Why does my volume drop when I run both pups at full?
I asked this question of local Pickup builder Mick Brierley when I finally got to meet him last week. He has been making custom to order pups for a few years now and has some of them in a few name guitarists instruments by choice not endorsement.
He sent me an email to answer my (above ) question. I'm sure a lot of you guru's will already know this stuff but it was what I considered a clear and concise answer. So for the lesser mortals of us
He states his source here.
http://www.lollarguitars.com/guitar-pickups-faq.shtml"
Some slight drop in volume, drive, and bass is normal when you have two pickups on at the same time and they are wired in parallel which is how most guitars are wired , when the two pickups are wired in series—somewhat unusual—the pickups will get slightly louder than a single pickup and you'll get more drive and bass. Resistance is cut in half when you wire two pickups in parallel and inductance drops—this makes output and bass decrease, resistance doubles when two pickups are wired in series and inductance rises."
Mick caters to people who have a good idea of the sound they want and produces a suitable pup for them to try out. He then gives them the option of him modifying the pickup sound until its how they want it. (within all reasonable capabilities).
Until recently he has not been building bass pickups. I needed pups for my SX project and he offered to make them for me on the condition I was prepared to be his guinea pig. He has really done his homework on the specs of the different model Fender pups. We have spent the last 8 months to-ing and-fro-ing via post and a mutual friend (Brad, who organised this arrangement in the fist place). The first set (P/J's) were very Vintage sounding but with a definite Hi Fi clarity above the natural 60's tone.
I am after a fatter tone on this bass and we have experimented with different pole lengths, Gauss strengths, types of wire (lots) and of course the adjustment of the pups themselves. Its been a hell of a lot of fun and a great learning experience for me.
His page is here
http://www.brierleyguitarpickups.com.au/
