SH-6 problem.

[Danglin' Fury]

I have a Duncan Distortion and, to me, it doesn't sound right. I've owned one before and loved it. On a whim I traded it for a Custom. I didn't like that pickup very much so I found someone on this forum to trade the Custom for a different SH-6. I got it and on the back it says it's a bridge pup but it doesn't have the pick attack or the balls that my old Distortion had. Is it possible that maybe it was swapped for a neck position at the factory and accidentally had a "b" sticker on it? Is there a way to measure the output to see if I am right about this? I put it in the same guitar btw that had the old SH-6 in it. Thanks for lookin'.

[Diocletian]

You can use a multimeter to test if it's the bridge or neck model, sure. I'm not sure of the exact values but the neck is, I think, about 12.7K, so the bridge must be around 16-17K?
I'd be more inclined to think you might have wired it wrong, or maybe one of the coils is shot?

[dr. ad]

i'm guessing one of your connections isn't good... maybe something's up in the cable or connections on the actual coils but that's rare IMO, even in used p/ups
is it noisy (dead coil)? how does the tape around the bobbins look, could someone have put a different magnet in there? how much cable was on it when you got it, have you or the previous owner spliced the cable..?

i strongly doubt it's a DDn, wouldn't expect it to sound as you're describing anyway... although mentioning the difference in pick attack is interesting

i actually suspect that the DDn is wound similarly to the JB, just with thicker wire and a regular ceramic mag instead of the thicker one in the DD

[brentasaw]

when soldering it should have a glossy shine to it if you move the wire before it cools it will look dull or tarnished & can be a pore connection & can cause problems or you may have to reverse the polarity this some times works .

[dr. ad]

i've noticed a few threads like this have stopped after someone says "are the red and white wires soldered together"?

[Danglin' Fury]

I am an electrical engineer and have been playing guitar for 20 years. I've wired several pickups and fixed about 100 or so tube and solid state amps so I'm pretty sure I haven't wired it incorrectly. I really think this pickup is bunk. I've changed the pots to brand new 500k pots but this thing just doesn't sound like a Distortion should. The pick attack is very weak and the sustain that I remember is just not there. I think it is fu#@ed up. I am going to ohm the thing and see if it matches the neck or bridge resistance. Thanks for your input.

[Diocletian]

Even the neck Distortion is pretty hot, so if it's really that bad maybe it is just %*^$ed up.

[dr. ad]

I am an electrical engineer and have been playing guitar for 20 years. I've wired several pickups and fixed about 100 or so tube and solid state amps so I'm pretty sure I haven't wired it incorrectly. I really think this pickup is bunk. I've changed the pots to brand new 500k pots but this thing just doesn't sound like a Distortion should. The pick attack is very weak and the sustain that I remember is just not there. I think it is fu#@ed up. I am going to ohm the thing and see if it matches the neck or bridge resistance. Thanks for your input.

fair enough.
it's ah, not going to be your wiring then. apologies DF, i had no idea you had that kind of skill set!

peel the tape and check the coils and lead wires if you haven't already, unfortunately it's sounding like you need another SH-6 mate

[Danglin' Fury]

fair enough.
it's ah, not going to be your wiring then. apologies DF, i had no idea you had that kind of skill set!

peel the tape and check the coils and lead wires if you haven't already, unfortunately it's sounding like you need another SH-6 mate

Thanks man. That's not what I wanted to hear but that has always been in the back of mind since I got it. I kind of pisses me off that a forum bro would trade me a bunk pup for a perfectly working one. Oh well, you live and you learn.

[dr. ad]

sure thing man

who'd you get it off?