[Kurt R Kish]

Dimarzio DP103 (36th neck)
Duncan Classic Stack (original one)

I know both DMZ's and DNCN's color code-
I just don't know if I need to reverse either pickup's hot/ground wires to match the polarity of each pickup.

I also know how to check it out but was just hoping to get it right the first time. I wanted to avoid having to re-do it after I assemble the pickguard (2 pickup guitar).

thanks

[Kurt R Kish]

I just discovered (by good ole trial and error), FWIW this pickup combo needs to havenonevof the pickup reversed from manufacturer's specs. So I just made the Duncan's green the hot wire and made black and bare the ground.

dunzo!

[Kurt R Kish]

okay- weirdness seems to be happening.

The standard way- DMZ black/white together, red hot, green ground
and Duncan red/white together, black hot, green ground sounded skunky.
So I reversed the Duncan's hot- ground wires- made green hot and black & bare ground (which has worked before), but it still sounds s k u n k y.

Do I need to change the Duncan coils: black/green together and use the red and white for hot and ground?!

[greenlion]

The only time the two pickups will affect each other is when your switch is in the middle position running both of them together. If they sound weird individually, there is something else wrong besides being out of phase. In what position(s) are you having trouble?

[idsnowdog]

For Duncan the bare/green go to ground and white/red are twisted together and black goes to the hot lug. 

For the Dimarzio the bare/green go to ground and black/white are twisted together and red goes to the hot lug.

[darkbluemurder]

What I do if I don't know the phase of a pickup and want to know beforehand (say in a strat where I would have to take the pickguard off to change the connections) is the following:

Measure with a multimeter between hot and ground (on the DiMarzio red as hot and green as ground. While keeping the connections, place some needle nose pliers on top of the pickup. Now lift the pliers and watch the multimeter - does it go up or down in reading?

Now do the same with the other pickup. Any two pickups where the meter moves in the same direction are in phase with each other for the measured connections. This test is easy, accurate and saves a lot of time and aggravation.

If it's a guitar with a rear route I usually skip this test and just rewire if it's out of phase.

Cheers Stephan