Weak pickup output

[Immortal]

I've just installed the Duckbucker into my Strat, and what I've found it is that when I hit some riffs on that cheapo Squier pickup in neck position the sound is bigger than with Duckbuckers in neck.

Duckbucker should have more twangy sound, but I have to hit the strings really rough to hear that.

Is this pickup broken or it is factory set like that?

[MountainDog]

Re: Weak pickup output

I'm not familiar with the Duckbucker, but in looking at Duncan's website, it mentions that this pickup has "cool output" and the spec shows only 3.0k ohm D.C. Resistance, which is kinda low. Like Duncan's glossary page says, generally, the higher the D.C. resistance, the higher the output, so the Duckbucker appears to be in the low output range.

I'd venture to say that since your stock Squier pickup it louder, then it has a higher D.C.resistance and therefore a higher output than the Duckbucker. If you have a volt-ohm meter you could measure each. If you measure 3.0k ohm on the Duckbucker, then I'd say everything is correct with the pickup and it isn't "broken".

How far from the strings is the Duckbucker? You could move it closer to the strings which will give you more output.

Also, per Duncan's wiring diagrams, the volume pot should be a 250k ohm. If you have a strat type guitar with single coils in it stock, then the pot is probably correct at 250k ohm.

Hope this helps a little

[delt]

Re: Weak pickup output

3Kohm? that's fkkn low, especially for a humbucker...!! typical is between 8k and 16k ohms for a humbucker, and around 6-7k for a single coil.....

[Ace]

Re: Weak pickup output

Also check how close the pickup is to the strings. If you have it backed too far off, you'll get a sound like the one you are describing. But 3K ohms is a bit low, even for a single coil.

[Immortal]

Re: Weak pickup output

I was checking that too.

I have 500kOhms pots in it. Should I really go for 250? I think that when it's open, it's open.

delt, Duckbucker is single-coil, not humbucker.

I have the pickup placed as close to the strings as possible.

[MountainDog]

Re: Weak pickup output

I'm glad I mentioned the 250k pot thing. I see your point about "when it's open, it's open", but in the guitar industry, historically 250k pots are used w/single coils and 500k with humbuckers.

A quote from Stewart-McDonald's website:
"Generally, 500K-ohm pots are used with humbuckers and 250Ks are used with single-coil pickups. 25K pots are used for active systems.
You can use any value you like, but a 250K will give a slightly warmer tone than a 500K pot."

So, I'd throw in a 250k pot and see what it does for the Duckbucker!

[Immortal]

Re: Weak pickup output

Should I replace all three pots for 250kOhms?

[MountainDog]

Re: Weak pickup output

I don't know if the tone pots being 500k ohms affects anything, but for what it's worth, the Duncan schematic for Duckbuckers/Vintage rails has all three pots at 250k ohms:
http://www.seymourduncan.com/website...tone_5way.html

[delt]

Re: Weak pickup output

> delt, Duckbucker is single-coil, not humbucker.

oh ok [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] then why is it called "duckbucker" (: (: it cancels out duck sounds, or what? [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] hehehehehe :}

> I have the pickup placed as close to the strings as possible.

that will kill your sustain, and probably generate weird noises, because the magnets affect the string vibration. especially for a single coil.

[Immortal]

Re: Weak pickup output

oh ok then why is it called "duckbucker" (: (: it cancels out duck sounds, or what? hehehehehe :}

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Really, I don't know. You should ask the SD staff about that.
But I know it's single-coil. Just take a look at SD page and you'll find it listed in the single-coil area.

[Jester700]

Re: Weak pickup output

I suspect the duckbucker is wired in parallel. It's general knowledge that a bucker in parallel gets a more "clean, single coil-y" sound than it does in series, and that's what the idea was. Plus, 2 6k coils in series give you 12k, but in parallel give you 3k.

[Immortal]

Re: Weak pickup output

Lemme repeat myself: Duckbucker is single-coil pickup, not a humbucker. I checked it and it has only one coil.

It has also the split design, so it looks like a minibucker, but it's not.

[Jester700]

Re: Weak pickup output

Originally posted by Immortal:
Lemme repeat myself: Duckbucker is single-coil pickup, not a humbucker. I checked it and it has only one coil.

It has also the split design, so it looks like a minibucker, but it's not.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Repeat all you like; it absolutely IS a humbucker. There are 2 coils there, it's just that only 3 poles are active on each coil. That means no cancellation of frequencies, so more treble & quack. And I'll repeat myself - I'll bet it's wired in parallel.