Sterling st. Vincent pickip replacement issues.

[Vercingetterix]

I replaced my bridge pup with a lace nitro hemi mini and it was muddy under distortion. I was putting caps in series with the pickup with alligator clips to filter out low frequencies, when i found out that with the hot lead from the bridge pup totally removed, i was still getting full signal from one of the other pickups on the 5'th position, which is supposed to be the bridge only. I'm guessing maybe this could be the source of my overloaded low frequency. There is a jumper from the bridge pickup lug on the switch to the lug next to it. Maybe that's the source of the phantom signal? This is a rather unorthodox wiring scheme so maybe there is just something i am not comprehending right.

Any answers or insight would be appreciated.
Thanks.

 

[Vercingetterix]

Oh yeah. This is the three minihum version.

 

[beej]

Assuming the wiring for the Sterling version is the same as the MM version (scroll down here - St. Vincent 2018 | Guitars | Ernie Ball Music Man), then yes, the 5th position is Neck & Bridge in parallel.

It's an unusual wiring scheme, but it's not that crazy. You can always rewire it however you'd like - shouldn't be too difficult.

 

[Vercingetterix]

They sent me schematic that shows 5'th position as bridge only. Maybe i'm just misinterperating which one is 1 and which is 5. I was thinking switched all the way facing the bridge was 5. When it's facing all the way to the neck side, it sounds like i think bridge and neck pickups together should sound like. Although it makes more sense that i'm mixed up. I'll have to disconnect the neck pickup to find out, i guess. I got this in a trade so it may have been previously messed with.

 

[beej]

Closest to the bridge is 1.

 

[Vercingetterix]

Yup. That makes sense. Thanks.

 

[Vercingetterix]

I'd always assumed that was the bridge because it seemed the most trebley. Interesting that the two together sound like that.

 

[Vercingetterix]

Okay. So i disconnected the hot wire from the bridge pickup to the switch and all 5 positions still have sound. Is something screwed up? I'd think the bridge only position should be dead...right?