Used SE Cu24 w/ Upgrades; pups sound like blanket over them

[M3TAl]

Just got a used SE Cu24 with Mojotone DW Tomahawk Gen 2 (same pups that comes in the DW CE 24 “Floyd”) and they sound very meh. I have no experience with these pups so have no frame of reference for them.

In this guitar they sound very dark, wooly?, or like there's a blanket over the sound. Also they're supposed to be really hot pups but two of my other guitars in the same tuning with a Duncan JB and Kiesel Lithium both seem hotter.

Wondering if there's an issue with the install or electronics? And yes I've adjusted the pup heights which seem to honestly on this guitar not make much of a difference. Guess two more posts are needed before I can link pics of the control cavity but to my untrained eye it looks relatively normal. Seems to be the stock Alpha vol pot and push/pull tone.

 

[John Beef]

It could easily be a short involving the tone pot's capacitor. Yeah, we need pics. Make a couple quick posts so you can post a pic.

 

[M3TAl]

Let's see what I can cook up.

 

[M3TAl]

Still cooking...

 

[M3TAl]

Ok. Let's see if this Google Drive link works: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/12DvRy5Fvmpik6vXivPrjHY50FgX9Bsl5?usp=sharing . Let me know if pics of anything else is needed.

I will say the strings on the guitar are dead but then again so are the strings on the other two guitars used as comparison.

 

[SinSir]

I put a set of Tomahawks in my SE 30th CU24 Floyd and they sound amazing! Definitely not a blanket over them and they are change quite a bit depending on pickup height. I also ripped out the SE electronics and replaced them all with core pots, blade, and jack. I actually pulled the entire kit from a DW CE that went fishmans.

Before that I had JB/Jazz in there with SE electronics. Sounded really good, way better than the stock pickups (HFS/VBs), but once I did the electronics swap and Mojotones it went quite a bit further up the ladder. Honestly as far as this guitar can go, perfection.

 

[M3TAl]

Good to hear your experience. I did kind of buy this SE to possibly do upgrades on it (nut, tremolo, possibly wiring) but something must be wrong with it considering how bad it sounds.

My fear is reaming holes and upgrading the electronics for it to turn out still sounding the way it does now. That would be no bueno.

 

[SinSir]

https://www.mojotone.com/Pickup_Diagrams/CTS_Push-Pull_Pot_WD.pdf

https://www.mojotone.com/Pickup_Diagrams/Mojotone_Humbucker_Wiring.jpg

https://www.mojotone.com/pickup-schematics-faqs

https://d159anurvk4929.cloudfront.net/documents/se_customs_standards__wiring_schematics.pdf

 

[John Beef]

Sadly the tone cap and stuff is under all the coil splitting circuits and I can't really see anything that would be causing that, but that doesn't mean it's not there. When you adjust the tone, like when you're playing, does the tone actually change?

There's a grey wire running between the volume and tone. Inside the grey wire is a white wire and a bare wire. I think that white wire is going to the middle lug on the tone pot. If you disconnect that, and try it out, you'll know for sure if the wiring around the tone pot is the problem. I don't know if that makes sense.

 

[Wakester]

How are your soldering skills?

Based in what i can see, most of those solder connections are horrible and may be the primary cause of your tone issues. If you can't fix it take it to a tech that can. Just my 2 cents.

 

[aphantomvaper]

How are your soldering skills?

Based in what i can see, most of those solder connections are horrible and may be the primary cause of your tone issues. If you can't fix it take it to a tech that can. Just my 2 cents.

I'll second that!

 

[M3TAl]

I've soldered before but not amazing at it. My skill, or lack thereof, is limited by a crummy weak iron. Already decided I'm going to get a half decent soldering station, pre wired electronics, reamer, nut, bridge, and go to town on it.

Probably won't be finished until January.

 

[M3TAl]

An update.

Just finished putting all new electronics in. Reaming holes with the el-cheapo harbor freight reamer was super easy. It's a pre-wired harness from huddysguitarshop.com. Everything is working and sounds good. Turning the pots feels much better/higher quality. Only issue is the knobs fit super loose on the pot shaft, to the point of engaging the push/pull causes the knob to come right off. The guitar came used with what looks like the PRS USA Lampshade knobs unless these are a knockoff. I thought they would fit these CTS pots, guess not?

PRS core nut install almost done. It just needs a little more tweaking then glue it in.

Will also install a Chinese Musiclilly brass 2-piece tremolo... I know not the quality Mann tremolo but I'm cheap. We'll see how it turns out. It looks/feels quality at least.

There's some high frets on this guitar. The 24th fret is especially bad. Might take a whack at fret leveling and crowning on down the road too as another guitar of mine is in serious need of a leveling.

 

[Wakester]

An update.

Just finished putting all new electronics in. Reaming holes with the el-cheapo harbor freight reamer was super easy. It's a pre-wired harness from huddysguitarshop.com. Everything is working and sounds good. Turning the pots feels much better/higher quality. Only issue is the knobs fit super loose on the pot shaft, to the point of engaging the push/pull causes the knob to come right off. The guitar came used with what looks like the PRS USA Lampshade knobs unless these are a knockoff. I thought they would fit these CTS pots, guess not?

PRS core nut install almost done. It just needs a little more tweaking then glue it in.

Will also install a Chinese Musiclilly brass 2-piece tremolo... I know not the quality Mann tremolo but I'm cheap. We'll see how it turns out. It looks/feels quality at least.

There's some high frets on this guitar. The 24th fret is especially bad. Might take a whack at fret leveling and crowning on down the road too as another guitar of mine is in serious need of a leveling.

'lil Huddys does some nice work, good choice. There are 2 ways to tighten up the Knob on the shaft; a: if it is a split shaft, gently spread the shaft apart with a flat screwdriver. 2: wrap the shaft with plumbers teflon tape, until the knob fits firm and stays on when you pull up to go into split coil mode. Or, there is always superglue you are not looking to replace the knobs ever. Just don't become too attached to the knobs if you know what I mean.

As for the bridge, you are definitely taking a step down from what is normally installed in the SE's. I get price is a critical consideration, (it took 3 years before I had the cash in hand to buy a Mann/PRS Hybrid for my 24.), but there is no substitute for quality. The SE bridge is not bad, just a little quirky and what the Musiclily wishes it can be. The Mann Bridge is just superior to everything. Keep plugging, before long you will have the guitar you will be proud of.