Volume Balance on Dual P

[poochiecheeks]

maybe it is a problem beyond just pickup height? could you have a bad coil? it's an unusual thing but the magnets on the bottom of that coil could conceivably fall off or be oriented wrong, which would allow the other coil that's in series with it to still sound normal while having much less output itself

you can measure the DC resistance of each coil (they should all be about the same) and then use a little metal object like a screwdriver to get a feel for how much magnet pull each coil has

My Warlock had the same issue upon arrival - and was noted in the listing. But it was the neck pickup. Because mine has the "Moser" electronics, each P-bass PU has the toggles for Series/Parallel mode. The neck PU had no discernable output on the D+G block unless the switch was in one of the modes (... I forgot which it was now). In any event, I put in a good Dimarzio P-bass PU, and everything now works properly. Not an increase in power, per se, but switching now works. Yes, I tried a new mini-toggle initially, and that didn't fix it. So it was the PU. I'm keeping the old one - but hard wiring it in the mode which made both of the coils work. It's going into a Squier PJ bass - which will be an improvement, such as it is, over the stock P pickup.

Of course, your scenario does not involve the mini toggle circuitry, changing the modes. But I'm thinking there is a problem with the D+G side of your PU. If you can justify the expense, I would simply replace the PU with a new one. Or perhaps seeing if the wiring from that PU is suspect (loose, etc).

BTW, my bridge PU is almost against the bridge plate. It's not great placement - but it works okay despite the significant lack of string vibration on the D+G. Anyhow, I always run both neck + bridge pickups, so any slight discrepancy is balanced by the other.

Could be a bad coil, could be the nature of the beast. That coil being so close to the bridge is not going to have much string energy to generate current, but the good thing is you should be able to get it close to the strings without them hitting the pole pieces.

Good advice above - get that coil as close as you can without getting artifacts, then adjust the other(s) for similar output. "Reverse P" would indeed "shift" the problem to the other coil.

I am thinking its something with the pickup, I'm not sure I had the two halves on the right sides to have full RWRP for all 4 strings. I have another split P coming and will try it in parallel, thats a great idea.
But I have had a Dimarzio model P just go bad before on one of the coils, so not out of the realm of possibility
Thank you

 

[WRM]

Pickups are easy to test - just tap a steel screwdriver on a pole piece and see if you hear it?...

 

[walterw]

I am thinking its something with the pickup, I'm not sure I had the two halves on the right sides to have full RWRP for all 4 strings.

easy enough to test with a little magnet (not neodymium!), the two coils of one complete P pickup should be opposite magnetic polarity from each other: one should "push" while the other "pulls"

Pickups are easy to test - just tap a steel screwdriver on a pole piece and see if you hear it?...

sort of; an open coil will still make a sound when you tap on it, but it'll have less low end than a non-broken coil

(i don't think that's @poochiecheeks's issue though, an open coil in a series pickup like a P would cause both halves to sound thin and weak)