new pickups installed = seriously low output

[mr pablo]

I've just recently won a set of gibson usa thunderbird pickups on ebay and a kiogon wiring loom to replace the old stock one. After sanding down the pickup cavities to allow the gibson pickups to fit and wiring the loom up as per instructed (and double checking with kiogon to make sure) we have sound! But not a lot of it.... the pickups are really quiet. My pitchblack recognises both pickups individually and together so there is definitely output. I'm kinda stumped as you would think that the gibsom pickups would have at least a similar output to the std epiphone ones.

Anyone have any ideas as to what could be wrong? Or is it a case of putting the bass into a tech to have a gander at it ?

[Nibody]

Not sure, but I had the opposite problem with my Korean Epi T - the original pickups were and still are horrifcally low output. They're not active ones are they?

[mr pablo]

Nope pickups from a US gibson thunderbird apparently. The pickups from my Korean tbird have quite a decent output

[Woodinblack]

If you skip the wiring and connect one straight to the jack socket, does it sound louder?

[Ou7shined]

Do you have a multimeter so you can get an ohms reading off them?

[mr pablo]

[quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1384021892' post='2272067']
If you skip the wiring and connect one straight to the jack socket, does it sound louder?
[/quote]

Not had a chance as my soldering iron has gone walkabout and I don't have a multi meter sadly

[BanditSid]

Have you tried raising them a bit, it can make a huge difference to the output level.

[mr pablo]

They are about 5mm from the srings when fretted at the 20th fret, I'll need to get longer scews to give that ago though but could be worth a shot I guess

[mr pablo]

I've had a look online at some photos of gibson tbird control cavities and the pick up wires come in to the cavity from separate holes, on my epi tbird they come through tje one hole to the cavity, so could the sheilded wires touching be causing the low output or am I talking s****?

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='mr pablo' timestamp='1384100889' post='2272743']
I've had a look online at some photos of gibson tbird control cavities and the pick up wires come in to the cavity from separate holes, on my epi tbird they come through tje one hole to the cavity,[b] so could the sheilded wires touching be causing the low output or am I talking s****?[/b]
[/quote]

Yes and no. Among the first thing to check for with low output would be to ascertain if one of your HOT pup wires was making earth somewhere.

[mr pablo]

My mates gonna drop off his multimeter and solder iron tomorrow night so I'll check the coils and try wiring them straight to the output jack to see if that helps any. Failing that if the pups are duff then I can get my cash back from the ebay seller as I've been in contact with him regarding the probs

[DarkHeart]

you dont need to go to the trouble of wiring them to the output jack, un solder or de solder them and just hold the 2 wires onto the end of the lead obviously the hot wire to the tip of the jack and ground to the side of the jack saves the hassle of soldering and unsoldering

[mr pablo]

Right wee update, I was gonna just bite the bullet and put it in to my local shop to get looked at, but I forgot to lift the bass this morning so I gave the above a go as my mate hasn't had the time to come round with the stuff. So armed with some extra wire and leccy tape I went to work........ Success! we have sound and its not quiet either! Gave both pickups a try individually and together, happy days at least the pickups aren't duff I might just wire the pups straight to the jack after all if I can remember how to solder

[Thunderbird]

[quote name='mr pablo' timestamp='1384528476' post='2277792']
Right wee update, I was gonna just bite the bullet and put it in to my local shop to get looked at, but I forgot to lift the bass this morning so I gave the above a go as my mate hasn't had the time to come round with the stuff. So armed with some extra wire and leccy tape I went to work........ Success! we have sound and its not quiet either! Gave both pickups a try individually and together, happy days at least the pickups aren't duff I might just wire the pups straight to the jack after all if I can remember how to solder
[/quote] Why not get Kiogon to make you a solderless loom up? there good at will save you no end of messing about

[mr pablo]

John's been on the case and I have one of his solderless looms something just isn't playing well with it typical bloody gibson pickups eh! Never had any problems with my pbass