Loss of volume

[rocket]

Maybe somebody can shed some light on this!
I've installed a Benedetto B6 on an archtop, the instrument plays sweetly as an acoustic, but plugged in the B has a noticeable volume loss when the string is played open and loses gain at higher notes, i've tried a slightly heavier gauge on the B but really doesn't make any difference. The instrument is strung with D"addario flat wound chrome 12's.
I'd be grateful of any help on the subject!!!
Cheers,,,

Rod.

[kiwigeo]

Im not an archie expert but if a guitar plays fine in acoustic mode but there's a problem in electric mode then the pickup would be a logical place to focus attention.

Can you adjust distance between pickup and strings on treble side?

[rocket]

I can adjust the bridge Martin but the E and G are sweet. I'm with you on your theory, that was my first thought, but really i'm hoping some of the Oracles that lurk around this forum have some pearls of wisdom they could bestow on me other than "Rip that bloody faulty pup out of there and install a so and so" Rod!!
Cheers

[Taffy Evans]

Hi, you could try raising the screw under that string so that it is closer to the string than the others. With Humbuckers that have individual pole screws I screw them out to follow the radius of the strings, then adjust for balance if required. This may help.

[kiwigeo]

Taff, apparently the B6 has two blades which don't appear to be adjustable. The A6 pickup has adjustable pole pieces.

[Dominic]

Rod, how close is the pickup to the strings? Can you adjust it closer? If your wiring is all good, no dry solders etc and your lead is not faulty, I'd try and get the pickup or blades closer. As long as the magnet does not capture the string in its magnetic field. And your E and G may stay sweet. You could even shape the blades to get each string correct.
Good luck.
Dom

[kiwigeo]

As long as the magnet does not capture the string in its magnetic field.

Um maybe I'm missing something but doesn't the string have to be within the magnetic field around the pickup's permanent magnet for the pickup to work? If the string doesn't affect the flux of the magnetic field then there will be no signal induced in the coil.

[jeffhigh]

Dom is referring to "stratitis" where if you get the pole pieces too close to the strings they can actually pull the string out of tune.

[kiwigeo]

Dom is referring to "stratitis" where if you get the pole pieces too close to the strings they can actually pull the string out of tune.

Thanks Jeff.....that makes sense to me.

[rocket]

Um,, if i moved the pup closer to the strings and the B became louder, wouldn't the rest also? and therefore status quo is trumps?
The thing is, if the G and E are sweet, as are the E A and D, what are the variables? shit strings? shit pup? shit builder? i prefer to think it's not the latter. I don't hear too many votes for shit strings though.
Rod.
P.S. by the way, i appreciate your thoughts on this

[kiwigeo]

Um,, if i moved the pup closer to the strings and the B became louder, wouldn't the rest also? and therefore status quo is trumps?

The fact the pickup doesn't have pole pieces make same think along the same lines. You've tried changing strings already haven't you?

[rocket]

Not the whole set, just tried different gauge B's

[MBP]

Do notes along the b string change anything?


It sounds as if a pole piece has needs re magnetising but it appears the pickup doesnt actually have magnetic pole pieces.

Is it possible to split the coil and see if the same thing occurs?

[rocket]

THis is a sealed unit, no opening it up and stuffing around inside.
Rod.

[rocket]

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Here's a pic of the pup in situ, one of the gap between the pup and string,3mm, and one of the underside of an identical pup.
Rod.

[ozziebluesman]

G'day Rod,

Hmmmm, must be a faulty pickup. I have the same model installed in my archie which about 3 mm from the top of the pickup to the bottom of the first and sixth string. The pickup sounds great with good single string volume balance. In my experience it is not very often that you will find faulty guitars strings however I have seen a batch once where some of the strings where crimped during the final packaging phase.

Cheers

Alan

[Dominic]

Rod, that looks close enough but it wouldn't hurt to try. If that doesn't work you could be pretty sure you have a dud pickup.
I had the impression you were taking about a pickup with metal flat bar sticking up which is why I suggested shaping it. These are just like the sealed active pickups I use and they shouldn't need any string to string adjustment, they would have built compensation. I've never had a dud pick up, if anything is wrong for me it is always traced to a dry solder or something in the wiring.

Its just seems very unusual that a pick up would stop working on strings 6,5,4&1. Very strange indeed.

Dom

[simso]

The only real way of diagnosing is to measure the strength of the magnetic field at the string location and compare it to the others, I would concur with most other peoples thoughts that you have a dead pup, one of the pole pieces internally is not magnetised strong enough to induce the magnetic field needed

The device used to test is called a gauss meter, find a local pickup winding guy and they will have one (or should have one)

[ProfChris]

As a simpler test, why not (temporarily) move the pickup sideways a centimetre or so. If the problem moves to a different string, you have a faulty pickup.

This exhausts all the ideas I have about electrics, but it seems to me that it would work as a diagnostic and only take about 10 mins to try out.

[rocket]

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Did what Chris suggested,, it's official, the pickup is a piece of crap, shifted the whole assembly 9mm toward the treble, now the E is dead and the B is sweet, F@#***@#*K i'm pissed off,

Rod.

[rocket]

i wonder how Bob likes having his name on dodgy hardware??

[kiwigeo]

i wonder how Bob likes having his name on dodgy hardware??

Rod,

Benadetto have had issues from time to time with their pickups. From the accounts Ive seen the company is very prompt with replies to emails and tends to fix problems quickly.

http://benedettopickups.com/contact.htm

[rocket]

Thanks Martin , i sent link to this thread,,, see if any response
Rod.

[Nick]

Bob's pickup's carry his name but as can be seen by Martin's link, are manufactured by Seymour Duncan now (never have been made by the man himself, only to his specifications/requirements.The originals were made by Kent Armstrong) so I'd say it's more a quality control issue on the Duncan line, I've installed several of the Benedetto pups & never had an issue so I'd say it's like anything that is mass produced, you are bound to get the occassional lemon off the line. Just sorry it had to be you Rod As Martin said, I'm sure they will quickly sort out a solution for you (we'll I hope they would!).

[charangohabsburg]

Did what Chris suggested,, it's official, the pickup is a piece of crap, shifted the whole assembly 9mm toward the treble, now the E is dead and the B is sweet, F@#***@#*K i'm pissed off,

Rod.

...while I am glad the muted string was not the guitar's (your) fault .
(I hope) they certainly will replace the faulty item (shipping included of course) if they think the Benedetto label is something worth...