Stupid question for pickup installers

[wankdeplank]

I'm guilty of mix and match on my Strats, installing individual pickups instead of sets sometimes. Maybe I never completely rapped my head around the polarity/wind thing but somehow three out of four Strats turned out great (one was a complete set) but the other, my Aria Pro II RS Bobcat has alternating polarity, sounds great in one, three and five position but is definitely out of phase in the notch positions. I've read that I can switch the wires (ground, hot) to remedy this. So my question is this: If I switch the hot/ ground connections on my middle pickup will it alter the tone of this particular pickup? I love the sound of this pickup and don't want to do anything to change it's sound. Any help is much appreciated.

[WRGKMC]

No it shouldn't alter the sound by any measurable amount, it should just fix the phase reversal issue and reduce any hum the center pickup would produce running solo because the hot wire should go to the center of the coil closest to the magnets and the shield should wind to the outside.

The ground wire wrapped on the outside acts like a ground shield.

 

I have a strat with three phase reverse switches and the difference in hum with all coils reversed is very minor but can be heard more clearly using high gain boxes that amplify the noise floor.

 

I would check and make sure the odd polarity pickup is in the center. If you has a compass its easy to check, or you can use another magnet.

 

With another magnet, it will either be attracted to the center and repelled by the other two or vice versa.

 

I'm surprised you got the center one reversed however. If you have a North/south/North (or S/N/S) set The color coding of the Black and White wires should already be compensated for. If you wired the blacks and whites properly, the coils should already be polarized as a set to hum buck. You'd have to intentionally wire the center pickup backwards.

 

The only other possibility would be is the pickups are not matched and either the North or South pickups are wired bass ackwards. What pickups are they specifically? Whoever makes them should provide some kind of wiring chart for their install. If they are generic stuff then maybe they reversed the color wires on the coil itself.

 

Visually, If you look real close where the thin wires leave the solder eyelets on the pickups, you should see the inside wire travel under the rest of the wraps. This is normally the positive and connects to a white wire on the bobbin eyelet. The other thin wire goes to the outside of the coil wrap. This is normally negative (black)

 

Of course its easy to test if coils are out of phase if you have a dual trace scope. Hook the center and an outside pickup to the scope and you can see one signal going north and the other south canceling each other out. Without a scope you simply have to use your ears.

 

Of course the center pickup may be in phase and its the two outside pickups that are reversed. This is why I mention looking at the thin wires coming off the eyelets. If they aren't covered up by a bunch of glue or tape, you can usually figure it out the polarity just looking at the way they're wound.

[billybilly]

You're correct switching wires and it won't alter the sound. 10 words, I'm such a minimalist, lol.

[wankdeplank]

Well long story short, the middle pickup is an original ceramic stock pickup and is south polarity. These original pickups are actually quite extraordinary in their tone, but don't take gain well at all. The neck is from a set of GFS 60's Repro Premium Alnicos and the bridge is off a Mexican Fender - both are north polarity. The set actually really works well together, I mean apart from the notch positions.

[wankdeplank]

Thanks much fellas for your kind and speedy responses, definitely set my mind at ease about this minor operation. Just wish I didn't have to tear it all down to do the work.

[billybilly]

PS The question isn't stupid, what's stupid is there is no universal coloring for pickups. Car batteries do it, can't stand that pickup companies don't, they must consider themselves precious.

[Floyd Rosenbomb]

Guitar pickup wires

buzzing second position

solder drips on paint

[Phil O'Keefe]

This post was reported, but I think the person who did it (Vinnie1971) was trying to comment, not complain. Here is what he said:

 

"Weird polarity is normal for Teiscos etc. how about installing a switch to reverse the polarity then you can switch between in and out of phase.

 

If the pickup is reverse wound reverse polarity it would be in phase but opposite, change one and its out of phase. I like the funk from out of phase."

[badpenguin]

Was that an attempt of a haiku?

[wankdeplank]

I don't know but it was hilarious none the less.

[wankdeplank]

Appreciate the response and the delivery Phil. Actually, in my case I'm much too lazy to install an extra switch and I've pretty much decided I'm not overly fond of the out of phase sound on Strat. Now the Peter Green thing on a Les Paul, I'm a big fan.

[Floyd Rosenbomb]

You slander me with the accusation "attempt."