Cutlass Humbucker sounds like a single coil

[Gizmo]

Hey folks, since yesterday my Cutlass Humbucker sounds very thin .. like a single coil or a HB on 'tap' mode.

2 weeks ago i changed the neck PU of my 2017 HSS cutlass to a lollar PU. I did not touch other wires than those of the neck PUs. Specially not the wires of the Humbucker.

Has anyone had that problem? Even if I mount the HB very (!) close to the strings it's not the typical full and bassy HB sound.

I know that the cutlass HB is not a hot one but still it is a HB.

Thanks Max

 

[DrKev]

This is always difficult to diagnose without the instrument in front of us. What does the number 2 position sound like (bridge and middle pickups)? My first thoughts are maybe a wire has come loose and is making a partial short somewhere or one of the new solder joints on the circuit board is too close to another pad and is making a partial short. Being a two conductor pickup, that humbucker cannot be split, unless a wire has come loose inside the humbucker, which is by far the least likely scenario.

 

[Gizmo]

Hey, thank you. Very helpful, will check that out. I'd say that also Position 2 is very 'thin' and doesn't have the 'quack' anymore. No Punch anymore. HB + SC in Pos. 2 is always a little different to Pos 4. But it's sound is really thinner than Pos 4 (what was not the case before).

Perhaps I'll give it to my local guitar-tech and amp doctor to measure things if I will not find the error!

thanks again DrKev!

 

[Gizmo]

Another Question came into my mind: could it be possible that just I find the HB weak compared to the Lollar 64 (ex: 'blackface') which was the bridge SC with 6.8 k ?

Does anyone know the rough output of the Musicman Cutlass HB?

(BTW: checked again the solder joints and pads ... didn't find any bad soldering.)

 

[fogman]

I've seen a number of people have found the humbucher to be weak and have changed it out.
However, Beej here on the forum swapped his and ended up putting the original humbucker back in.
I'm sure he and others will chime in once the weekend is done.

 

[racerx]

Another Question came into my mind: could it be possible that just I find the HB weak compared to the Lollar 64 (ex: 'blackface') which was the bridge SC with 6.8 k ?

Does anyone know the rough output of the Musicman Cutlass HB?

(BTW: checked again the solder joints and pads ... didn't find any bad soldering.)

While some may have preferences for what they expect out of a humbucker, what your original post describes does not sound like a healthy Cutlass humbucker. I'd reach out to Customer Service and ask for the wiring diagram and retrace your each lead one at a time. Did the humbucker work as expected before the neck pickup swap?

I'm not skilled at articulating the nuance of pickup sonic properties, but I'd describe the Cutlass humbucker as a balanced humbucker that really shines in clean, ambient, or light-to-moderate drive. It can hang with some heavy stuff, but if you're looking for soaring and scorching high-gain, then there might be more appropriate options (see, the revered Axis pickups that can be found in several models).

 

[DrKev]

The Cutlass humbucker should measure in the 12 kΩ region (you'll have to measure directly across the pickup leads, with one of the single coils selected on the 5-way switch, because the buffer circuit might mess up your numbers otherwise). My one (with no buffer circuit) sounds very similar to a Gibson Classic 57 Plus bridge humbucker, perhaps just a touch warmer (I got to do a side-by-side comparison with a friend's Les Paul I had in for some work last week).

 

[Gizmo]

Guys you're helping me a lot ... and based on that I gave it to my lokal amp tech (who also is great in guitar electronic) because when the HB has around 12 kΩ (even a little less) it can't be normal that it is so weak.
My tech said after a few strums: "doesn't sound as a HB, sounds too thin."

(to be continued after he has time for my guitar ...)