Silent circuit/pickup problems - help?

[B2D]

Silent circuit/pickup questions - help?

Hello all. I've got an EBMM Silhouette Special with the SSS pickup configuration, and I recently replaced the bridge pickup with a Seymour Duncan Single coil. Before that, the guitar was pretty quiet... not as quiet ac my SCN-equipped Strat, but still pretty silent. Now the front and mid pickups buzz a little more and the rear pickup is noisy as hell, especially under distortion.

Did i do something wrong? Did I mess up something in the silent circuit? Please help if you can. Thanks.

 

[kevin]

Hello all. I've got an EBMM Silhouette Special with the SSS pickup configuration, and I recently replaced the bridge pickup with a Seymour Duncan Single coil. Before that, the guitar was pretty quiet... not as quiet ac my SCN-equipped Strat, but still pretty silent. Now the front and mid pickups buzz a little more and the rear pickup is noisy as hell, especially under distortion.

Did i do something wrong? Did I mess up something in the silent circuit? Please help if you can. Thanks.

it's nearly impossible to tell without having the instrument on hand to diagnose....I'd suggest taking it to a local luthier to examine. If you could do us a favor and change the title of the thread.....as it makes it seem there is something faulty with the original set up.

Thanks a ton...

 

[B2D]

it's nearly impossible to tell without having the instrument on hand to diagnose....I'd suggest taking it to a local luthier to examine. If you could do us a favor and change the title of the thread.....as it makes it seem there is something faulty with the original set up.

Thanks a ton...

Title changed...

The guitar switches pickups just fine and all the controls work, but I'm curious as to where this noise came from... anyone got any theories?

I'll try switching it back to the original pickup when I get the chance and see if the problem corrects itself.

EDIT: Well the title in the post changed but not the title that shows on the forum. Crappo. Oh well...

 

[beej]

The SCNs are really quiet as are all mose-free singles. But the thing is, they generally don't sound as good as best-of-breed single coils.

Did you wire up the new p'up just like the old one? Same wires to same places? Since the Silent Circuit feeds from the ground of the pickups, I'd wonder if you've accidentally wired one of the grounds backward, etc. Or perhaps something else has come loose. But if you're getting MORE noice, it's probably a grounding issue.

Check all the leads to the silent circuit, especially the ground and the power leads. If everything looks fine, try removing the new pickup and seeing if you still have noise. Basically, work it backwards. You can also email CS for a wiring diagram, that might help you diagnose the problem.

 

[B2D]

Did you wire up the new p'up just like the old one? Same wires to same places? Since the Silent Circuit feeds from the ground of the pickups, I'd wonder if you've accidentally wired one of the grounds backward, etc. Or perhaps something else has come loose. But if you're getting MORE noice, it's probably a grounding issue.

Check all the leads to the silent circuit, especially the ground and the power leads. If everything looks fine, try removing the new pickup and seeing if you still have noise. Basically, work it backwards. You can also email CS for a wiring diagram, that might help you diagnose the problem.

Yeah, I wired the new one in just like the old one... Only 2 wires on the new ones so it's impossible to confuse hot or ground with anything else but each other, and that ain't happening on my watch.

I'll try reflowing the joints in case I got a cold one. If that doesn't work I'll wire in the old pickup and see if the noise goes away.

 

[INMT]

Yeah, I wired the new one in just like the old one... Only 2 wires on the new ones so it's impossible to confuse hot or ground with anything else but each other, and that ain't happening on my watch.

I'll try reflowing the joints in case I got a cold one. If that doesn't work I'll wire in the old pickup and see if the noise goes away.

Did the wire form the volume pot to the ground get dissconnected? Meaning the controls are not grounded to the bridge?

 

[kevin]

we could go round and round....I say just take it to a local luthier and have them take a look. Shoot me an e-mail me if you need a wiring diagram.

[email protected]

 

[beej]

Yeah, I figured, but just checking. Hopefully it's just solder joint then.

 

[B2D]

I'll give it a looksee and let y'all know what I find. Thanks for the advice.

 

[Guitarburetor]

The Silent Circuit and wiring scheme will not work properly unless the original magnetic polarity and pickup phase relationship are maintained. The new pickup should have the same magnetic polarity as the original to keep the wiring scheme intact. The new pickup may be reverse magnetic polarity to the original.

You can check the magnetic polarity of the new pickup by placing the old one so the tops of both pickups are facing each other. If they attract, the polarity is opposite, and if they repel, it is the same. If it is the same polarity, reverse the wires connecting to the switch and Silent circuit. This should now cancel the hum AND place the pickup in the correct phase relationship with the other pickups.

If the magnetic polarity of the new pickup is opposite the old one, you can try connecting the wire that would normally connect to ground to the other Silent Circuit output. If it is connected to the Blue wire, connect it to the Violet one instead, or visa versa. This will make it cancel hum. but you will not have the additional benefit of the new pickup and the middle pickup cancelling hum as in the original assembly.

 

[beej]

And there you have it. The buck stops with Dudley.

 

[Larry]

Wow. Lot more to that silent circuit than just putting a 9V battery in it. Can't argue though when I had my Silo Special it worked amazingly well. Hats off to EBMM engineering.

 

[Big Poppa]

I love this place. Dear ford...I replace the engine in my mustang with a chevy and the transmission doesnt shift well...could this be a manufacturing defect or could I possibly have made a mistake?


BA2M Please take this as humore TEN SMILEY FACES inserted here

But look the guy with his name of the patent answers you...

I hope every thing works out for you!

 

[B2D]

The Silent Circuit and wiring scheme will not work properly unless the original magnetic polarity and pickup phase relationship are maintained. The new pickup should have the same magnetic polarity as the original to keep the wiring scheme intact. The new pickup may be reverse magnetic polarity to the original.

You can check the magnetic polarity of the new pickup by placing the old one so the tops of both pickups are facing each other. If they attract, the polarity is opposite, and if they repel, it is the same. If it is the same polarity, reverse the wires connecting to the switch and Silent circuit. This should now cancel the hum AND place the pickup in the correct phase relationship with the other pickups.

If the magnetic polarity of the new pickup is opposite the old one, you can try connecting the wire that would normally connect to ground to the other Silent Circuit output. If it is connected to the Blue wire, connect it to the Violet one instead, or visa versa. This will make it cancel hum. but you will not have the additional benefit of the new pickup and the middle pickup cancelling hum as in the original assembly.

Well it looks like the polarity was the problem. I have a small pocket-size polarity tester made by Seymour Duncan and it read a S-N-N polarity on the three pickups, in that order. I removed the aftermarket pickup and put the original back in... problem gone. The aftermarket one doesn't sound that different compared to the original so I think I'm going to be keeping the OEM pickups.

The guitar's as quiet as a church mouse now. Thanks for all your help!!