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Post subject: Vintage Noiseless Neck P/U wiring
Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 3:28 pm
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A few months ago I order and installed a Vintage Noiseless neck position pickup. I thought it was working fine until I strung up the guitar and actually starting playing. With the neck pickup engaged the sound is very thin and the output is low. I don't see this is a phase issue, since the other pickups are off, but I'm not an expert so I may be way off here.

I followed the wiring diagram from Fender's website. I'm getting ready to change strings. Any thoughts on what I can do to get a better sound?

Thanks!

-Russ


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Post subject: Re: Vintage Noiseless Neck P/U wiring
Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 4:40 pm
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FrankenStratCat wrote:
A few months ago I order and installed a Vintage Noiseless neck position pickup. I thought it was working fine until I strung up the guitar and actually starting playing. With the neck pickup engaged the sound is very thin and the output is low. I don't see this is a phase issue, since the other pickups are off, but I'm not an expert so I may be way off here.

I followed the wiring diagram from Fender's website. I'm getting ready to change strings. Any thoughts on what I can do to get a better sound?

Thanks!

-Russ


Welcome Russ.

Wiring wise, I shall presume you know what you are doing.

Phasing with the other pickups does not come into play here.

Two things immediately come to my mind:

1. Vintage Noiseless pickups in spite of their 'healthy' DC resistance rating of approximately 9.8K ohms are in fact, low output, trebly pickups.

2. If the output is ridiculously low and trebly, one of the coils may not be working properly or at all. Check the DC resistance of the pickup and if it is more or less half of the above, here's your answer.

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Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 5:05 pm
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Hi Mars,

I appreciate your help.

The wiriing is black to the casing of the volume pot, white to the 5-way switch.

I checked with a multimeter. I didn't actually cut wires to check. Set 5-way to neck-only, volume pot @ 10. I got 11.67k.

Is that in the ballpark? If so, should I consider moving the p/u closer to the strings? Right now it is at "spec" distance.

::::EDITED::::

OOOPS. I have a switch that allows me to turn off the bridge pickup. It's independent of the 5-way. It was engaged, so my reading was fouled. In other words, I had both the neck and bridge pickup engaged.

After turning off the bridge pickup, I'm getting approximately a 250k reading!

-Russ


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Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 5:18 pm
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FrankenStratCat wrote:
Hi Mars,

I appreciate your help.

The wiriing is black to the casing of the volume pot, white to the 5-way switch.

I checked with a multimeter. I didn't actually cut wires to check. Set 5-way to neck-only, volume pot @ 10. I got 11.67k.

Is that in the ballpark? If so, should I consider moving the p/u closer to the strings? Right now it is at "spec" distance.

-Russ


Glad to be of assistance.

Your wiring is correct.

Allowing for the load of the circuit and the variables of personal VOMs, it appears that the pickup is indeed, fine.

I always raise the pickups closer than what 'spec' recommends. In your particular situation, it will surely make the pickup louder but probably treblier as well (no problem though as that's what tone pots are for). Don't raise it too much or the magnets will start pulling on the strings and in addition to decreased sustain, you'll be opening up the guitar to a nasty case of "Stratitis". You know what this is. It is where you get those warbly double tones on on the upper frets of the lower strings which also make intonation on those strings quite impossible.

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Post subject:
Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 5:22 pm
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Hi Mars.

Please see my :::EDIT:::. Something is whack! 250K, not 11K.

-Russ


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Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 7:02 pm
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FrankenStratCat wrote:
Hi Mars.

Please see my :::EDIT:::. Something is whack! 250K, not 11K.

-Russ


Apparently, your pickup is in fact, the problem.

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Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 7:21 pm
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The pickup is definitely the problem. Pulled it out, put the stock p/u back in. Seems to be some sloppy winding on the outside. That might be the issue. Who knows. It's junk now.

Regardless, I'll just chalk this up to experience and get a Lace Sensor or something.

Thanks again for your help, Mars.

-Russ


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Posted: Sun Apr 04, 2010 6:49 am
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FrankenStratCat wrote:
The pickup is definitely the problem. Pulled it out, put the stock p/u back in. Seems to be some sloppy winding on the outside. That might be the issue. Who knows. It's junk now.

Regardless, I'll just chalk this up to experience and get a Lace Sensor or something.

Thanks again for your help, Mars.

-Russ


I was trying to avoid saying that the Noiseless series are very frail in design with your pickup's problem being the most prominent. I can pretty much guarantee you that, that your observation is in fact, the issue.

Good luck with your replacement choice and I'm glad to be of assistance.

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Posted: Sun Apr 04, 2010 8:27 pm
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I saw your assessments in other posts. I think your conclusion is sound.

Lace Sensor?


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Post subject:
Posted: Mon Apr 05, 2010 4:43 am
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FrankenStratCat wrote:
I saw your assessments in other posts. I think your conclusion is sound.

Lace Sensor?


I thank you.

I'm not a fan of Lace Sensors but many others are so I'll recluse myself on this one.

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Posted: Tue Apr 06, 2010 2:23 am
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FrankenStratCat wrote:
I saw your assessments in other posts. I think your conclusion is sound.

Lace Sensor?


Hello!

I'd recommend trying out a guitar equipped with Lace Sensors before you buy as they are very much a love it or hate pup. Forum user Smark has posted links to recordings he has done (check'um out his chops are amazing!).

http://www.fender.com/community/forums/ ... +hot+golds

I have a set of Hot Golds with the 13.2k bridge and a set of Lace Sensor colours (red, silver, blue). They both perform very well. Very low string pull gives a noticible increase in sustain and no loss of volume when bending strings. I like to use alot of effects and play through a Line 6 POD X3 the majority of the time. Also both my strats with the Lace pups have active electronics (pre-amps / mid-boosts etc) installed which really work well together.

Great design, great build quality, Very versatile, and in my opinion, the best noiseless pups on the market.

http://www.lacemusic.com/

Hope this helps

Andy

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