The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
  1. #1

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    *Edit* - issue resolved. Turns out one of the magnet (bridge) was flipped when first installed a couple weeks ago with another brand pickup in the neck - confirmed with the tech. (After a couple weeks of owning, I decided to replace the neck pickup with a Parsons Street to match the bridge). I just wasn't aware of the magnet being flipped. Easy enough flix - shop offered to do it but I might give it a try.
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    I know others here have commented on the Golden Age Parsons Street Humbuckers from StewMac. Hoping someone can shed some light on this for me.
    I picked up a set (not purchased as a set but individually) from Reverb a while back and finally got around to installing the neck.
    I followed the included diagram for 50's wiring in my archtop. Everything I used matches exactly what was on the diagram, 2 volumes - 500k cts, 2 tones - 500k cts, and a switchcraft 3 way switch and jack. .022uf cap between volume and tone for both pickups.
    This is the PAF style (not overwound)
    Neck: Alnico 5
    Bridge: Alnico 2
    Gibson style leads...not reversible by lead wire

    I've never wired a guitar but I did notice the bridge pickup wiring lead comes out toward the right side of the guitar (close to the control knobs).
    However the neck pickup when placed so that the screw poles are toward the (top) of the guitar (as in the pictures on stewmac's site) - the wiring lead comes out of the other side (toward the 3 way switch on a 175 style body). In the back of my mind I'd wondered if this had meant that it was built upside down or something weird...but I figured that would be crazy. So I put it all together following the wiring diagrams to a T.

    Got it all together - neck sounds right. bridge sounds right. Middle positition - nope.
    So in the middle position this is what happens with all dials set to 10.
    The volume drops considerably in middle position.
    The sounds goes into a honkey super nasal tone with no bass and lots of treble. Very thin sounding.
    If I back either one of the volume from 10 to 9, it's like a switch and the other pickup almost entirely takes over but it sounds normal again (full sounding) and the volume comes back up.

    So is this just normal for 50s wiring? I'm assuming it's not. I've looked up some (out of phase - Peter Green) videos on youtube and I'm pretty sure this is what's going on. I didn't see anything in the description of the pickups saying this is by design.

    I was thinking I could flop the neck pickup around so that the screw poles are facing the bottom of the guitar (same as the bridge pickup) - but this is not how it is shown in the pictures (and I don't think that would actually do anything).
    I could de-solder the pickup cover and flip the magnet - would this fix it? I'd rather not do this unless I'm sure there are no other downsides - like if the pickup was built wrong do certain poles need to be under the correct strings? My understanding is that this pickup has more windings on 1 of the 2 bobbins so I'd assume it needs to stay installed with the poles in the neck facing the headstock.
    Is there any type of wiring mistake that could cause this? It's not a 4 wire lead so I don't see any way of a wiring mistake...the outer braiding is the ground.
    It was purchased through a store on reverb. I'd rather not EVVVVER gut this hollow body guitar again (total pain) and I know having a tech do the work will cost a lot for an archtop.
    Last edited by hoosier1981; 06-11-2021 at 12:51 PM.

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  3. #2

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    It's very unlikely to be a wiring mistake with Gibson-style braided wire. It's possible that the wires inside the pickup were accidentally reversed, or the magnet accidentally reversed. Flipping the magnet 180 degrees should work ( if you haven't done this before, you will have to loosen the screws holding the bobbins, and some pickups require the polepieces raising right up. Careful and slow work is required, it's possible to damage the coils). Be sure to mark the magnet with a dot at one side, before you slowly back it out from the end away from the internal wiring. Needlenose pliers and a steady hand should do it.

  4. #3

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    The traditional orientation of humbuckers is with the polepieces reversed, the bridge pickup polepieces toward the bridge and the neck pickup polepieces nearer the neck. This is purely cosmetic, and won't affect the output. That is not the source of your problem. I suspect the wiring problem is at the switch. That's the most likely location for reversing wires.

    Archtop wiring is much easier with this tool: Archtop Guitar Helping Hand | stewmac.com. You can buy one or make one from a wire coathanger. It's not that complicated, but it helps immensely. Watch the video, then decide on whether to buy or build your own.

  5. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by sgosnell
    I suspect the wiring problem is at the switch. That's the most likely location for reversing wires.
    Hard to see how it can be at the switch; the OP says they are Gibson-style wires - ie braided bare metal outer conductor, single inner.

  6. #5
    Got it figured out. I had previously had the bridge pickup (Parsons Street) paired up with a bare knuckles Manhattan pickup in the neck. I spoke with the tech and they had flipped the magnet in the bridge pickup so it was in phase with the Bare Knuckles pickup. Now that I got a Parsons Street Neck pickup, the bridge magnet can be flipped back around.

  7. #6

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    Whew!

    Just wondering why you would put an Alnico 5 in the neck, vs bridge? I would think it would be the other way around, with Alnico 2 being lower output and generally considered mellower.

    (Waiting for Patrick to chime in here, as he did a couple of times to bust my butt over Alnico differences...)

    Not a criticism though...when I replaced pickups in my JP I went with 2 Parsons Street Alnico 2's.
    Last edited by Doctor Jeff; 06-12-2021 at 10:59 AM.

  8. #7
    I went with Alnico 2 bridge, and Alnico 5 neck. Sorry if I misunderstood but is that what you recommend?
    I had read that the (2) would help mellow out the ice pick sound of the bridge while the (5) would help keep clarity in the neck as to not get muddy while comping.
    What I found is that the Alnico 5 (neck) - while very clear, is very very bright (as the Eastman AR372CE is already a bright sounding guitar).
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    *EDIT*
    So I played around a bit more and kept finding myself squinting my eyes hitting the high notes due to the over-powering treble.
    I just ordered an Alnico 2 magnet from StewMac since I'll be flipping the bridge magnet anyway.
    So I'll try Alnico 2 in both spots (I was lowering the neck pickup quite a bit and EQ'ing the treble out anyway). At that point it sounded great. I think this will give me better results for my (already bright) guitar. If not - it's cheap and reversible. Will report back with my opinions in a week.
    Last edited by hoosier1981; 06-11-2021 at 02:54 PM.

  9. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by hoosier1981
    I went with Alnico 2 bridge, and Alnico 5 neck. Sorry if I misunderstood but is that what you recommend?
    I had read that the (2) would help mellow out the ice pick sound of the bridge while the (5) would help keep clarity in the neck as to not get muddy while comping.
    What I found is that the Alnico 5 (neck) - while very clear, is very very bright (as the Eastman AR372CE is already a bright sounding guitar).
    -----------
    *EDIT*
    So I played around a bit more and kept finding myself squinting my eyes hitting the high notes due to the over-powering treble.
    I just ordered an Alnico 2 magnet from StewMac since I'll be flipping the bridge magnet anyway.
    So I'll try Alnico 2 in both spots (I was lowering the neck pickup quite a bit and EQ'ing the treble out anyway). At that point it sounded great. I think this will give me better results for my (already bright) guitar. If not - it's cheap and reversible. Will report back with my opinions in a week.
    I accidentally wrote alnico 2 in neck instead of 5…

    you answered my question anyway - thanks.

  10. #9
    I got it all worked out today. Polarities now match, and now running Alnico 2 for both pickups. It doesn’t seem muddy. Perhaps the Alnico 5 was a bit tighter and more clear on the bass, but I prefer the Alnico 2 (at least for this guitar). I don’t have to turn the treble down as much. Middle position is very much useable now. I think my guitar was pretty bright to start with. Swapping the magnet wasn’t too bad…main problem was it seemed like my soldering iron took forever to melt the solder holding the pickup covers on.
    The bass notes still seem clean and pronounced so I’m happy.