Problem with Jazz bass pickups, the E string loses all bass when humbucking

[andrew lee]

Hi Everyone
First post for me.
I have an issue I was wondering if you guys on here have any experience with? I have wound my own Jazz bass pickups (North/counterclockwise at the neck and South/clockwise at the bridge). They sound great individually but when both opened up (I have used a blend pot and am referring to the indent position) the E string loses all of its bass. However when I add a little more neck or a little more bridge the bass returns.

Has anyone come across this before?

I was thinking about demagnetising the bridge pickup and reversing the polarities to have both north to see if that has any effect (hoping that the reversed winds will buck any hum).

Hope you can help. Any ideas welcome.
Andy

 

[lz4005]

Hi Everyone
First post for me.
I have an issue I was wondering if you guys on here have any experience with? I have wound my own Jazz bass pickups (North/counterclockwise at the neck and South/clockwise at the bridge). They sound great individually but when both opened up (I have used a blend pot and am referring to the indent position) the E string loses all of its bass. However when I add a little more neck or a little more bridge the bass returns.

Has anyone come across this before?

I was thinking about demagnetising the bridge pickup and reversing the polarities to have both north to see if that has any effect (hoping that the reversed winds will buck any hum).

Hope you can help. Any ideas welcome.
Andy

Have you tested the polarity of the magnets in both pickups to make sure one didn't get flipped accidentally?

 

[andrew lee]

Have you tested the polarity of the magnets in both pickups to make sure one didn't get flipped accidentally?

Yes I have a tesla meter that has a polarity testing function The neck ones are all north and the bridge all south.

 

[lz4005]

Yes I have a tesla meter that has a polarity testing function The neck ones are all north and the bridge all south.

Weird.

Normally the first thing to think of when equal volume sources lose bass is that the sources are out of phase, but if they're normal mono pickups, not quad coil, that would happen on all the strings at once, not only the E.

 

[andrew lee]

You were right first time... I re checked it and the outer magnet was reversed...I'll get me coat...Thanks for the pep talk though I wouldn't have double checked otherwise

 

[RobbieK]

Ha. All of us techs have done goofy stuff like that when we were starting out. And back then I would have cut off the windings, remade the bobbin, and rewound. But these days, because neo magnets are so cheap and easy to get, you could make a little remagnetizing jig so you don't have to rewind it.

Anyway congrats on your first pickup winds! Welcome to the great hobby of bass guitar modding...

Oh, and welcome to TB.