Easy reliable way to test the polarity of your guitar pickups with a multimeter

[jonesy]

Good test to do if you are mixing different brands of pickups and may save you some problems before you install them in your guitar.

100% reliable when done correctly.

 

[Big John]

This should be a sticky. I've used this for years. In fact, I used it about 2 weeks ago on a bud's strat, matching up a JB-Jr. at the bridge with a pair of Dimarzio singles.

 

[Roxy13]

Here is a question I have after talking to another member. He has a Japanese HB that is reverse wound to every other pickup he's tried pairing with it so it's always out of phase he says no matter which way the magnet is. Is there any way to fix that?

 

[ErictheRed]

Here is a question I have after talking to another member. He has a Japanese HB that is reverse wound to every other pickup he's tried pairing with it so it's always out of phase he says no matter which way the magnet is. Is there any way to fix that?

Yes, how many conductors does it have?

 

[Roxy13]

Yes, how many conductors does it have?

Let me call him to the thread since I don't actually know, and I believe he'd like to fix it and use it if he can. And I'd like to see the answer as well.

@Brazilnut

 

[ErictheRed]

I've got my hands full at the moment or I'd draw a little diagram. But in addition to swapping the magnet, you can also reverse the Hot and Ground leads obviously. If that's not enough, a four-conductor pickup can always be corrected to be in phase with only a wiring change.

The convention by which humbuckers are referenced is kind of weird, but they basically go outside in: the humbuckers have the slugs North and the screws South by convention (I'm sure someone out there does it opposite, or you have two rows of screws, etc.). The Hot lead starts at the "top" of the slug side (North Start) and runs to the bottom of the slug (North Finish). The Ground lead starts at the "bottom" of the screw side (South start) and runs to the top of the screw side (South Finish). Normally you call North Start Hot, then short North Finish and South Finish together (this is the center of the humbucker), then call South Start Ground. So a normally wired Hot to Ground signal goes from North start to North finish/Sout finish to South start.

In addition swapping the magnets and swapping the Hot and Ground leads, you can also wire a four conductor pickup "inside out." You can take the Hot to be South Finish, wired through the screws to South Start. Now this is shorted to North Start which runs through the slugs to North Finish. So you've traversed the entire humbucker "inside out." In this way you can fix any phase issue.

 

[jonesy]

Here is a question I have after talking to another member. He has a Japanese HB that is reverse wound to every other pickup he's tried pairing with it so it's always out of phase he says no matter which way the magnet is. Is there any way to fix that?

Not possible, magnet flip will change polarity unless it's done wrong. Or just flip flop hot + and neg. - leads. It's that simple.

 

[ErictheRed]

Not possible, magnet flip will change polarity unless it's done wrong. Or just flip flop hot + and neg. - leads. It's that simple.

True but I was thinking that they might be having a problem with one coil or the other for coil tapping. You can also fix a phase issue by rewiring it only and not have to swap magnets on a four conductor pickup.

 

[Roxy13]

I don't think he's into coil tapping, but he can tell us if that's the case.