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Pickup Installation=Success

bluewaterpig

By bluewaterpig
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bluewaterpig

bluewaterpig

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If any of you read my other thread about installing new pickups in my ES-333, I'm happy to say the soldering and installation was a complete success. I put a '57 Classic in the neck and a Burstbucker 2 in the bridge and these things sound absolutely amazing. The guitar is a whole new animal in looks and feel.

 

 

I also installed a pickguard and bracket, and I feel like the bracket is maybe too high or something. Overall it's fine, but does anybody else think this looks odd?

 

 

 

Edit: I realize the pics are small, but it will only let me upload a picture that's 27kb or smaller. I don't know why it does that, but it really doesn't make sense.

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bluewaterpig

bluewaterpig

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Ha, looks like I spoke too soon. I have a small problem and I hope this is common and an easy fix.

 

So when I have just the neck or middle pickup selected by themselves, the volume/tone pots work just fine. When I have them both selected however, my bridge volume knob is acting weird. When I roll it from 10 down to 1, it will decrease volume from 10 to 8, then suddenly get much louder at 8, and then get quieter like normal from 8 to 1. Again, this only happens when I have both pickups selected which seems really odd to me.

 

I'm guessing it's something that I did when soldering? Help me out guys!!

 

-Pete

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bluewaterpig

bluewaterpig

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I was just gonna ask you how it sounds...But, I guess I'll wait on that.smiley-talk003.gif

 

Ha why? It's just a minor volume jump, the pickups function just fine.

 

They sound absolutely amazing. Definitely a large upgrade from the original pickups. I love the way they compliment each other too. The 57 is nice and warm, thick sounding. The Burstbucker 2 is exactly the trebly, Tele-like tone that I wanted. The best way I can describe it is the neck alone is a nice jazz-box tone, both together is a Scofield-ish tone, and the bridge is like a shrill BB King Lucille sound.

 

The bridge volume thing isn't a huge deal but I would like to fix it if it can be done. Again, it's only when I'm using the bridge pickup by itself, which is probably what I'll end up using the least.

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Andy R

Andy R

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Ha why? It's just a minor volume jump, the pickups function just fine.

 

They sound absolutely amazing. Definitely a large upgrade from the original pickups. I love the way they compliment each other too. The 57 is nice and warm, thick sounding. The Burstbucker 2 is exactly the trebly, Tele-like tone that I wanted. The best way I can describe it is the neck alone is a nice jazz-box tone, both together is a Scofield-ish tone, and the bridge is like a shrill BB King Lucille sound.

 

The bridge volume thing isn't a huge deal but I would like to fix it if it can be done. Again, it's only when I'm using the bridge pickup by itself, which is probably what I'll end up using the least.

 

 

 

I would look very closely for "Solder Bridges" it only takes a tiny trace of solder to make a bridge to another lug that you can Barely see.

 

 

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bluewaterpig

bluewaterpig

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Yay!! I'm glad it all worked out for you. I remember noticing from your first picture that the Bridge volume control had been replaced:

 

post-27654-056903500%201291961308_thumb.jpg

 

It's probably a problem with that volume pot.

 

Anyway, way to go with the soldering job! [thumbup]

 

Are you saying that the bridge volume pot isn't original? I never replaced it...

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bluewaterpig

bluewaterpig

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If it didn't do it before I doubt it is the pot.

I think you misunderstood. You said something about the volume pot being replaced. I bought this guitar new and never replaced anything...

 

 

Anyway I'm about to unsolder the bridge pickup and resolder it right now. Hopefully it was just a small fluke.

 

Also, I reversed the pickup rings! Nobody noticed, haha.

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bluewaterpig

bluewaterpig

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Alright so something weird is happening.

 

I switched the pickup rings to the correct location and leveled the pickup height out pretty nicely. I thought to myself why not just see if this did anything to the volume problem.

 

Sure enough, now when I roll the volume down on the bridge control (with both pickups engaged), the weird volume jump is much, much less drastic.

 

Could pickup height really be the cause for this? I'm not going to touch my solder job cause I'm pretty confident with it.

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Andy R

Andy R

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I think you misunderstood. You said something about the volume pot being replaced. I bought this guitar new and never replaced anything...

 

 

Anyway I'm about to unsolder the bridge pickup and resolder it right now. Hopefully it was just a small fluke.

 

Also, I reversed the pickup rings! Nobody noticed, haha.

 

Uh Actually I didn't say that someone else did. My point was if it didn't do it before it shouldn't do it now regardless if it was replaced or not. I also doubt that pick-up height would cause the issue. It would just make it more or less noticeable. What you're describing isn't right especially if it didn't do it before.

 

So either:

 

1. There is something funky with your solder joints somewhere ( did you look for solder bridges?)

2. Heating up the pot to connect the ground fooked it up.

3. For some reason the new Pick-ups don't agree with the old pot ( maybe it had been replaced sometime is is the wrong value )

 

If your good with it that's all that matters!

 

By the way you need to put your pics on photobucket (it's free ) so we can see large view and you don't get dinged for Forum space.

 

Regards,

Andy

 

 

 

 

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Andy R

Andy R

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One more question. HAve you checked that when you have just the bridge or just the neck pick up selected that there is no bleed between the neck and the bridge pick up. Select and tap with a screw driver and you will know. Also when in the middle selection and Both pick-ups are on does turning one pick-up down turn both pick-ups off?

 

 

Andy

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bluewaterpig

bluewaterpig

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Ok so I think I figured out what happened. Might be good reference if anybody else does something as idiotic as I did.

 

Because I used the bridge pickup ring on the neck pickup and vice versa, that cause the bridge pickup to sit really, really low and the neck pickup to sit pretty high. What happened was that with both pickups on, the neck pickup was supplying a LOT more volume than the bridge. When I had the bridge volume cranked to 10, I guess it was just barely able to put out enough volume. Since it was already so far away from the strings, turning the volume down to 8 pretty much shut the pickup off. When that happened, the neck pickup was basically taking over all the volume, hence the big volume spike I was hearing.

 

Anyway, both pickups are just about the same height and everything works fine. Don't be an idiot and switch your pickup rings.

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badbluesplayer

badbluesplayer

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I had noticed in your original pic that the treble volume pot is different than the other three. That's why I figured that it had been replaced. I can't tell what the printing on top of the pot says but it may be a cheapo pot that they had lying around and decided to install.

 

Your next project may be to replace the pot. They only cost a few bucks. [biggrin]

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