Bridge pick up low output problem

[engenheiro5]

Hi Guys! first post here!

I wonder if you guys could help me. The bridge pick up on my 2011 Standard SG has a much lower output (regardless of the height) then that of the neck.

 

Can any one help. Thanks!!!

 

 

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/user/selfassistance?feature=mhee

[GibSinCity]

1.Is the bridge volume all the way up,(Gotta be sure)and does it sound like it lowers and raises the volume and works otherwise, like the neck pickup?

2.Can the neck pickup be lowered to even the output between pickups?

3.Are these the stock pickups, or have they been replaced? Check the wiring for obvious problems.

4.Have it looked at by a qualified tech.

[cjsinla]

Check the imprudence of both pickups, if they do not have similar readings, the bridge pup might be bad. Does it have a cover on it? Was anything spilled on it?

[DiamondJig]

Hi Guys! first post here!

I wonder if you guys could help me. The bridge pick up on my 2011 Standard SG has a much lower output (regardless of the height) then that of the neck.

 

Can any one help. Thanks!!!

 

 

 

No way should a 498T be less output than the 490R. The 498T is a beast at 14+ ohms. Don't know what your true story is, did you just get this guitar or had it and this just happen or maybe your just troll'n and try'n to get hits on you link

[engenheiro5]

1.Is the bridge volume all the way up,(Gotta be sure)and does it sound like it lowers and raises the volume and works otherwise, like the neck pickup?

2.Can the neck pickup be lowered to even the output between pickups?

3.Are these the stock pickups, or have they been replaced? Check the wiring for obvious problems.

4.Have it looked at by a qualified tech.

Thanks for the reply

1.I checked the height of both pu's and regardless of the position the bridge is always lower

3.Stock pu's. The wiring is the new kind and it seems to be fine

[engenheiro5]

Check the imprudence of both pickups, if they do not have similar readings, the bridge pup might be bad. Does it have a cover on it? Was anything spilled on it?

 

Thanks m8

I'm going to check it, as soon as I know how. Yes they are covered. I'm starting to thing it might be related to sweat. I sweat a lot live, and I reck strings rapidly.

[engenheiro5]

No way should a 498T be less output than the 490R. The 498T is a beast at 14+ ohms. Don't know what your true story is, did you just get this guitar or had it and this just happen or maybe your just troll'n and try'n to get hits on you link

/

Thanks for the reply.

Man no kidding I normaly use the volume on the bridge at 10 alternating with the neck at 5, to get that dynamic shift. I got the guitar new a year ago, and the bridge pu never sounded that great, to the point that I now almost always use the neck pu.

So I taught that it was the way it's supost to be, but recently it got lower and lower, so it must be a problem..

[engenheiro5]

1.Is the bridge volume all the way up,(Gotta be sure)and does it sound like it lowers and raises the volume and works otherwise, like the neck pickup?

2.Can the neck pickup be lowered to even the output between pickups?

3.Are these the stock pickups, or have they been replaced? Check the wiring for obvious problems.

4.Have it looked at by a qualified tech.

 

Also qualified tech's don't exist where I live :-):

[cjsinla]

Are we talking about a guitar with a PCB setup or is it wired in the traditional way?

[engenheiro5]

Are we talking about a guitar with a PCB setup or is it wired in the traditional way?

 

PCB set up

[DiamondJig]

The 2011 SG Standard should be a full face pick guard loaded with a 498T in the bridge and should measure around 14K ohms, but it could be a short somewhere in the PU or the board, could also be a bad magnet, I have an Iommi PU that measures fine but the output is very low ad the mag is very weak. The wiring is only 2 conductor. You should be able to unplug the pickup from the board and do some testing with it. You could try swapping the pickup where they plug into the board to see if any changes. Get an old guitar cord and cut off an end strip the wires and see if you can connect it directly to the pickup. Could be they installed the wrong pickup or they are installed reversed, the neck pu is a 490R and around 8k ohms.

[capmaster]

In case of a few shorted coil winding turns you won't be able to read a very different DC resistance but the inductance would drop down severely, and so the ac output voltage.

 

Make sure that volume and tone controls work properly. There also might be a clump of solder that shorts out some traces on the PCB.

 

Finally - that's no lie - I had the same problem last week with my 1978 SG Standard's bridge pickup, and it was due to a contact resistance in its volume pot that I was able to cure with some contact cleaner spray.

[engenheiro5]

thanks for the reply cjsinla and DiamondJig

 

Going to measure everything. Hope I find the problem. I'l post the results thanks!!

[Ryno]

This is a useful string, thanks. I have the same problem with a 2003 SG Special I just bought, although this problem was not in evidence at the time. However there was some selector switch noise that was cleaned up at the shop, and I suspect a problem with contacts. If I can't fix it that way, then it's in to the tech - but I don't want to let it out of my hands yet!

[capmaster]

This is a useful string, thanks. I have the same problem with a 2003 SG Special I just bought, although this problem was not in evidence at the time. However there was some selector switch noise that was cleaned up at the shop, and I suspect a problem with contacts. If I can't fix it that way, then it's in to the tech - but I don't want to let it out of my hands yet!

In the past, the toggle switches of both of my Les Pauls suffered brand new from severe contact problems, due to white dust of dried glue I believe. I cleaned them using contact fluid. However, I believe that occasional troubles with loss of contact on my 1978 SG do occur because of its age.

[engenheiro5]

Hi Guys,

 

I measured the DC resistance and I got for the 490R 7.45 kO and 13.30kO in the 498T,

 

I saw in the internet for the 490 R values should be 7.2 to 7.83, and the 498T 12.32 - 13.46

 

 

So it's all in the same parameters, any sugestions?

[cjsinla]

Sounds like your low sound is coming from some place other than the pickups. Someone else already suggested you might have a partial short somewhere. Try cleaning all of the connectors in your switch and your pots. If that doesn't work, you might have a problem with your PCB.

[Ryno]

I thought mine might have been due to a bad connection in the selector switch but I just checked and it's fine. I'll try cleaning the volume pot although I'm not sure how to go about that. I still hate to drop it off aty the tech because then I can't play it (I mostly use neck pickup anyway).

 

In the meantime: The neck pickup is angled parallel to the strings so that both sets of magnets are the same distance from the strings. The bridge pickup, however, sits parallel with the body, so the set of magnets closest to the bridge are nowhere near as close as the other, and so overall this pickup is further from the strings than the neck pickup. I can tilt it with my finger and that improves this position (I haven't tested what it does to the volume yet) but I'm wondering if I should be re-seating that pickup. Any comments?

[capmaster]

Sometimes it can be useful to remove the pickup, loosen the height adjustment screws and rotate the springs a bit. Retightening the adjustment screws will show if it was effective. I often had to deal with it in the past since only two screws don't allow for setting of a certain tilting angle like humbuckers with three screw mount do, e. g. on Ibanez and some Fender guitars, or the Telecaster single coil bridge pickup.

[cjsinla]

I thought mine might have been due to a bad connection in the selector switch but I just checked and it's fine. I'll try cleaning the volume pot although I'm not sure how to go about that. I still hate to drop it off aty the tech because then I can't play it (I mostly use neck pickup anyway).

 

In the meantime: The neck pickup is angled parallel to the strings so that both sets of magnets are the same distance from the strings. The bridge pickup, however, sits parallel with the body, so the set of magnets closest to the bridge are nowhere near as close as the other, and so overall this pickup is further from the strings than the neck pickup. I can tilt it with my finger and that improves this position (I haven't tested what it does to the volume yet) but I'm wondering if I should be re-seating that pickup. Any comments?

 

 

Try it at volume. In my experience, you will see little difference. If you are concerned, raise the polepiece screws on the low side, that's what I did.

[capmaster]

Termination Detail Gibson Sg Standard 2013.

Hello. I have a Gibson Sg Standard model 2013, and poor finishing in the circle where the tailpiece is screwed. It looks like the broken wood and paint out. I want to know if there is any solution because aesthetically I do not like that detail. thanks

Pd. Attached photo.

 

PLEASE SPANISH.

Sorry for me not speaking or writing Spanish.

 

There just was some finish applied to the metal bushing for the tailpiece studs. This is common on Gibsons with stop tailpieces and not a problem anyway. The wood isn't affected by it, so there's no reason for concern. Everything is fine.

 

I hope my words appear to be comprehendible.

[Randall Pirie]

Hi everyone I had very low volume on my neck pickup on my SG and no tone as well. Turns out when I tightened my volume and tone pot for the neck pickup one of the 3 lugs was touching the control cavity causing it to slightly short out. After turning the pots away from the control cavity everything worked again, volume was normal and got back my tone control. I tried some many things and then I read this fix in some forum, hope it helps anyone with this same issue. Cheers

 

Edited December 2, 2019 by Randall Pirie

[Bobby Rock]

Gibson 3pickup SG (Les Paul Custom)

bridge pickup no where near the volume of the neck or center. What could this be?