NGD with Seymour Duncan Livewire Metal pickups (questions)

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RJF

RJF

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I recently picked up a Jackson KE2 in eerie dess swirl and it has the Seymour Duncan Livewire Metal pickups in it. These are the over the top, throw your boost in the garbage, 18v pups that they made for a while before the Blackout series came out. When I first played it, I thought they were WAY too hot because it was a complete muddy mess. It had fat 11-52's on it in drop B, and after a new set of 9-46's in D standard, that helped some. What I found though, is that if I roll the volume off a little it cleans up really well and some actual tone becomes present. Tightens up nicely, clearer, and reminds me of a Duncan Distortion.

My question is, what could I do with the electronics in this guitar to limit some of the output? It has 100K pots in it now. It sounds great with the volume at about half, as a reference. Trying to set the pot at half every time I turn the volume on is annoying and would like to get it tamed to where it sounds like this with the pot all the way on like normal. Different volume pot? Resister?
 
Dude that guitar is killer :rock: Don't have an answer for the electronics but maybe lower the pickups super low if you haven't already tried that. Where did you pick up the guitar?
 
I'd post the question over on the Seymour Duncan forum. If there's an answer...they'll have it. Have you tried to lower the PuPs at all?
 
Have you checked the diagrams on the Seymour Duncan site? That 100k pot seems suspect. EMGs and Blackouts use 25k pots. Not sure why this would be different but it's worth looking into.
 
I got a pair of livewires when they first came out and I remember being weirded out by the 100k pot too. I thought they put the wrong parts in the package or something :lol: :LOL:
 
I told you they were hot! :D

How do you feel about the color in person?
 
EOT":14vk64fn said:
I told you they were hot! :D

How do you feel about the color in person?
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Yes they are. I think they are capable of some great tone, like a very hot passive, if I can get that bridge pup tamed down.

As far as the finish, it's pretty cool. I always thougth the EDS finish was more of a chameleon type finish that actually changed colors depending on light, but obviously not. I probably wouldn't buy a new KE2 in this finish, but it is pretty cool too. What I really want is a Kelly in the silver swirl, agent orange, and the hard to find trans red. There was a mint trans red KE2 on Ebay a couple months ago that sold for $1K, I should have bought it. :doh:

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Here is one in my collection with a custom paint job. :yes:
 
The livewires use 100K pots for some reason, compared to the other actives that use 25K pots. What would happen if I swapped the volume pot for a 25K instead of the 100K?
 
Is that a ghost flame on the bottom pic? That's pretty sweet!

I guess you could always try a 25k pot and see what happens. Have you checked the wiring in there? I put the pickups in it. It's very possible that I may have done it wrong. I'm not really an expert in that area. I mean they worked, and did what I needed from them, but you never know :confused:
 
EOT":1zy2fqhd said:
Is that a ghost flame on the bottom pic? That's pretty sweet!

I guess you could always try a 25k pot and see what happens. Have you checked the wiring in there? I put the pickups in it. It's very possible that I may have done it wrong. I'm not really an expert in that area. I mean they worked, and did what I needed from them, but you never know :confused:
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It appears everything is wired correctly.
 
?????


What would happen if the volume 100K pot was switched out to a 25K pot?
 
RJF":1tlt8n98 said:
?????


What would happen if the volume 100K pot was switched out to a 25K pot?
Click to expand...

Same thing as if you swapped out a 500K for a 250k pot? Less gain and highs I'd imagine. It's less resistance.
 
i used to use the heavy metal live wire back when they first came out. loved them for amps that didn't quite have enough. dont need that kinda output anymore with this new generation of high gain heads.

you can run them on one battery.
 
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