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Thread: Strat pos 2 vol very low with new pickups

  1. #1
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    Default Strat pos 2 vol very low with new pickups

    I put 2 new GFS single coils and a GFS lil killer rail in the bridge position on my affinity strat.

    The volume in position 2 (bridge and middle pickups) is VERY low. It not the humbucker either because I bought and installed the two single coils before the humbucker and the pos 2 volume was very low then and didn't get any louder after the rail pickup was installed.

    All the other positions sound normal. Switch or pot problem you think? Any idea where I should start looking or what the problem might be?
    Dave
    Guitars: Ibanez AF-75, Schecter Solo-6 Custom, Douglas SG
    Amps: Fender Princeton 65, Marshall AVT50
    Pedals: Metal Muff, MXR Smart Gate, EHX Cathedral Reverb, Digitech RP-255

  2. #2
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    Is the volume low only with the bridge and middle together, as opposed to either pickup by its lonesome?

  3. #3
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    Yes - they sound fine using either just the bridge or just the middle pickup,
    Dave
    Guitars: Ibanez AF-75, Schecter Solo-6 Custom, Douglas SG
    Amps: Fender Princeton 65, Marshall AVT50
    Pedals: Metal Muff, MXR Smart Gate, EHX Cathedral Reverb, Digitech RP-255

  4. #4
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    Hey progrmr, i dropped a lil killer in the bridge position in my MIM strat and wired it up according to Fender's Fat Strat wiring diagram, as well as moving the middle tone pot to the bridge position. Neck and middle p'ups remained stock. I too noticed a drop in volume in the bridge/middle position. I do know that the Fat Strat wiring takes one of the humbucker coils out of the equation. I think the lil killer measures 6.7... not sure what the output would be with the coil split. I'm guessing that is the reason for the drop in volume ?? Still sounds good, just quieter than the other switch positions.
    Electrics: Hagstrom Ultra Swede (Gold Eagle Burst) Gretsch 5120 Electromatic (Orange) Custom Nashville Blackout Telecaster (Black, Stat mid/neck p'ups; Lil Puncher (Modern Vintage) bridge p'up; Wilkinson Compensated Bridge w/ 3 brass saddles, Warmoth Vintage Modern Birdseye Maple Neck) Fender MIM Stratocaster (Blue Agave, Rosewood Fretboard, Fender Tex-Mex p'ups; GFS Trem/Block Kit) Highland Spitfire (semi-hollow, flame maple top w/ bubinga inlay)
    Acoustics:Washburn D10CEQSB, Yamaha FG160E
    Bass: Westone Spectrum ST, Warwick Rockbass Corvette Basic Active
    Amps: Vox NT15H/V112NT Night Train, Peavey Bandit 112, Hartke HyDrive 210C Bass Amp, Vox DA5


  5. #5
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    It sounds like the pickups are out of phase. You'll need to swap two of the wires on the humbucker but don't ask me which ones. GFS' wiring instructions should tell you.
    Electric: Fat strat > Korg PB > TS7 > DS1 > DD-20 > Cube 60 (Fender model)

    Acoustic: Guitar > microphone > audience

  6. #6
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    Well, I had this problem before I had the humbucker installed - I had GFS single coils in the neck and middle, and the stock single coil in the bridge. Same issue so it can't be related to the humbucker.
    Dave
    Guitars: Ibanez AF-75, Schecter Solo-6 Custom, Douglas SG
    Amps: Fender Princeton 65, Marshall AVT50
    Pedals: Metal Muff, MXR Smart Gate, EHX Cathedral Reverb, Digitech RP-255

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