Done Re-wiring... Big Problem

[Devon8822]

I sent my pickups into Dimarzio for potting, I just put them back in. Following the correct diagram which is how it was before I took the pickups out. I just set it up and set the pickup hight and i have got a big problem. The neck humbucker is sounds extremely dull, muddy, with no highs at all... like take this description to extreme levels... the bridge pickup is overly hot and extremely high pitched. The pickups make noise, but I dont know whats happening... Did I wire it wrong? did Dimarzio screw up my pickups? What could be causing this?

http://www.dimarzio.com/media/diagrams/C.pdf

Edited March 27, 2008 by Devon8822

[Devon8822]

First of all is this type of thing possible from a wiring mistake even? Could it be the fact that when I grounded wires from the pickups on the volume pot that grounded them all in the same spot and may be touching? If not I hope Dimarzio didn't damage my pickup idk what I would do...

[psw]

All sorts of things can go wrong... why did the pickups need repotting in the first place?

Anyway...One thing to try is to borrow a better soldering iron, 40 watts perhaps a little hard to get clean joins with if inexperienced...know anyone with a little more experience?

Also, you can test pickup individually by sending the signal directly to the amp. Wire an output socket to each pickup, hot wire to the tip, ground to the sleeve...hold if above the strings and you should get the sound of the pickup direct (no controls). You may wish to use another guitar if yours has it's strings off. This will help determine if there is anything wrong with your pickups perhaps.

Some of these problems can be caused by phase issues, incorrect or lack of grounding and such. Check the path of every wire logically...even through the switch. On an HB for instance, it is easy to get a split coil ungrounded or out of phase with itself if the series coil connections are screwed up. You could just try swapping them over with different configurations though this may be difficult if you have to take the strings off for every variation.

If it is eaxactly as per that diagram (exact same switch and pickups and wire color codes) then really spend some time looking at it to be sure you have it connected right, the switch is around the right way and all your solder joints are neat and tidy.

Do you have a multimeter, most components and connections can be simply tested by probing the resistance between two points.

With complex coil splitting plans, the grounds sometimes change between splitting and series parallel configurations...this is most likely where such problems could be occurring. You have to be sure that you know what is being connected where inside the switch as well...

best of luck... pete