need help! mono vs stereo jack JP6 pblm mystery nearly solved

[Chaka5150]

I have posted a few times regarding what to my ears has been a nasal sound character coming from my JP6 BFR. I have thought that it was due to the wood tonal characteristics and also the crunch lab/liquifire combo. I know the woods are more absorbing/warm than my axis with a maple neck/basswood body. so never expected the JP to sound as 'snappy and bright' as my axis.

Long story short..over the last two years i have been battling with whether or not to sell this guitar. I love it but have not been happy with this 'nasal' sound...in particular it seems pronounced on the high b and e strings. it basically sounds like a cocked wah sound or when tone knob is rolled off. I have heard clips of others using the same guitar and I don't hear the same thing...so i have long suspected something wrong with the electronics possibly on my particular guitar.

my solutions: i first swapped out the CL/LF set as i thought it was the culprit for the rolled off highs--and i never bonded with the crunchlab anyhow, was looking for something 'tighter'. I temporarily have the BKP rebel yells in now. Result: it sounds tighter for sure, but that damn 'nasal' sound still there. I thought there must be something else, either cable or external routing. I have a stereo splitter box that i use when playing the JP. I use a stereo cable into the magnetic/stereo jack; the piezo is routed separately (back of my Axe FX) and the magnetic is routed to my BigShot ABY box--which has an out dedicated for tuner and another out that routed to the front input of my Axe-FX.

I wondered if the ABY and/or combo of the cables was interfering with sound somehow, so I tried plugging in direct to the axe fx and via the ABY box. no difference in either method; however, the difference is clearly between using my mono jack vs stereo jack on my JP!!!! when i use the mono jack--it sounds normal...the 'nasal' sound is gone! when i use the stereo jack--boom, there it is! WTF is happening when I use the magnetic/stereo jack of my JP? anyone??? I've searched on forum before about the difference and know that there shouldn't be a difference in the sound from either jack...but I kid you not...something is going on there. It defeats the convenience of using a stereo cable from my JP if it messes up the sound that bad...

I am happy that i've stumbled on what seems to be a simple explanation, but would like to confirm if anyone else has had this issue. If not then I may have something faulty going on in the jacks/electronics all along?

thanks in advance!

 

[Chaka5150]

In the meantime, I've sent a message to Customer Service. I'll update when I hear something...hoping this is fixable.

 

[aleclee]

Typically, the tone you describe is indicative of pickups that are out of phase. Dunno how that would apply to the stereo jacks, though.

 

[joe web]

there is a sound difference between the mono and the stereo jack.
i prefer the stereo jack output, because it sounds more "natural" to me. don´t like the sound coming from the mono jack, because to me it sounds like the passive pickups are running through a buffer or preamp or something like that to match the volume and impedance to the piezo signal.
can´t complain about any nasal sound with the stereojack used.

 

[Chaka5150]

Not sure bout the pups being out of phase if it's only sounding that way out of the one jack.

My problem is that the magnetics sound best thru the mono/piezo. So can't run piezo out of the stereo/mag jack at same time for separate routing/processing.

 

[beej]

What you're describing sounds like an excess of capacitance, loading your pickups, dropping the frequency of the resonant peak downward.

You notice it in the stereo (passive) output, but not in the mono (buffered) output. Both piezo and mag signals run through the onboard preamp before heading out the mono output so you can mix the high impedance mag signal with the low impedance piezo signal.

Do you have a few other cables you can try? Something low capacitance? Still sounds weird that you're seeing this much of a difference, but that's what it sounds like.

And yeah, I would definitely give CS a buzz, it could be something else.

 

[Chaka5150]

I rec'vd a message back from CS (kudos to great fast CS BTW) and I was advised that the sound between the two jacks should not be that great, but they are slightly different due to buffering on the mono jack. I know its hard to appreciate by not hearing it, but there is a very discernible difference for sure. They also said it's possible something is wrong with the output module of the guitar.

I was also told that I can still split the signal without using the magnetic/stereo jack. and use a TRS cable to splitter box (which i have) and go from the Piezo/mono output. I tried this and there is no signal whatsoever using this method. the mono/piezo output on my guitar only accepts a mono cable. I have sent a reply to clarify this.

something else...I've noticed and maybe its all related. when I use a mono cable from the piezo/mono output (which as i stated before, sounds the most natural and 'normal' for the mags); however, when i blend in piezo there is major distortion. It's not the battery. and I also know that the piezo reacts a bit different when there is no cable in the stereo/mag output...i even roll off the piezo volume and adjust the mix lower...but still distortion. I compared this to using a TRS cable in the stereo/mag output...i get the SH*T sound that I've been fighting with for the mags, but the piezo sounds fine!? no distortion. I'm not sure what is going on!

not to be debbie downer, but the output jack is also very sensitive to slight movements in the cable where it inserts. the sound can cut out...I just don't understand how a $3K guitar (what I paid) seems to have less than great electronics/soldering work etc...Im not saying every JP is like this, but perhaps mine got skipped in the QA inspection? I am the original owner and have been struggling with these issues from day one, problem is that warranty is over and it was overlooked from the beginning. I brought it back to the dealer a few times within the first year and they kept assuring me nothing was wrong...now too late for warranty arghh!

 

[beej]

Ok, it sounds like you really need to get back on the horn with CS. Don't email them, CALL. Talk to somebody. If there's a real issue, they'll help you work through it.

It helps if you can always reproduce the problem, and if you've tested in other environments- with different cables, etc (some cables just don't make good contact, there can be tolerance issues).

 

[Spudmurphy]

^
What he said
pm sent

 

[Chaka5150]

Thanks Spud...you're a class act.

I shared some more of my observations with CS regarding my above post (piezo distortion as well depending on which output jack is uses) and they said this is definitely not normal. Again I am impressed with how fast they have been responding They suggest I send it to them. though not sure of how much it would cost shipping/plus repairs... I am not sure what to do right now; It sounds okay if i just play out of the mono jack for mags and if i wanted to use the piezo i'd have to cable swap every time to use the stereo jack...which defeats the purpose of having two output jacks in the first place. Clearly I just cant keep sinking more $$$ into this guitar that has already bled me dry. OTOH it just makes no sense having this potentially beautiful guitar just sitting in a case...inconceivable! (suddenly Im hearing the Sicilian character from the 'Princess Bride' reason this out)

 

[Spudmurphy]

Cheers for that.

well just let me know if you change yer mind.