The Guitar Gallery Forums - The Guitar Legacy of Matsumoku

There are potential issues you’ll face when combining pickups from different manufacturers, which comes down to understanding polarity and phase.

Here's an informative article which takes a dive into the considerations that go into doing that.
https://www.premierguitar.com/diy/mod-garage/assessing-pickup-polarity-phase

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"A little song, a little dance. A little seltzer down your pants." -Chuckles the Clown
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Good article Barry! I bought a cheap old school compass for < $10 on Amazon. It works fine for this.

_________________
My wife yes
My dog maybe
My Vantages never

Nothing wrong with old school.

I used to have a compass. Once. A long time ago, in a land far, far . . .*ahem*

Then I missed having one, so I installed a compass app on my phone. Useless.

Now I need a real compass. Don't know why. I just do.

_________________
"A little song, a little dance. A little seltzer down your pants." -Chuckles the Clown
Guitars: https://legend.barryeames.com
Music/Pix/Videos: https://getback.barryeames.com

Nice article but I got lost about halfway through. For the longest time I used an analog meter (needle) and never once ruined it. For about the last 10 years I've used a digital meter and it works fine as well.

Here is a simplified version.



I use a compass perpendicular to the coils to determine the magnetic polarity of the coils. As opposites attract which ever end of the needle is pointing away from the coil is the polarity, if the north end of the needle is pointing away from the coil is is a north up coil or vice versa.

Set meter to 20K ohm setting to determine which wires are paired (start and finish of each coil). You will only get a reading with pairs (start and finish of a coil).

Set meter 20V to determine which wires are start and finish.

Clip negative (black) meter clip to one of the pair, the red (positive) meter clip to the other.

Touch screwdriver shaft to the coil pole pieces then pull it off. If it goes negative first start wire is negative clip, positive first start wire is positive clip.

Slug pole pieces is usually north up and adjustable south up but there are exceptions.

E.G. north start (hot) --> north finish --> south finish --> south start (ground) or the opposite (south start is hot and north start is ground).

This is how most diagrams I've seen are depicted.

With existing pickup set meter to 20V and clip leads to hot and ground with volume and tone wide open. Again touch either coil and make note of whether it goes negative or positive first.

Test the new pickup the same way and if it goes positive or negative opposite the existing pickup leave the splice between north finish and south finish connected and reverse hot and gnd. Now the new pickup should go negative or positive first like the existing pickup and is in phase with the existing pickup.

I was the same way reading the article.
But it looks like you have your own method down pat.

Fortunately for me I haven't had to concern myself with it very often. When I do it's like starting all over again

_________________
"A little song, a little dance. A little seltzer down your pants." -Chuckles the Clown
Guitars: https://legend.barryeames.com
Music/Pix/Videos: https://getback.barryeames.com

I have to use this method sometimes when adding coil cut to a humbucker equipped guitar. Most manufacturers cut the same coil on both pickups which negates the one thing reversed polarity and phase single coils in parallel offer, frequency cancellation a'la Stratocaster. This is why the 2nd and 4th position on a Strat sounds unique to a Strat.

I also have to use it at times if I am adding an aftermarket pickup to a stock configuration. Usually I have a diagram that tells me but occasionally I don't.

"When I do it's like starting all over again"

This is me.

_________________
My wife yes
My dog maybe
My Vantages never