Pick up problems EMG Passive pup

[FRANK]

well hello I ran into a problem with this MMHZ pickup its 5 conductor and we would like to split it OK easy right ,so any way I get it I am getting less out put from the humbucker than the P bass single coil ? I have both pups wired Independent of each other in #2 out #1 Ground #3 with the MMHZ split on a Push Pull problem #1 not enough out put to compete with my P bass Pup and second problem is that it is cutting the top coil instead of the bottom coil any Ideas ? #3 rd question will I gain more out put from wiring the pups Dependent instead of Independent ? Note all potentiometers have 250 K pots with the addition of the push pull for the Humbucker

[Pierre-Antoine Roiron]

What is the Pbass pickup? Can you measure the resistance (impedance with a Ohm-meter) of the MM in serie and split mode, and the one of the Pbass?

[Russell Vance]

Hi Frank,

Thats just about it for this configuration and electronics with tied or common points and no mechanical isolation switching (so everything winds up in parallel or series no matter what).    Separate volume or common volume configuration will not make any difference to the pickups output relative to each other and changing the pot value on the EMG to boost output will not work either as it will be reflected by the other loads in the common circuit.

You can drop the p bass split pickup height down to decrease the volume if you don't lose too much tone and if you split the rear EMG pickup it will just make the output problem worse.  As far as changing which coil is tapped when you engage the push-pull - you can change the output to the input configuration but that will change the phase relationship between the two pickups or you can turn the pickup around 180 degrees which will look bad as it has a EMG logo on the cover - other than that, i would just forget it and chalk it up to a planning and experience experiment.   That's all I know (which ain't much!)  anybody help ?

[Paul Verticchio]

Hi FRANK.

Here's my "best guess".  The HZ pup may be defective.  OR    When the HZ is split, it naturally loses a lot of its power.  Fact of life.

Here's the editorial part of my response:  Over the years (as a gigging player), I've tried just about every combination of pickups and wiring tricks. Few were useful and most were awful (talkin' about the tricks).  Most of the awful sounds were from coil split pups combined with "full strength" pups.  I learned real quickly that useful "tricked-out" wiring was mostly superfluous during actual performances.

Every guitar & bass that I tricked out in my naive youth (which lasted until I was 48) was eventually restored to the most rudimentary of configurations. ALL of my electric instruments have one volume control per pup and the simplest switching imaginable and NO tone controls. I use my hands for changing tone.  Also, for all except one, the guitars I tricked out for customers (w/pup tricks) eventually came back and were returned to stock. Same complaints.

Why?  Well, it may work great in the studio for "novelty" sounds but all that hardware is TOO MUCH to handle during a gig and provides no additional useful options. 

I just did a 3 DPDT switch rewire on a Strat and the owner loves the variety of sounds he can get, but it's way to cumbersome of a system to use live.  It'll get back to stock (w/ a SPST switch to add the middle pickup in any switch setting) next week.  He'll have all the same usable sounds and the circuit will be much simpler.

Personally, I view much of the pup tricks to be snake oil.  They technically 'work' but seldom improve the versatility of the instrument. Watch the big leaguers in concert or on TV.  Do you ever see them doing complex pickup tricks during their show?  Of course not.  The big guys keep it as simple as possible because they KNOW that the old saying "just one more thing to break at the most critical time" is very true.

If you/your customer wish to pursue a splittable system, your best bet is to buy a matched set of pups that are designed to work together in exactly that type of configuration.  Unfortunately, there's a LOT of trial/error/expense involved in chasing a certain sound via pickups.

Best of luck my friend(-:

[Russell Vance]

Ain't that the truth. R.

[Len Biglin]

Hi Frank , I am not sure I understand this setup , it's a bass right ? to change the cut , if the switch is connecting the tap to ground - you can try making it connect the tap to the hot wire , so it's shorting the other coil . As for being weak , you may have the coils out of phase with each other , so they actually defeat themself , but this should still be strong when on cut setting. Hope this helps Len

[tadej bratkovic]

If you have a DMM and I recommend one, measure the total resistance of that particular pup when it's split and when not. Make a note, a split will have somewhere half the resistance.

As what for the poles goes, if it has a 5 conductor it is doable to select another. I'm guessing it's like any SD or dimarzio, south start to north end or vice versa if I'm not mistaken. So if you have like red and white tied together and black is your input and green grounded, then just do the oposite - put the green and black together, use the red for input and white grounded. I'm only generalizing, it's not like you'll have the same setup and maybe my statements are a bit off, but that's the basic principle of splitting a humbuggy. DMM can also help you isolate the poles.

[FRANK]

problem solved thanks for the suggestions guys , what I had here was a P Bass pup at 10k OHMs and a new humbucker I installed that was 7.9 k OHMs lets just say I made it work and the customer was happy in the end I ended up giving the Bass 5 new voices which is a added bonus Curtice of my shop  : ) sending good Vibes your way now $$$$$$$$$$

[Paul Verticchio]

"lets just say I made it work and the customer was happy"

And THAT'S what it's all about.  Good work FRANK (:

All the best (: