Albert Lee Wiring HELP PLEASE!! =)

[Spanky Dynamite]

Hey all...
I've got a Musicman Albert Lee signature model with 3 MM90's in it.
I absolutely love the guitar, and love the way the pickups sound by themselves in position 1 3 and 5.
The notch positions (2 and 4) however I'm almost positive are wired out of phase...and they sound absolutely rotten to me. So rotten in fact that I've not used this awesome axe at gigs for quite some time.
I have some country artist gigs coming up in Oct...so I'm hoping someone here will guide to to re-wiring it.
I'll post a pic of the wiring diagram from Musicman. If I need to get rid of the silent circuit that's fine.....if I need to get rid of what I think is a dummy coil...fine.
I just want the guitar to sound better in positions 2 and 4...not that suuuuuper out of phase, quacky, no bottom or meat sound.
Thanks in advance.
Spanky

 

[Sweat]

All positions sound fine to me and you have a wiring schematic so wire it the way you want!

 

[Spanky Dynamite]

All positions sound fine to me and you have a wiring schematic so wire it the way you want!

ummmm....

OK...

i WANT the middle pickup to sound in phase with the bridge and neck...

and if I knew how to do that...i obviously wouldn't post asking for help...

but thanks??

=)

 

[Sweat]

All right then, cant help with that but maybe our resident expert Beej will log in and give his thoughts, if anybody can answer your question it will be Beej

 

[jamminjim]

Hi Spanky. Sounds like the guitar is wired up in the standard $trat type configuration. If so , then the middle pickup is RW/RP (reverse wound/ reverse polarity) What you could do is try reversing (swap, interchange, etc.) the leads from the middle pickup to the switch (red wire) and the silent circuit (black wire). I don't know for sure what this will sound like, but it should put the middle pickup in phase with the others, and eliminate the out-of-phase $trat quack. If this doesn't do it then you may have to replace the middle P90 with a regular wound P90 (not RW/RP).

I take it you aren't fond of the strat sounds in #2 and #4 positions.

The silent circuit isn't what is causing the quackiness. The silent circuit eliminates noise/hum from rf and emf induced interference.

Let me know if this helps.

~jim

 

[Spanky Dynamite]

Hi Spanky. Sounds like the guitar is wired up in the standard $trat type configuration. If so , then the middle pickup is RW/RP (reverse wound/ reverse polarity) What you could do is try reversing (swap, interchange, etc.) the leads from the middle pickup to the switch (red wire) and the silent circuit (black wire). I don't know for sure what this will sound like, but it should put the middle pickup in phase with the others, and eliminate the out-of-phase $trat quack. If this doesn't do it then you may have to replace the middle P90 with a regular wound P90 (not RW/RP).

I take it you aren't fond of the strat sounds in #2 and #4 positions.

The silent circuit isn't what is causing the quackiness. The silent circuit eliminates noise/hum from rf and emf induced interference.

Let me know if this helps.

~jim

Thanks....
I'll give that a try and let you know.
Spanky

 

[robelinda2]

Positions 2 and 4 on the MM90 AL are magnificent, my favourite AL tones! Better than stratty quack!

 

[Spanky Dynamite]

Positions 2 and 4 on the MM90 AL are magnificent, my favourite AL tones! Better than stratty quack!

hahaha....

I know you....

We sorta met on Youtube...

lol

 

[robelinda2]

Your tone is great on those vids, inspired me to get a MM90 AL.

 

[Colin]

Spanky, contact Beej or Customer Service they will help for sure... How's about posting some pics of the guitar?

 

[jamminjim]

Spanky - you could get a normally wired P90/MM90 that fits the guitar and replace the AL's rw/rp middle pup with it. But if you do, to get the silent circuit to work you would then connect the middle pups black (negative or ground) wire to the blue wire of the silent circuit instead of the purple wire. Then all three pups would be grounded/connected to the purple wire of the silent circuit. The reason the stock rw/rp pup is grounded to the purple wire of the silent circuit is because it IS rw/rp and reverse phased.

I don't know the spec's of the AL MM90's yet. If the neck and middle were the same or close values (ohmage, resistance) then you could get a replacement neck pup from EBMM to use as an "in-phase" middle pup in your AL. This would also eliminate the $trat quackiness and have a functioning silent circuit.

Sure, by all means, also ask Jason or call EBMM CS.

 

[Spanky Dynamite]

Spanky, contact Beej or Customer Service they will help for sure... How's about posting some pics of the guitar?

Nice...
Ya know, in the past, when I first got the guitar, I did call customer service. But they always told me they'd only wire it back to original....and not give any instructions how to wire it otherwise.
Pretty much the only hang up I've ever had with those guys. I've owned probably 20 instruments over the years, and still own 5....love em.

I'll take some pics of it and post em right now....cuz I'm bored.

Thanks for all your help, people....I'm def a noob on this forum, but a serious EBMM freak.

Spanky

 

[Spanky Dynamite]

Your tone is great on those vids, inspired me to get a MM90 AL.

hahaha....

It was a 79 dollar amp....and a webcam for a mic...but it wasn't in pos 2 or 4....
bridge postion I believe.
=)

but still glad you liked it.

I play thru a Bogner Ecstasy for gigs....so my rig is a top notch sounding one.
But I have yet to (even on a suuuuper clean setting) like that sound of those positions....it just loses every bit of body, low end and musicality...imo of course.
It does I'm sure have some uses as effects....and with the right amp...like a twin or deville with a monster clean sound...it'd sound better.
Regardless...I'm DEF changing it soon, and I appreciate all your help.

Spanky

 

[Spanky Dynamite]

Spanky, contact Beej or Customer Service they will help for sure... How's about posting some pics of the guitar?

here's ya some pics...
The Axis in this pic...has been played TOOOO DEATH.
Frets are trashed....the nut has been broken twice, and repaired by me...the paint gone on the back....is from sweat...yes, really. Hard to tell, but the neck is just totally colored from being played so much.
I LOVE the sound of this guitar....even tho I put different pickups in it
=)

These are the two I have on the road with me right now.
If I ever get a chance I'll take some pics of my other ones.

 

[jamminjim]

Spanky - next time you get to changing strings on the AL, take the pickguard assy off, disconnect it, flip it over and take a well lighted close up of the guts. Maybe we can get to the bottom of your problem that way. It'd be worth a shot.

Jim

 

[Spanky Dynamite]

Spanky - next time you get to changing strings on the AL, take the pickguard assy off, disconnect it, flip it over and take a well lighted close up of the guts. Maybe we can get to the bottom of your problem that way. It'd be worth a shot.

Jim

Thanks......I'll be doing that later today...today is the day I think I'm gonna try to alleviate this.

=)

 

[threeminutesboy]

...the paint gone on the back....is from sweat...yes, really.

gosh do you play naked or what ?

 

[Spanky Dynamite]

Hi Spanky. Sounds like the guitar is wired up in the standard $trat type configuration.

Hey all....just thought I'd put this baby to rest.....FINALLY.

I know EVERYONE I told about this "out of phase" sound in positions 2 and 4 thought I was crazy...esp since it seemed the wiring was correct.

A very nice and EXTREMELY talented guitar dude in Nashville (where I now live), Ed Beaver...in 15 minutes fixed this wiring mystery....and NOW it sounds like a Strat...positions 2 and 4 sound full, but still "stratty"

At some point before I bought the guitar, someone was inside of it and jacked SOMETHING up....and I just KNEW positions 2 and 4 were wrong...don't know what they did...the corner of the actual pickup is broken. It's just plastic I think, and it had no effect on the sound, but still....you can tell someone was in there messin' around.

Used the guitar last night at its first gig since the wiring fix, and LOVED it!

Thanks to all for their help....I wish you could have heard how absolutely ROTTEN those positions sounded. Now I appreciate the 2 and 4 positions as you all do.

Thanks again.

Spanky

 

[Spudmurphy]

Glad it all got sorted in the end.

Thanks for coming back and telling us the outcome of the problem.

Now go out and slay em all with the AL !!!

 

[jamminjim]

Cool.