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Dot Studio Pickup Volume Difference


Ron G

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If these are the stock pup on a Dot Studio, you should have a 57classic in the neck, and a 57(CH) in the bridge. The hot bridge pup is designed to equalize volume levels between neck and bridge because neck pup takes advantage of center string/wider vibration, so is naturally louder with same resistance. Has Epi confused them? I've seen that happen before, and it results in exactly what you describe, though other problems can be described the same way...

 

BTW, can you check resistance in the pups and make sure the neck pickup has less?

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"Woes"?

 

FYI you can measure the resistance of the pickups through the cord, with all controls at "10". Neck pickup should be approx 8.5KO and the bridge should be around 13.8KO. Use the selector switch to isolate the pickup you're measuring and expect a really low reading in the center position.

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Starting point for setting pickup height.

 

Neck 3/32nds from the top of the pickup to the bottom of the strings. This is very close to a dime stacked on top of a penny for correct height.

 

Bridge 1/16th from the top of the pickup to the bottom of the strings. This is very close to a quarter for correct height.

 

Lower the Bridge to equal the volume output. Don't confuse the difference between tones.

 

Usually I adjust the Bridge first to get the tone I want. Then the Neck to equal the output. Others do it just the opposite. I do the Bridge first to eliminate the Icepick to the ear tones. I try for what I call the "Harp" tones around the 12th fret.

 

YMMV, that is just what I like to hear from mine. If you already know all this Never mind.

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Thanks for all the fine advice. At this point, my main suspicion is that both pickups are identical. I'll test the resistance at my jam partner's tonight and report back with the results. If, in fact the pickups are wrong, I wonder how hard it'll be to get Epiphone to have it rectified under warranty. BTW: I've been playing for 37 years and my ears work pretty well, too.

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I just checked the resistance of the pickups. About 8k and 13k, so it looks like they're the right ones in the right positions. I guess the volume difference is normal. But I'm gonna replace them soon with GFS Mean 90s (I had a Gibson ES330 many years ago and really liked the P90s). Since this Dot was a gift from my son, I'd rather improve it than replace it.

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FYI, on both my Epi Les Paul and my Guild S-300 solid body electric the neck pick up is slightly louder than the bridge pickup.

 

My Epiphone 2006 catalog doesn't list the Dot Studio's "Vintage Alnico V plus" pickups' specs. I suspect they are the same PUP's as the Epi standard Les Paul (Alnico Classic Humbuckers), but with open coils.

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