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Problem with EMG pickup installation

darjeeling

darjeeling

Jan 4, 2020
16
2
Ohio USA
#1
I was installing an EMG MMCS musicman pickup into my stingray.
I followed the instructions to a T. I cut the existing battery cables and connected them to the battery wires on the bass.
The sound is very weak and the pots do absolutely nothing. Is something not grounded or connected right? Do I have a bad pickup? Not sure what to do?
 
#2
Did you re-use the Stingray jack, or did you use the jack that EMG supplied?

I’m no expert, but I know that some Stingrays use a non-standard four-conductor jack. Somebody who actually knows stuff will be along shortly…. :)
 
#3
I probably sound like such a huge idiot!
I did not use the original jack with the new pickup and pots. I just went with the included one. Just running it as a volume and tone until I get a bqc or something.but the bass is always "on" but at very very low volume. Only thing that makes a difference is unplugging the pickup wire from the master volume pot. Very bizzare. I did remove the string ground from the bass too, but still has that nasty ungrounded hum until I touch the control plate or one of the pickup screws or something..
 
#5
darjeeling said:
I probably sound like such a huge idiot!
I did not use the original jack with the new pickup and pots. I just went with the included one. Just running it as a volume and tone until I get a bqc or something.but the bass is always "on" but at very very low volume. Only thing that makes a difference is unplugging the pickup wire from the master volume pot. Very bizzare. I did remove the string ground from the bass too, but still has that nasty ungrounded hum until I touch the control plate or one of the pickup screws or something..
Click to expand...

Ground problem? If you followed the EMG diagram exactly, all grounds should route back to the jack. Did you catch the part where one of the connectors is reversed? The reason it's reversed is so that the ground wire - the black wire - connects to the ground on the pot.

So maybe check that - the hot and ground are clearly marked on the pots, and the black wires should always be ground, with the white wires hot.

Also, just to be thorough - you have +9V going to the red wire for the pickup, right?
 
#6
I mean this with no disrespect... but anyone whoever finished wiring something up always thinks they wired it exactly like the diagram... myself included. the first thing I'd check is that your wire to the pickup is oriented the right way. I think on newer ones they have a little arrow or something (I hate the quick connect nonsense so never use it and am not entirely sure). if you have this oriented wrong you will get what you are describing. Assuming that is correct, take a multimeter and verify you are getting 9/18v to your pickups. Common mistake - did you wire the jack backwards? dbl check you have the orientation right there. I've wired lots of stuff... but recently had an emg wireup that went stray - turned out my pot lugs were making contact w the shielded cavity. Hope something there helps.
 

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