Need help installing pickup

[hawk]

I replaced the bridge pickup in my Strat with a Seymour Duncan JBjr humbucker. But now, there is bad noise (60 cycle hum,) in the bridge/middle position. There's even a little hum in the bridge position which should be totally quiet now due to the humbucker. I followed the instructions that came with it and wired it as follows:

red/white - taped together
black - soldered to switch
green - soldered to tone pot (ground)

Anyone know what the problem could be?

[Light]

Not without seeeing it in person, but my first guess would be a bad solder joint.



Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

[hawk]

Here's the way I wired it. Only thing that's different is that I didn't solder the red/white I just tied them together and taped them. I'll check the solder joints when I get home, maybe redo them.

The instructions said that if you have phasing problems reverse the black and green wires. Could that be the problem?

[ggunn]

Originally Posted by hawk

Here's the way I wired it. Only thing that's different is that I didn't solder the red/white I just tied them together and taped them. I'll check the solder joints when I get home, maybe redo them.

The instructions said that if you have phasing problems reverse the black and green wires. Could that be the problem?

I'm confused. The diagram shows the red and white soldered to the switch. Also it looks like there is a white wire with the green and another white wire with the red. Are there two white wires from the Duncan pickup? If so, how can you tell which is which?

[hawk]

Originally Posted by ggunn

I'm confused. The diagram shows the red and white soldered to the switch. Also it looks like there is a white wire with the green and another white wire with the red. Are there two white wires from the Duncan pickup? If so, how can you tell which is which?

The pic shows the red/white soldered but to an empty spot on the switch, not connecting to anything. This *should* be the same as me taping them together. Not positive though. The tape is only temporary; I just wanted to make sure it works before soldering.

The other wire next to the green wire is actually a bare wire that the instructions say to connect with the green to the ground wire.

[ggunn]

Originally Posted by hawk

The pic shows the red/white soldered but to an empty spot on the switch, not connecting to anything. This *should* be the same as me taping them together. Not positive though. The tape is only temporary; I just wanted to make sure it works before soldering.

The other wire next to the green wire is actually a bare wire that the instructions say to connect with the green to the ground wire.

Ah, much clearer, thank you. You're right; twisting and taping should be good enough for a check.

Of course, putting a humbucker on a Strat is heresy, IMO.... ;^)

[timthetortoise]

I would highly recommend soldering the red and white together. I'm assuming you stripped them back? If you do not short these or do not have them in a proper configuration, the pickup will not work. It's only a couple more seconds of effort to solder and tape this connection, and it pays off to follow the directions as exact as possible. According to the directions, that section of the 5-way switch is NOT just an empty lug. If it were, it would have told you explicitly to just solder and tape. It looks like the problem here is you have nothing on that section, not even a ground, which would behave like you're describing. I don't know the mapping of your 5-way, of course, but if the diagram is showing that connection soldered, I'd recommend you at least try it before assuming it's not the cause.

[Anfontan]

Originally Posted by timthetortoise

I would highly recommend soldering the red and white together. I'm assuming you stripped them back? If you do not short these or do not have them in a proper configuration, the pickup will not work. It's only a couple more seconds of effort to solder and tape this connection, and it pays off to follow the directions as exact as possible. According to the directions, that section of the 5-way switch is NOT just an empty lug. If it were, it would have told you explicitly to just solder and tape. It looks like the problem here is you have nothing on that section, not even a ground, which would behave like you're describing. I don't know the mapping of your 5-way, of course, but if the diagram is showing that connection soldered, I'd recommend you at least try it before assuming it's not the cause.

I agree, it looks like the humbucker needs that connection, the 2 wires soldered together, otherwise its only one single coil in operation. Thus the hum from also having no ground. This diagram is for a single tone control, but it might help you in your wiring.
Strat w/ 5way

[hawk]

Originally Posted by Anfontan

I agree, it looks like the humbucker needs that connection, the 2 wires soldered together, otherwise its only one single coil in operation. Thus the hum from also having no ground. This diagram is for a single tone control, but it might help you in your wiring.
Strat w/ 5way

Anfontan, that's how I had it wired in the first place. But, I just now soldered the red and white to ground and half of the problem is now fixed. There is no more hum in the middle/bridge position. However, I'm still getting lots of hum from the humbucker. It's now wired as:

red/white - ground
green/bare - ground
black - switch.

Any other ideas?

[ocnor]

You could wire it like this and it will not hum.

[Light]

Originally Posted by hawk

Here's the way I wired it. Only thing that's different is that I didn't solder the red/white I just tied them together and taped them. I'll check the solder joints when I get home, maybe redo them.

The instructions said that if you have phasing problems reverse the black and green wires. Could that be the problem?

As I said, a bad solder joint. Or, in this case, NO solder joint. You gotta solder them.


By the way, in the schematic you posted, the red and white wires get conected to the ground wire in the bridge/middle possition, which taps the humbucker. This should give you two single coils in that possition, and if the middle pickup is reverse wound/reverse polarity, it will still be humcanceling in that possition.



Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi