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i just took my paul to have it wired. i have a duncan distortion in the bridge and a dimarzio virtual paf in the neck. heres my problem. the sd is only about half as loud as the neck pup. whats the problem? i had wired it myself first and that was the problem i was having so i took it to another pro for him to try it and its still doing the same thing. i am 100% sure that the neck pup is for the neck and the bridge pup is for the bridge, so why isn't the duncan giving the output that it should? any ideas? also, all the pots, switch and jack are brand new, so i dont think thats where the problem lies.

sounds like only one coil is working. check the dc resistance of both coils to see if they are both kicking, if you find one is lower than 8k, its probably dead

At the risk of pointing out the obvious, you realize they have different color codes. If you wire the Distortion the same way as the DMZ, it will be split.

we checked and both are working, its got me completely confused. when you hook it up with the coils split, it has about the same output, just a little less full sounding. when i first got the guitar it was fine, so im figuring that the wires are not hooked up exactly the way they should be. can you post a wiring diagram for it? i would greatly appreciate it.

also, when i say we've checked the coils, i mean that when you touch them with a screwdriver they both pop with a signal when its wired not to be split. if one coil is dead, what can i do to remedy the problem?


Originally Posted by hellrider77also, when i say we've checked the coils, i mean that when you touch them with a screwdriver they both pop with a signal when its wired not to be split. if one coil is dead, what can i do to remedy the problem?

All you can really do is either return the pickup if even possible, if you can't try to find some one that can fix pickups. It could be something like a broken coil wire.

I don't know the DMZ color codes off the top of my head, but the Duncan should go:
Green amp; Bare to ground
Black (hot) to the switch or 1st lug on the volume knob
Red amp; White soldered together

DMZ is slightly different:

Red is hot
black and white go together
Green is ground.

Here's a good link:

from : localhost/

Note: They have a mistake in that chart. They show Benedetto as the same as DMZ. They're made by SD and match SD colors.

You really need an ohm meter to check the DC resistance of the Distortion.

Just because the pots are new does not mean that one of them is out of spec, meter those as well.

I bet Artie's right, and they're both wired with the DiMarzio diagram.

The bridge might be wired out of phase,

I have seen Les Paul 3 way switches that are bad do this same exact thing(even brand new switches)!!!!

It could be a bad ground.

You need to get in there with an ohm meter and check it out and also check the continuity on everything to make sure everything is connected properly to where you want it.

Dont tell me that you and your buddy are pro's and dont have a good multi meter between you 2?


Originally Posted by theodieThe bridge might be wired out of phase,

I have seen Les Paul 3 way switches that are bad do this same exact thing(even brand new switches)!!!!

It could be a bad ground.

You need to get in there with an ohm meter and check it out and also check the continuity on everything to make sure everything is connected properly to where you want it.

Dont tell me that you and your buddy are pro's and dont have a good multi meter between you 2?

i dont have a meter, i really dont know the first thing about electronics other than following a diagram, thats why i took it to him. he's a wiz at that kinda stuff. he used some kinda beepin machine with a couple of wires and clips comin from it to check some stuff, but i was lost the whole time. i will take it back to him tomarrow and see what happens. if you got a guitar thats busted to splinters, i can handle it, but when it comes to solving something electrical, i would have a better chance pissin up a rope.

First off, just look at what color wire is going to what from the Duncan. That would either prove or eliminate the idea that it'll be a super easy fix.

i figured it out and fixed it. the red wire had made contact to the pot for a ground. i took it off and put it together with the green and taped them off and its soundin like it should. thanks for all the help guys. i learn something new everyday.