X160 Rockabilly, High E string Low volume, Low E loud

[Tom Chip]

Hi I have a Guild X160 Rockabilly. When I play it, regardless of the switch settings and the tone control, the high E sting is well below half the volume of the A, D, G & B strings, and the low E is almost twice as loud as the A, D, G & B strings . Adjusting pole heights does not change the volume. I tapped the poles under each string and the high E is substantially quieter that all the others, and the low E is VERY loud. So out came the endoscope, and then I pulled the neck pickup to see it clearly. The Pups appear to be similar to the Darmond 2000's in GAD's (Excellent) write up on the X160, except that the wiring is different and appears to have been modified, there are old solder points and maybe glue where the wire anchors would secure the insulated wire. Could it be that the wiring is set up to drop the high E and boost the low E? Whatchatink?
Tom

 

[Shakeylee]

Does it happen with both pickups? With various string sets?

I would check if there are funky capacitors on your pots .

I am sure a more knowledgeable forum member will have some better suggestions.

 

[cupric]

New E string?

 

[Walter Broes]

The ground wire has been changed a little on your pickup, but it really doesn't change anything, certainly not sound wise. And yes, they are the stock 2000's your guitar most likely came with.

You mention it's in all switch positions...so on both pickups...?

What string gauge are you using? Is there any string balance weirdness unplugged?

 

[Tom Chip]

The ground wire has been changed a little on your pickup, but it really doesn't change anything, certainly not sound wise. And yes, they are the stock 2000's your guitar most likely came with.

You mention it's in all switch positions...so on both pickups...?

What string gauge are you using? Is there any string balance weirdness unplugged?

Hi,
Thanks for the suggestions.

upon close comparison with GAD's photo my pick ups only have 1 white wire, and a ground shield, whereas the photo shows 3 wires, a brown, black and the shielding, I guess electronically it's the same thing if the black wire is just going to ground somewhere else.

Yes both pickups demonstrate the same symptoms, soft high (1st) E, loud low E (6th).

Strings are 10 -46, The High E has been replaced with a new 10 , with no change.

I suspected the bridge for awhile but moving the string out of it's groove did not make a change in volume,

Acoustically (un-plugged) the volume is balanced across all the strings, so I really think its electronic.

The volume and tone knobs function appropriately across all 3 switch positions, (Neck, Both, Bridge)

I guess the E coil windings could fail, but on both pickups?

Shakeylee, From what I've gleaned from stalking guitar electronic websites, my impression is that the caps on the pots have something to do with the tone knob, so wouldn't that affect all the strings, and if the tone knob works, that would mean the cap is good... But checking the caps to see if they work might be fun, could charge them up and toss one to my wife to see if it's still good....

Thanks again for responding, nice group here.
Tom

 

[Walter Broes]

I guess the E coil windings could fail, but on both pickups?

No, there's only one coil in the pickup, for all six strings. The coil works, or it's shorted out, and then you get no signal across the board or very very weak signal.

The only thing I can really think of is that the high E poles on both your pickups became demagnetized somehow, but that's highly unlikely because
-it wouldn't explain your loud low E
-Objects or events that would demagnetize your pickup would probably demagnetize the whole thing (?)

One thing you could try if the pickup connection and the guitar body routes allow it, is to flip a pickup so the low E pole ends up under the high E, and see what happens.

 

[Tom Chip]

No, there's only one coil in the pickup, for all six strings. The coil works, or it's shorted out, and then you get no signal across the board or very very weak signal.

The only thing I can really think of is that the high E poles on both your pickups became demagnetized somehow, but that's highly unlikely because
-it wouldn't explain your loud low E
-Objects or events that would demagnetize your pickup would probably demagnetize the whole thing (?)

One thing you could try if the pickup connection and the guitar body routes allow it, is to flip a pickup so the low E pole ends up under the high E, and see what happens.

Walter, You were listening as I was falling asleep last night!!! I was just slipping off and thought... What If I turned them around.... ZZZZZzzzz I'll try flipping them around tomorrow....That's if my wife will let me step away from the trains
Thanks
.

 

[SFIV1967]

The only thing I can really think of is that the high E poles on both your pickups became demagnetized somehow, but that's highly unlikely because -it wouldn't explain your loud low E

Is it possible on those pickups to unscrew a single polepiece and exchange it with another one from the pickup? (Like you can do on humbuckers)
Ralf

 

[Guildedagain]

Unsolder one leg of the tone cap and see what happens.

 

[Walter Broes]

Is it possible on those pickups to unscrew a single polepiece and exchange it with another one from the pickup? (Like you can do on humbuckers)
Ralf

On the old ones, kind of, on the 2000's the attachment to the pole height mechanism is hidden inside the pickup. I wouldn't want to mess with it, in any case.

 

[Shakeylee]

does this happen across multiple amps?

 

[Tom Chip]

does this happen across multiple amps?

HI
Yes 3 differrent amplifiers
Tom

 

[Tom Chip]

Update:
I spun the pickups 180 degrees, sure enough high E was better, (but not 100%) and the low E dropped out almost completely, just to make sure I raised and lowered the poles and there was no difference, something funky is going on in the pick ups. I've ordered a set of T-Armond Bridge and Neck pickups in white from TV Jones, and just for the heck of it, a roller bridge. Thanks for all the suggestions! Will let you know how it shakes out.
Regardless of this little issue I am really loving this guitar. Been playing a Martin d-28 dreadnought all my life, 2 years ago went back to my R&R roots with a 1970 Crestwood ES335 knock off that I upgraded and restored.. my "Not A Gibson" The other old fogies in my jam band said "you should Get a Strat!!" So I did, 4 weeks ago, an American Performer Strat... GEEZ I dislike that thing. I had to modify the saddle action screws to stop ripping my wrist up, and the bridge is so close to the strap button, that everything is shifted to the right and my big belly gets in the way!!! No wonder BB King plays an ES335! Anyhoo the Guild 160 Rockabilly is just the perfect guitar for me. Large body like the Martin, it's acoustic Country sounding when I'm calling square Dances, and rocks with the old fogies when jamming to Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones and the Grateful Dead. Damn... I think I found my soul mate...
Tom

 

[Tom Chip]

Update:
Finding a roller saddle to fit the Bigsby Bridge proved challenging. Failing that, I tried to find a 12" radius archtop floating bridge with roller saddles, that also proved quite difficult, it seems those all have a 14" radius. So for trouble shooting purposes I purchased an inexpensive Chrome Tune-O-Matic M4 Bridge w/Roller Saddles that fits Gibson Les Paul, SG, and Gretsch electrics. It had the appropriate 12" radius and 2 1/4" string spread, but the saddle post holes were 3/32 narrower than the Bigsby saddle. So I put the posts and anchors in the spare parts box and elongated the post holes on the roller saddle to fit the Bigsby bridge post spread.

The roller saddle completely fixed the uneven volume of the E strings! Apparently the problem is with the Bigsby saddle E string slot. There is now bright, clear, even, volume and tone across all 6 strings. I'm not sure that the metal Bigsby rocker saddle can be re-slotted or not.

So the pick ups were not the problem. The T-Armond pick ups I ordered will be here in a week or so, I plan on installing them anyway since so many of you really like them.

Thanks for all your input.
And I'm REALLY loving this guitar...
Tom