DividedByJames Posted November 20, 2003 Report Share Posted November 20, 2003 I was playing guitar a few minutes ago on my Schecter (wiring Hum Hum 3way toggle) and I noticed that my middle position was a bit weak. So I thought to myself...hmm...must be out of phase. So I opened up the pickup cavity housing the wires for the Duncan JB (bridge) and a crappy EMG HZ (neck) (soon to be replaced). I had recently replaced the bridge EMGHZ with the Duncan so I thought I'd just switch the ground (green) and hot (black) wire positions for that pickup than tear apart shrink tubes for the EMG. When I started playing I noticed it a bit brighter and I couldn't figure out why. So I opened the trusty, but recently reformed Guitarelectronics.com webpage and looked at what the black and green really meant. The green wire was from the Screw pole coil (closest to the bridge) and the black was from the slug pole coil (towards the middle). To me that means the closer to the bridge the more trebly the sound becomes. So will reversing the hot and ground wires of your pickups really make them brighter, or am I going tone deaf? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DividedByJames Posted November 20, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 20, 2003 okay...I must have been inhaling some solder fumes or really coming down with this cold I have...cuz I had it backwards all along...I had the green as the hot originally and the black as ground. So I switched them and it sounded brighter. But I guess my point is still valid...will using the ground as the hot make it less brighter and using the hot as you are supposed to obtain the most brightest sound? I mean in my solder fumed and snot filled head that makes sense but aren't both coils on at the same time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saber Posted November 20, 2003 Report Share Posted November 20, 2003 If the red and white wires are connected together and insulated from everything else, the pickup by itself should sound exactly the same even if you reverse the green and black wires. If both pickups are on at the same time, then the sound will change when you reverse the black and green because you will be reversing the phase relationship between the two pickups. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DividedByJames Posted November 20, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 20, 2003 The red and white are linked to a push pull for coil tapping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saber Posted November 20, 2003 Report Share Posted November 20, 2003 When the coil is tapped (actually, I think that split is the appropriate term in this case) one of the two coils is shorted. By reversing the green and the black while the coil is split will also change which coil you're shorting and which coil is in use. Reversing the green and black while the coil is not split (humbucking mode) should not change the sound. Try reversing the black and green while the push-pull is in the position opposite to what it was earlier and see if there is a change. Having the coil split would also explain why the signal is so weak in the middle position since the tapped pickup will act as a load to the other pickup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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