seeker Posted January 17, 2008 Posted January 17, 2008 I just dropped a HB into my Heritage and discovered it hums when I've got my amp cranked midway and up. It's especially prominent when not completing the circuit (hands off the strings). Never encountered anything this substantial. Could it have gone bad?BTW, it is an older pickup, a Gibson T-Top; made sometime between 1965 and 75. I yanked it out of my 79 Sunburst to put in a same-era creme Dimarzzio. It's been a while, but am pretty darn sure it didn't do this back then.Any ideas, other than just yanking it? Really don't want to do that; this Heritage is my tonal homage to Page live, circa 73. He had an original PAF neck pickup, but his PAF bridge pup died before the 73 USA tour and was replaced with, tada!, a Gibson T-Top. Alnico 5, but wound only to 7.5; bright and glassy.
murkat Posted January 17, 2008 Posted January 17, 2008 cover ever removed and then put back on? it has a ground short somewhere....... dont give up on it
Guest pirateflynn Posted January 17, 2008 Posted January 17, 2008 I hope it's not the Sovtek 12ax7's, Dave ?!!
seeker Posted January 17, 2008 Author Posted January 17, 2008 No, it's not the 12AX7's, the neck pup works fine As for covers, yes. I got it without a cover, but by the solder markings could tell it had one at one time. Did put a newer one on (nickel, not chrome). Where would the short be? Pole screws?
Travis Posted January 17, 2008 Posted January 17, 2008 It's definitely not grounded correctly somewhere. If the cover is soldered on securely, check the grounding in the cavity. I suppose you could always pop the cover off and see if it still hums like that. Then you know it's somewhere in the wiring.
Jimbilly Posted January 17, 2008 Posted January 17, 2008 I had a 'dead' humbucker I took apart a few weeks ago, they really come apart and go back together pretty easily. Those tiny wires sometimes break, and they can be reconnected (but I have to squint really hard to see them), it micro-soldering, but there's no magic involved.
seeker Posted January 18, 2008 Author Posted January 18, 2008 Crack, I took it apart and couldn't find any broken wires. If I touch the pole pieces or bass plate, the hum jumps up about five fold. Ouch, its loud!I did have to switch the ground and signal wires to make it compatible with my other pickup (otherwise, it was out of phase). Switched them back, but didn't seem to make a difference wrt the hum.Unless it's buried way down in one of the coils, I'm stumped.
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