Splitting a Duncan SM2n - 4.5 k too weak?

[John_M]

Guys -

I'm trying to take and SM2n and a Custom, 1 vol, 1 tone, 2 dpdt on-on-on and a 3 way.

The Sm2 sounds SUPER thin split or in series (or whatever the weaker one is).

It measures 4.5k on each coil or 9.02 with RandW together (series or parallel - whatever that standard is.)

Is 4.5 too weak?

[Clorenzo]

Mini humbuckers are even lower output than PAFs, so I'm not surprised it doesn't split well. I'd leave it with the standard series connection (R+W together) and split only the Custom, which is much higher output and does split quite nicely.

[John_M]

Hey - thanks much for the reply

Thing is - on the 3 way for the neck there is up, middle and down, as oritiented to the guitar in playing position..

I've wired both pickups and switches the same.

On the Custom - down is series, middle is single and up is parallel.

On the SM2 - down is thin as hell, middle is actually nice output, and up is almost in audible.

My tone also does not work - the cap is an orange drop that I believe is an .0047uf. It's serial is 472J 0451

I'm thinking grounds now.

[Clorenzo]

Hang on: If both are wired the same, so middle is single coil, and in the Mini-HB that's the one that sounds good and the other two sound very thin, I bet the two coils of the Mini-HB are out of phase. Try swapping the Green and Red wires and see if that does the trick.

Now having done that, you may end up with the Mini-HB out of phase with the Custom, so the middle position (both pu's on) will be much quieter and thinner than either pu on its own. In that case, put the Green and Red back as before and swap the Black and White instead (in the Mini-HB of course).

About the cap, I don't know about Orange Drop serial numbers but if it's .0047 then it's far too small. Use a .022, .033 or .047 (from more subtle to more dramatic) instead.

[John_M]

Give that man a CIGAR!

Thanks so much man! I switched the wires and now all makes sense - the scematics are wrong on the ducan website and in their literature - or maybe just in this one pickup - but sounds great now!