My Duckbucker only has 3 wires?

[Almost Never]

I got my Duckbucker in the mail yesterday (used, so no box or anything), and it's only got a red, white, and bare wires. What the hell?

[Almost Never]

Up

[krankguitarist]

Yup. Thats the way they are. If you were to split it, you'd only get the EAD or GBE strings.

[Almost Never]

The wiring schematic shows a green, white, black, red, and bare?

[krankguitarist]

You've probably got one of the old-design duckbuckers, I had one of those in a Ernie Ball Music Man a while back.

If I remember correctly, the red wire goes to the switch, and the white and bare wires go to ground. If it doesn't get along well when you combine it with the other pickups, try switching the red and white wires.

[caseyhalone]

i have one of these already installed from when i purchased the guitar second hand. now i dont get sound unless i wire straight to the amp, bypassing the vol pot, but the other pups work fine, what gives?

[Butch Snyder]

i have one of these already installed from when i purchased the guitar second hand. now i dont get sound unless i wire straight to the amp, bypassing the vol pot, but the other pups work fine, what gives?

Hiya caseyhalone,

Interesting way to make an introduction here. Anyway, welcome to the forum. I hope you find what you're lookiong for here. All you have to do is ask....

Cheers,

[caseyhalone]

thanks, yeah, i spent oh 30minutes trying to create a new thread about this issue, dont know why but it just wouldnt post. anyway this is what i was trying to post...

hey there all! i purchased this axe years ago from a friend who i have lost contact with, he installed the duckbucker at the neck and a lil 59 and the bridge. middle pickup is stock washburn strat type. it has been unplayed for a few years now.

i just purchased and installed a 5 way switch to make sure that wasnt the problem and wired it up same as the old switch.

what throws me is all the diagrams i can find for the duckbucker all have a green wire.

i currently have the white and ground on the vol pot grounded and the red going to the switch.

i am able to get sound coming from the DB if i wire straight to the audio cable to the amp.

I have double checked solder joints many times now, any ideas?

[ArtieToo]

now i dont get sound unless i wire straight to the amp, bypassing the vol pot, but the other pups work fine, what gives?

That means the pup is ok. You just need to double-check the pot and switch wiring. Look under "support" on the main Duncan page. They've got wiring diagrams to cover most everything.

[MikeS]

Old style duckbuckers, like the old style vintage rails, were internally wired in parallel. The red goes to the switch and the white and bare go to ground.

[caseyhalone]

so i have narrowed it down to an issue with the volume pot. why would the other pups be able to go thru the pot and work fine but not the db?

[caseyhalone]

is there something with this volume pot that would not work with this one pickup but the others work just fine?

would some type of a capacitor help perhaps?