Help installing pickups and my volume is acting strange

  • Thread starter Thread starter umair
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umair

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Hi.
I am trying to install Zakk Wylde pickups in my guitar.
These are the EMG85/87 set of active pickups. This is the third time I am installing pickups in a guitar so by no means do I know what I'm doing.

I am no expert at this but have done a good job previously.

However, I have wired everything for this one guitar right in front
of me and the volume was acting strange.

When its in the off position I still hear faint string noise. When it at the max position it totally cuts out. When it's in the middle the sound is awesome. What the hell am I doing wrong I t hought? Nothing I answered, I'm good. It must be the pot. They give you tons of extras so I replaced it. Nope. Same problem. I'm thinking I fouled up a connection or something. I can't figure it out. Maybe I'm shorting out somewhere.
Anybody know what I'm doing wrong. My soldering iron is still hot and I really want to end this project. I have been playing it with the volume in the middle for about 2 months now. IT sounds awesome. I always thought it was a bad pot but it doesn't look like that's the problem.
Thanks.
 
What is the resistance of the pot? (It's the "ohms" number, maybe the greek letter Omega) For EMGs it must be somewhere around 25K ohms, not 250K or 500K. How are you wiring it? Is it in a Les Paul style guitar? If so, do you want one volume control to be able to act as a "master" when it is at "0" or would you like to keep them totally independant?

(Also, the Wylde set is an 85 for the neck and an 81 in the bridge)
 
Just a thought, did you earth the thing because I recall that some EMG's do not allow for earthing, check the instructions, I have come accross it before.
 
Good point, all EMGs are internally grounded...

(So basically, are you using all EMG components, are you using an EMG circuit and what is the control style of your guitar)
 
I'm using all the proper components. I'm using what came in the box. The only thing that is stock is the 5 way switch and the middle single coil pickup.
It's an Ibanez S470.
 
crap.. yeah it is... I bet you are going to tell me that you can't wire the passive with the actives without draining battery or something.

I don't ever use it so I don't care if I disconnect it. Is that my problem?!
 
Try disconnecting it. It *may* work. If it does, I'd go with a 3-way switch to have better functionality. (Or connect the bridge to 1 & 5 and the neck to 3. Then you get: Bridge, B&N, N, B&N, B.)
 
Nope.
Didn't work.
Still can't figure it out. Both pots can't be bad can they!? I'll keep tryin.
 
Do you have/have access to a multimeter? That will verify that the pot is good. Do you still have the bridge ground connected?
 
Bridge ground is connected.

Going to borrow a multimeter from work tomorrow...
Thanks for all of the suggestions.
Will let you know tomorrow.
 
PFDarkside,
Shoulden't he disconnect the bridge ground too?
 
Yes, that's what I was getting at. I'm not sure that it will work (not to familiar with EMG) but I know they are advertised as internally grounded and not needing a physical ground on the guitar.
 
Disconnected the grounding wire fromt he bridge.
No dice.
I still don't have the multimeter.
 
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