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Author Topic: Problem with my MM  (Read 2695 times)

Skyless

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Problem with my MM
« on: October 12, 2010, 04:34:33 AM »
First off just wanted to say hello! Been a lurker for a while and now I may very well need all of your help and expertise...

I had a Dimarzio Evo in the bridge position of my basswood RG and wanted to upgrade some more. I therefore bought a Miracle Man off a fellow forum member about a few weeks ago. At first I noticed that the MM was a bit thinner (yes, THINNER) yet clearer than the Evo. Normal I figured, since the Evo is a very bass heavy pickup in the first place, but it lacked output and overall wasn't very "hot" (my Evo was atleast 50% hotter). When my friend played his explorer with stock 500t pup through my setup it just sounded so much hotter, and tighter, and the MM sounded overly Dark by comparison. I opened up the back to check if my luthier had done the wiring correctly, and everything is nicely done and clean.

I doubt this is normal, I've heard BKPs before and they were awesome. Is it possible something is wrong with my pup? I have a feeling it's definitely not sounding like it should!

MDV

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Re: Problem with my MM
« Reply #1 on: October 12, 2010, 05:08:51 AM »
Its highly unlikely something is wrong with the pickup.

Check the wiring again; it MAY be that because BK use different colour  coding you've got it wired split (unlikely I'll grant you) or out of phase (more likely, but thats a BIG difference in tone).

Also, how close is the pickup to the strings? If its far away, try getting it about 2.5-3mm and see if that takes you where you want it to go. BKs are abnormally sensitive to pickup height, and big changes can happen just by moving them round.

If that doesnt work, try doing that and flipping it round 180 degrees so the screw poles are closer to the neck. This will increase its low end and low mid output.

The other possibility is that the MM just doesnt agree with that guitar. I've had one MM, the same MM (I've owned a few) sound very different in different guitars (and I mean VERY different; thick, powerfull adn meaty through to thin, gay and tinny, depending purely on the guitar). Given superstrat tendency toward brightness you may have suffered a dissagreeable pickup/guitar mix. Its not the pickups fault or the guitars, they just sometimes dont blend together well.

If this is the case then try a 250k pot (assuming youre using a 500, which is probable), plus any combination of the above, if need be.

And, welcome.

Afghan Dave

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Re: Problem with my MM
« Reply #2 on: October 12, 2010, 05:14:50 AM »
Could be it's been wired in parallel instead of in series.  :?
"There's more knowledge on these boards than there are necks under PhillyQ's bed"

MDV

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Re: Problem with my MM
« Reply #3 on: October 12, 2010, 05:16:21 AM »
Yes, it could. That too. Should've thought of that as well, sorry.

Skyless

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Re: Problem with my MM
« Reply #4 on: October 12, 2010, 05:56:42 AM »
The Red lead is connected to the 5 way switch (bridge position) the Green and White leads are together and suspended, and the Black lead is grounded in back of the volume pot. Is this how they are supposed to be?

MDV

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Re: Problem with my MM
« Reply #5 on: October 12, 2010, 06:03:49 AM »
Yes, thats correct.

Time to start messing about with all the other stuff I mentioned.

Skyless

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Re: Problem with my MM
« Reply #6 on: October 12, 2010, 06:08:40 AM »
Just another thing I forgot to mention. I'm left handed and this particular MM has allen bolt poles like the Warpig. I will try reversing it and see if there is a difference.

MDV

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Re: Problem with my MM
« Reply #7 on: October 12, 2010, 06:12:21 AM »
As it 2 rows of allen bolts? Or just one?

Left handed makes no difference.

Transcend

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Re: Problem with my MM
« Reply #8 on: October 12, 2010, 06:26:57 AM »
I had the exact same sound problems when i had a nailbomb in my ibanez RGA and realised that it was installed with a 25k pot from the stock active pickups.

I doubt this is the case but its definitely worth a shot to check it out.

Skyless

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Re: Problem with my MM
« Reply #9 on: October 12, 2010, 06:40:11 AM »
As it 2 rows of allen bolts? Or just one?

Left handed makes no difference.

2 rows.

MDV

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Re: Problem with my MM
« Reply #10 on: October 12, 2010, 06:44:57 AM »
Thats going to up the low and low mid already and make the flipping exploit only the slight difference in the wind on each coil, rather than the difference in poles. Its going to have less effec than it would have.

But still give it a shot by all means.

How high is the pickup?

Skyless

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Re: Problem with my MM
« Reply #11 on: October 12, 2010, 06:59:48 AM »
I'm about 2.5-3 mm off the strings on both the bass and treble side. String gauge 12-54 in Eb standard.

The most perplexing thing to me is the output. It's not even hot as the Humbucker from Hell in the neck position, which is low vintage output and had to put about a good 5mm away from the strings to even the output with the MM. It doesn't drive that hard. Not to mention how incredibly dark it is.

I'll need to wait until the morning to see if there's any difference in sound =\

ericsabbath

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Re: Problem with my MM
« Reply #12 on: October 12, 2010, 07:10:16 AM »
the 500t is surely hotter than the miracle man, but also a lot more fizzy, harsh, muddy
also, a big guitar tends to push the pickup harder
it shouldn't be tighter, unless you have a very loose sounding guitar (some guitars just feel like that despite of the woods and construction)
but it's no surprise that it may sound thinner than the evo
the evo has a ton of mids

my bandmate uses a miracle man set (that was mine) in a set neck mahogany Cort Katana and he always get great tones (including cleans)
not thin or dark at all

maybe it just doesn't match your guitar or your amp

here's some miracle man clips with a basswood RG
it's one of my favorite "amateur" tones on internet
http://netmusicians.org/?section=id&value=2653
http://netmusicians.org/?section=id&value=2473
Riff Raff, Mules, Black Dog, VHII's, Cold Sweat