Noise problem

[stuggy]

I recently put a Duncan performer Detonator humbucker in my Bullet.I've grounded it a couple different ways and it's still noisey as hell.I was wondering if i'm doing something wrong or if it's just that noisey.I'm talking about when i plug it into the amp,and hit the distortion.Without hitting any strings it's noisey.When i switch to the singl coil pups it's quiet.It's basically the Duncan Invaders little brother.I'm thinking about replacing it with something different.In a reveiw someone said it rated at like 16 ohms is that the problem?

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Musician-s-Gear-Duncan-Performer-Detonator-Pickup-101967933-i1127416.gc

http://images.miretail.com/products/optionLarge/MusiciansGear/245978.jpg

[deeaa]

Mind you the new pup likely has much more output, and for that reason also outputs more noise too - maybe the single-coil has so much less output that the noise level won't raise high because of that?

[marnold]

I recently put a Duncan performer Detonator humbucker in my Bullet.I've grounded it a couple different ways and it's still noisey as hell.

This sentence concerned me. There is only one way to properly ground it without causing a ground loop, etc. How do you have it wired? Does the noise go away if you touch the strings?


I was wondering if i'm doing something wrong or if it's just that noisey.I'm talking about when i plug it into the amp,and hit the distortion.Without hitting any strings it's noisey.When i switch to the singl coil pups it's quiet.It's basically the Duncan Invaders little brother.I'm thinking about replacing it with something different.In a reveiw someone said it rated at like 16 ohms is that the problem?

16 Ohms is just the resistance. On it's own, it tells you virtually nothing about the output other than that it's going to have more midrange and less highs. Higher resistance pickups _tend_ to be hotter, but that's only a generality. In this case, though, what deeaa said is correct. It will have a much higher output, especially than a standard Fender single coil.

I'm leaning towards wiring problem at this time. Assuming your Bullet is an HSS guitar, it should be wired like this:
http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=1h_2s_1v_2t_5w

That diagram shows a single coil-sized humbucker but it will be wired the same way.

[stuggy]

This sentence concerned me. There is only one way to properly ground it without causing a ground loop, etc. How do you have it wired? Does the noise go away if you touch the strings?



16 Ohms is just the resistance. On it's own, it tells you virtually nothing about the output other than that it's going to have more midrange and less highs. Higher resistance pickups _tend_ to be hotter, but that's only a generality. In this case, though, what deeaa said is correct. It will have a much higher output, especially than a standard Fender single coil.

I'm leaning towards wiring problem at this time. Assuming your Bullet is an HSS guitar, it should be wired like this:
http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=1h_2s_1v_2t_5w

That diagram shows a single coil-sized humbucker but it will be wired the same way.

Thanks for the diagram.I was using the black wire as a ground instead of the green and bare wire.The diagram helped me get it wired up correct,and it is one hot sounding bridge pup.My next upgrade is gonna be some tuning knobs,and maybe a new neck pick-up.I'm gonna go for something a little blusey for the neck.I'm thinking either a tex-mex set so i can get the neck and middle pups at once.I'm really leaning toward the vintage noiseless for the neck though.THANKS AGAIN

[marnold]

Thanks for the diagram.I was using the black wire as a ground instead of the green and bare wire.The diagram helped me get it wired up correct,and it is one hot sounding bridge pup.My next upgrade is gonna be some tuning knobs,and maybe a new neck pick-up.I'm gonna go for something a little blusey for the neck.I'm thinking either a tex-mex set so i can get the neck and middle pups at once.I'm really leaning toward the vintage noiseless for the neck though.THANKS AGAIN
No problem. Basically you had shunted one coil (making it effectively a single coil) and without the plain wire grounded it wasn't grounded properly. So yeah, you made a noise machine :) Glad it all worked out. It'd be nice of all pup manufacturers would agree on a common wire color but that's not going to happen any time soon.

You might want to look at Bill Lawrence Keystones for the single coils. They aren't noiseless, but they are great pups for not a lot of cash.

Here's a clip of the Tele version:
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Those sound like they cost $64/set? The Strats are $84/set (yes, for all three).

[Duffy]

Have you played the Keystones for strats?

I wonder if they sound as good as Fender Custom Shop pickups, such as Fat Fifties, or do they have a tone their own?

They seem more interesting than GFS, especially hearing "The Coyboy Song" on that telecaster equiped with Keystones.

I might get some Keystones for a strat and a tele and see what I think.

It is really hard to tell how they will sound on your own equipment when you listen to them thru your computer speakers, even though I have a nice sound system on my computer. Amp, player, effects, all come into major play, of course, when it comes to tone.

But objectively, have you used them or seen people use them and what is your objective opinion - you know, it's not "all subjective". I guess I'm asking you for your "subjective" objective opinion of how they sound in any teles or strats you might have heard in person. This can be a profoundly incomprehensible question to answer for some people that can only see that such a question is always, "subjective". I'm cool with your subjective opinion.

What do you think?

[marnold]

Well, let me state first and foremost that I'm a humbucker guy . . .

With that having been said, I've heard a bunch of clips of the Tele Keystones like the one above. To me they sound like Tele pickups should. I haven't heard as many clips of the Strat versions. Nor have I heard Keystones of any kind "live" or compared them head-to-head with other popular pickups. All I know is that they are inexpensive and almost universally praised--two things that are almost unheard of when it comes to pickups. You certainly wouldn't be out much coin to try.

Bill Lawrence also has some noiseless pickups that a lot of people seem to like.

My problem with single coils is that they sound awesome clean, but they sound thin and ratty (to my ears) with anything other than mild distortion. The Dimarzio noiseless ones I had sounded great with distortion but seemed to lose a bit in translation when playing crystal clean. I tend to like the extra midrange and power that come with humbuckers. This is probably also why I like Telecaster single coils the best out of any single coil, especially the bridge pickup. It's the ballsiest single coil you'll find without going to P90s.