Please help with my humbucker! First attempt = possible fail

[John Carlsen]

Hey guys,

I have a problem with my wiring and such. I'm still not clear about how humbuckers need to be wired to be in series. I followed what I thought to be Dimarzio's color example, but I put the pickup in and it sounds super thin and there is still hum. I assume that means they're out of phase or something. Anywho, it is wound with 42 gauge wire, uses 4 conductor hookup wire and no cover. pretty standard. Here is how I have it wired:
North start: Red
North finish: Black
South start: Green
South finish: White

Now, I know that the pickup is fine as each coil reads about 3.7k and 7.6k all together. I have it in my guitar so that black and white wires are tied to each other and taped off, then green and bare to ground and red to hot. Soooo, yeah, I'm kinda confused. In series wiring, should it be "South start-->South finish-->North start-->North finish"? Or, the way I have it: "South start-->South finish-->North finish-->North start.

I guess maybe I'm confused about all this parallel, series, out of phase stuff. I'm used to only winding single coils, been doing that for a long time, but it's my first bat at humbuggies. Help please!!

[big_teee]

Yes you feed a start lead of one coil.
Tie the 2 finish leads together.
tie the start lead of the other end to Ground.
I do it similar to StewMac.
STEWMAC.COM : Instructions for Humbucker Kit
This shows all the color codes also.
Wiring Diagram
Good Luck,
Terry

[John Carlsen]

Now here's the question. If the two starts are used for hot and ground, then are both coils wound the same direction? The thing is, I currently have the two starts as hot and ground and the two finishes tied off and the pickup is super thing and with hardly any power at all. So, do I need to reverse anything. My coils are currently rw from each other so are they generally wound the same way with this wiring?

[big_teee]

Now here's the question. If the two starts are used for hot and ground, then are both coils wound the same direction? The thing is, I currently have the two starts as hot and ground and the two finishes tied off and the pickup is super thing and with hardly any power at all. So, do I need to reverse anything. My coils are currently rw from each other so are they generally wound the same way with this wiring?

Recheck your wiring and make sure it is like you say.
If you used four wire you can change it around at the guitar without rewiring the pickup.
Also make sure your magnet is properly charged.
Most of us feed the slug coil and make it north.
Just like the Seymour Layout shows it.
Also make sure you put a keeper bar on the bottom of the screw coil.
I have left that out before by mistake, and you don't get as much magnetism.
If you follow the StewMac guide it should work.
And yes I wind both coils the same direction.
If you didn't wind them the same, then you would have to tie a start and a finish together.
On Humbuckers I wind both coils counter Clockwise.
However that doesn't matter as long as they are both the same.
Is this a problem with just one pickup or when playing both pickups in parrallel?
Good Luck,
Terry

[John Carlsen]

Recheck your wiring and make sure it is like you say.
If you used four wire you can change it around at the guitar without rewiring the pickup.
Also make sure your magnet is properly charged.
Most of us feed the slug coil and make it north.
Just like the Seymour Layout shows it.
Also make sure you put a keeper bar on the bottom of the screw coil.
I have left that out before by mistake, and you don't get as much magnetism.
If you follow the StewMac guide it should work.
And yes I wind both coils the same direction.
If you didn't wind them the same, then you would have to tie a start and a finish together.
On Humbuckers I wind both coils counter Clockwise.
However that doesn't matter as long as they are both the same.
Is this a problem with just one pickup or when playing both pickups in parrallel?
Good Luck,
Terry

Terry, you are absolutely the best. I just switched wires (now, I will normally wind both coils the same) and it sounds amazing!! Holy smokes, I was not expecting it to sound that good. Now I know why people rant and rave over PAFs! You were right about my problem, since the coils are rw from each other, i connected the start and finish of the two coils and then used the other start and finish for hot and ground. This is the only humbuggie I've wound, so I'm so glad I asked about it now. Thanks for all your help, and I hope this thread helps another poor soul like me at some point!

John