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I've got two Yamaha APX8 guitars in right now that have problems with the newly-fitted Artec transducers. These were fitted by the owner, who then had subsequent problems with very low output on the low E string and electrical buzzing. The buzzing was a straightforward fix - the connectors didn't make good contact and I've replaced them with correct type.
The low E string has me stumped. It's an identical problem with both guitars. Additionally, I discovered the B strings on both instruments is way louder than is acceptable.
Both guitars just had noise issues before the transducers were replaced - no issue with output or string balance. The foil on the original pickups had broken down and made them noisy. I thought the problem would just be down to uneven saddle pressure, or maybe a problem with the slots, though the chances of the same fault with both guitars seemed unlikely.
A thorough check on the slots shows them to be level, with no bumps or dips. The saddle is a nice fit and doesn't bind. I also used engineer's blue to mark the transducers and evaluate the contact area. There are six, even contact areas that show on the underside of the saddle and the transducer sits flat in the slot. I'm happy that the contact is as good as it can be.
The only major difference is that the transducers are much shorter than the OEM ones, though the string spacing is correct. The height of the Artec units is the same as the originals, so the break-angle is unaffected.
Each transducer appears to have good output from each element when tapped. There are no problems with the saddle tipping and losing contact and the transducer maintains alignment with the strings - the owner glued a little tab on the underside of the saddle to positively locate the transducer. Experimentally I later removed this to see if it was having any bearing on the problem. No change, though.
I've tried shimming the transducer to apply more or less pressure to the low E element and this didn't make any difference. Additionally I swapped the E and A strings and the problem remains.
Any ideas?
The low E string has me stumped. It's an identical problem with both guitars. Additionally, I discovered the B strings on both instruments is way louder than is acceptable.
Both guitars just had noise issues before the transducers were replaced - no issue with output or string balance. The foil on the original pickups had broken down and made them noisy. I thought the problem would just be down to uneven saddle pressure, or maybe a problem with the slots, though the chances of the same fault with both guitars seemed unlikely.
A thorough check on the slots shows them to be level, with no bumps or dips. The saddle is a nice fit and doesn't bind. I also used engineer's blue to mark the transducers and evaluate the contact area. There are six, even contact areas that show on the underside of the saddle and the transducer sits flat in the slot. I'm happy that the contact is as good as it can be.
The only major difference is that the transducers are much shorter than the OEM ones, though the string spacing is correct. The height of the Artec units is the same as the originals, so the break-angle is unaffected.
Each transducer appears to have good output from each element when tapped. There are no problems with the saddle tipping and losing contact and the transducer maintains alignment with the strings - the owner glued a little tab on the underside of the saddle to positively locate the transducer. Experimentally I later removed this to see if it was having any bearing on the problem. No change, though.
I've tried shimming the transducer to apply more or less pressure to the low E element and this didn't make any difference. Additionally I swapped the E and A strings and the problem remains.
Any ideas?
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