Axis SS pickup question

[GodWentPunk]

Calling out Axis SS owners.
I have an Axis SS (Rosie) from 2008 and I am completely in love with this guitar. All 5 positions on are workable and the guitar sounds full and deep. Position 4 is amazing with this great telecaster quacky sound. I have another Axis SS from 2018 and this guitar sounds so much different. My biggest complaint is that the bridge pickup sound extremely thin with no bass at all. The other thing I noticed, which others seem to have noticed, is going between the different position on the switch produced sound output that are completely not on balance. However, my biggest question is that bridge pickup.. it really that thin sounding for everyone else? Or did EBMM change how these are wiring over the years?

thanks!

joe...

 

[beej]

Doesn't sound right ... any chance there's something wrong with the other Axis pickups?

I've had a bunch of these pickups (in the Axis series, and in other guitars) over the years. Thin is not how I would describe them- they are full and bassy.

 

[GWDavis28]

Joe did you get both instruments new? And they don't exist with pics buddy

Glenn |B)

 

[GodWentPunk]

Joe did you get both instruments new? And they don't exist with pics buddy

Glenn |B)

My rosie I got new... and the other used.. so yeah... maybe some issues with that pickup?

joe...

 

[GWDavis28]

Ok could be on the used one someone changed the pickups or there's a wiring issue. Your best bet is to pop out the pickups and check.

Love the blue!! But your pictures inserted backwards

Glenn |B)

 

[Iperfungus]

Hi Joe.
Can you measure pickups impedance?

I own an Axis Super Sport and pickups measurement, taken at pickups switch pins, are:

1) bridge 16.5 kOhm
2) neck 15.0 kOhm

Different values could be due to a damaged pickup.
It would be better to measure at switch pins, to bypass all circuit and wiring and have the right impedance, but you can also plug a short cable in the guitar and measure at jack.
Use the shortest cable you can, so that its impedance wouldn't affect measurements too much.
In any case, values should be around the ones above: if you use a cable, I expect something like 16 kOhm at bridge and 14.5 kOhm at neck.

Another thing you can do is to connect the guitar to an amplifier and, using a small screwdriver, tap each pickup pole to verify if you hear any sound coming from the amp...and this would help to identify wiring issues as well.
I purchased my Axis used and some previous owner modified wiring in a stupid way that made the neck pickup sound crappy...

 

[GodWentPunk]

I opened the back plate and the pick ups are original because I see the N and B stickers on there. I did try to check the pickups but both were showing something weird like 4.3Ohm but I was using a long cable. I will try either a smaller one or checking at the switch level. I will say that my Rosie weighs TON's more so that might have something to do with that one sounding fatter.

And thanks for the feedback and suggestions.

joe...

 

[Sweat]

Those look backwards but nice though

 

[tbonesullivan]

This could be a simple as a broken swich. The Axis SS does do some coil splitting, so if the wiring on that is dirty / broken, that can result in one of the coils not being used.

 

[GodWentPunk]

So after some playing around with things, I think I had a lose wire or something because that bridge pickup is working 100% better.. however, the tone different from the blue and Rosie is quite noticeable. I like them both though.

joe...

 

[GWDavis28]

So after some playing around with things, I think I had a lose wire or something because that bridge pickup is working 100% better.. however, the tone different from the blue and Rosie is quite noticeable. I like them both though.

joe...

Are they the same pickups in both guitars?

Glenn |B)

 

[Iperfungus]

This could be a simple as a broken swich. The Axis SS does do some coil splitting, so if the wiring on that is dirty / broken, that can result in one of the coils not being used.

Did you measure pickups impedance?

 

[GodWentPunk]

Did you measure pickups impedance?

I did using a short cable but they came up with 3.9k or something like that. I went online to check how this is done and I'm pretty sure I had things setup correctly but its obvious I'm doing something wrong. The other option is get check at the switch level but I do not have alligator clips.

joe...

 

[Iperfungus]

I did using a short cable but they came up with 3.9k or something like that. I went online to check how this is done and I'm pretty sure I had things setup correctly but its obvious I'm doing something wrong. The other option is get check at the switch level but I do not have alligator clips.

joe...

Mmmmh....those measures look strange....and that's not a cable's issue, unless the cable itself it's broken, of course.
To measure at switch, you don't need alligator clips....you can use normal probes.