tone!! And work normally from 1to9


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Post subject:
Posted: Sat Feb 20, 2010 6:59 am
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If you have the stock cap in your MIM it would be a .022µF.

CS69's normally are set up with .047µF. I have this in mine. Now there is NO golden rule about what value to use. I find the .047 works well myself.

If you do still have the .022 cap, it should NOT be as dark, as the lower value ( vs the .047) would not take out as many highs
as you turn the tone pot(s).


Then there is the argument of the cap DOING NOTHING to the tone when the pot is at 10, and the only load on the curcuit then is the pot itself, so that camp useds no-load pots.


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Post subject:
Posted: Sat Feb 20, 2010 8:35 am
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sjtalon wrote:
...
Then there is the argument of the cap DOING NOTHING to the tone when the pot is at 10, and the only load on the curcuit then is the pot itself, so that camp useds no-load pots.


Then there's my camp which says his tonality with these pickups are rooted in incorrect wiring and not his choice of capacitor.

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Post subject:
Posted: Sat Feb 20, 2010 9:00 am
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WELCOME to the camp !!


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Post subject:
Posted: Sat Feb 20, 2010 10:13 am
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sjtalon wrote:
If you have the stock cap in your MIM it would be a .022µF.

CS69's normally are set up with .047µF. I have this in mine. Now there is NO golden rule about what value to use. I find the .047 works well myself.

If you do still have the .022 cap, it should NOT be as dark, as the lower value ( vs the .047) would not take out as many highs
as you turn the tone pot(s).


Then there is the argument of the cap DOING NOTHING to the tone when the pot is at 10, and the only load on the curcuit then is the pot itself, so that camp useds no-load pots.
And what's wrong with that?


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Post subject:
Posted: Sat Feb 20, 2010 10:44 am
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Sorry ?

What's wrong with what ?


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Post subject:
Posted: Sat Feb 20, 2010 3:33 pm
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Tone caps .022 or .047 (.05) make a very very small difference in tone.

This is not your problem.
Fender put .022 in the '60 that's why you have that with your pickups set

It's the wiring


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Post subject:
Posted: Sun Feb 21, 2010 2:19 am
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stratele52 wrote:
Tone caps .022 or .047 (.05) make a very very small difference in tone.

This is not your problem.
Fender put .022 in the '60 that's why you have that with your pickups set

It's the wiring
Hang on. Ya can't rule things out that ya don't know about for sure! I have an mim standard with a .1uf cap that came straight from the factory like that. And tone caps make a massive difference to vintage pups. I'm just taking a stab at things to consider. Yes it might be the wiring. But snipping a leg off the cap and then trying it is a lot easier than hunting for a tech. Iv the cap makes no diff then resolder it back


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Post subject:
Posted: Sun Feb 21, 2010 4:34 am
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amzunica01 said :

"they sounded extremely dark and dul almost as if the tone knob was rolled all the way off"



So I don't think is the cap value

http://www.fralinpickups.com/images/stan_strat.gif

Go there, you see an easy drawing of you wiring.
You can see by yourself if it's ok

At Fender is not bad too but easier at Lindy Fralin

Fender :

http://www.fender.com/support/diagrams/ ... 00CPg2.pdf


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