I have an Ibanez Artcore AXD81, which is a single f-hole semi-hollow in a Les Paul style body with two humbucker pickups.
(Some abstract pics here)
I like the guitar's tone when using the neck pickup clean (thick and bluesy) but it gets muddy when using distortion.
With both pickups active the tone is okay - brighter than with only the neck, but still reasonably full.
But with only the bridge pickup active, the tone is thin and nasal - I'd say "microphonic" but to an extreme. It is absolutely terrible clean or distorted. No bottom end whatsoever.
I have EQ'd it, played with the guitar's tone control, raised the p/up height, lowered it, drank lots of beer, but nothing seems to help.
I'd like it to sound good with a little distortion, a vintage R&R tone. Right now it's like a tiny AM transistor radio being played at max volume in a shoebox.
I've read that this type of tone problem can happen if a humbucker is "out of phase". What does that mean? Can this be the problem, given that the neck pickup sounds good? Should I just be satisfied with the other settings and forget about using the bridge by itself?
Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
"Everybody got to elevate from the norm."
Sounds as if you have a real problem, but not likely out of phase wiring.
First, realize that bridge pups will generally sound thinner and harsher. This is because that position picks up a lot more harmonic energy and also samples the fundamentals at a lower amplitude point (string displacement is greater near its midpoint for the fundamental tone.)
Out of phase wiring requires two of something to be out of phase. For classic configuration humbucker guitars, that means the center switch position is only place where out of phase wiring would be noticed, as this is the only configuration that connects the two pups together and OOP wiring would cause some attenuation and cancellation of some frequency compenents.
The only OOP issue you might have with a single pup selected would be if the humbucker's two coils are wired incorrectly. It's a possibility, and would cause extreme level loss and no bass. Also possible is a shorted coil. This would lower the level plus make the timbre much more tinny sounding -- it's actually the same as splitting the humbucker. This would not be as bad as a miswired pup. Does the bridge humbucker seem more susceptible to hum than the neck humbucker? If so, then a coil is probably shorted or the pups coils miswired. Either case is a pup defect, not a guitar wiring issue. Another possibility is that your guitar has a defective coil tapping switch that always shorts one coil. But I don't see any mention of a coil tap in the web description. So it's probably just a bad pup.
You should take it to a store and compare it to a similar model. The defect would be obvious then.
BTW, "microphonic" means something acts like a microphone, picking up acoustic sounds directly -- e.g., tap on the pup => hear that tap come out of the amp. It doesn't mean it sounds like a microphone. Microphonic pups are known for sounding very "alive," as well as feeding back easily.
-=tension & release=-
Thanks for your response Gnease!
The only OOP issue you might have with a single pup selected would be if the humbucker's two coils are wired incorrectly. It's a possibility, and would cause extreme level loss and no bass.
What's odd is that the overall volume level seems okay, with the top of the pup's screws about 3/32" from the strings. But no bass. I could handle a little thinner/harsher sound if it had some semblance of low end.
Also possible is a shorted coil. This would lower the level plus make the timbre much more tinny sounding -- it's actually the same as splitting the humbucker. This would not be as bad as miswire pup. Does the bridge humbucker seem more susceptible to hum than the neck humbucker? If so, then a coil is probably shorted or that one pups coils miswired.
It's a little more susceptible to hum, but I hadn't really paid attention before. But it does not sound like what I would expect from a split humbucker - wouldn't that just be more of a single coil sound? It's definitely not like what I've heard from guitars with single coil bridge pups. I was playing around with a friend's Squire Tele the other day, and the bridge setting had real depth compared to mine.
Another possibility is that your guitar has a defective coil tapping switch that always shorts one coil.
No, no coil tap.
You should take it to a store and compare it to a similar model. The defect would be obvious then.
I'm definitely going to do that. One of the GCs near me has a tech on hand, so hopefully I can get him to take a listen.
BTW, "microphonic" means something acts like a microphone, picking up acoustic sounds directly -- e.g., tap on the pup => hear that tap come out of the amp. It doesn't mean it sounds like a microphone. Microphonic pups are known for sounding very "alive," as well as feeding back easily.
Ha ha - well, thanks, I learned something. Do you remember the "Mr. Microphone" toy? That's more what I had in mind. :lol:
"Everybody got to elevate from the norm."
