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524 Views 8 Replies Latest reply: Feb 18, 2013 11:26 AM by PanosACDC RSS
stb3222 Just Startin'
stb3222
1 posts since
Jan 28, 2012
Currently Being Moderated

Jan 28, 2012 3:50 PM

Spider IV 150 with EMG 81/85 Issues

Hey guys, I hope some one here can help out. I have the spider IV 150. One of my guitars ( Ibanez MTM2 ) with active Duncan pickups works great and sounds amazing but my other guitar an Epiphone Zakk Wyle Les Paul with EMG 81/85 is having some issues but only on this amp. When I use the neck pickup the all is well but when I switch to the bridge pickup the volume cuts out when turning volume past 5 or 6, no sound at all. The strangest part of this is when I take the guitar and play it through any other amp it works fine. Any thoughts?

  • Tojo89 Just Startin'
    Tojo89
    1 posts since
    Apr 6, 2012
    Currently Being Moderated
    Apr 6, 2012 8:57 PM (in response to stb3222)
    Re: Spider IV 150 with EMG 81/85 Issues

    Hey there stb3222 I find this post somewhat very identical to my situation. I have(ZW) EMG 81 85 pick ups as well. I built my guitar and wired it all myself. Now when I finshed I had this same exact problem. Mind you I have a line 6 Spider III 30watt. I would Crank the guitar get great sound past 7 it would cut out on both pickups bridge and neck. First inital thought was "Ok I didn't ground properly" after many refrences back to the wiring diagram and much troubleshooting, I gave up. I had my guitar hooked straight to the amp no pedals nothing..So one day I decided too give it a go one more time, but this time I had all my pedals hooked up. It would crank to 10. I figured hm..stroke of luck. Tonight It cut out on me. My solder actually came loose. But when I resoldered my wire, and plugged it in. It was doing the same thing again..cutting out at 7. I began to become overly fustrated, so I checked my cables. Assumed maybe too much curling on the wire caused my input cords to short out. Nothing. So I decided to hook my pedals. It would crank to 10...I was and still somewhat now overly confused, but then I did some trial and error's I have an RP 80 model processor, so I figured maybe digitech is making my amp gain that extra sound. So I figured its because of the model processor ( since the amps tend to get a bit louder with pedals) it was just allowing me to hear it. So I took off my digitech only kept my RC 2 loop station plugged in, and it would magically crank to 10.

     

    You should try using one pedal into your set up. And see if it continues to cut out. Maybe its a defect in Spider Amps that cannot handle the pots or even the pickup's..odd. This was going off of a whim when my Girlfriend randomly said "Maybe its too powerful" I laughed to myself, but lol be hold she gave me some insight.

    • fflbrgst Power User
      fflbrgst
      1,292 posts since
      Mar 6, 2011
      Currently Being Moderated
      Sep 18, 2012 5:21 AM (in response to Tojo89)
      Re: Spider IV 150 with EMG 81/85 Issues

      When you guys mention that the sound cuts out when you crank it to 5/6 or 7 - is this amp volume, or the guitar control volume?

       

      These are active pickups (battery power), right?  If the volume cuts out when you turn up the guitar volume, it would be due to the increased voltage from the guitar not being within the amp's input range.  If it is the amp volume, it doesn't make much sense.

       

      Either way, this issue should be brought to Line 6's attention!

      • sludlow3 Just Startin'
        sludlow3
        9 posts since
        Nov 30, 2010
        Currently Being Moderated
        Sep 18, 2012 9:57 AM (in response to fflbrgst)
        Re: Spider IV 150 with EMG 81/85 Issues

        I have an Ibanez with SD blackouts that I wired myself and have never had a problem on my spider iv 75. But unlike emgs, it's useless to do an 18 volt mod. Now I've seen a few threads about this already and it's always with emgs, which makes me wonder If people with these problems have done the 18volt mod and neglect to say It thInkIng It shouldnt make a dIfference. Not sayIng It should have an effect on  the amp, but just somthIng to be curIous about.

  • HairBear Just Startin'
    HairBear
    2 posts since
    Sep 17, 2012
    Currently Being Moderated
    Sep 17, 2012 4:44 PM (in response to stb3222)
    Re: Spider IV 150 with EMG 81/85 Issues

    Thank the gods I had found this thread! I have this exact same problem. I have EMG's and a Spider IV 75. I wonder if it could be a battery voltage level thing? Another thing I noticed is the pickup will sound out for a fraction of a second when strummed or plucked very hard.

    • fflbrgst Power User
      fflbrgst
      1,292 posts since
      Mar 6, 2011
      Currently Being Moderated
      Sep 18, 2012 12:36 PM (in response to HairBear)
      Re: Spider IV 150 with EMG 81/85 Issues

      This definitely sounds like a voltage or impedance problem.  Evidently the active pickups put out a signal that overdrives the input circuit on the amp, causing it to cut out.  The simple solution, as proposed above is to put a stompbox pedal in the signal chain, which will act as a conditioner - jsut make sure the box you use does not have 'true bypass'. 

      I would suggest that anyone having this problem contact the Line 6 Technical Support center (link up at the top right of these pages) and let them know so that the next generation Spiders can get this resolved.

  • HairBear Just Startin'
    HairBear
    2 posts since
    Sep 17, 2012
    Currently Being Moderated
    Nov 24, 2012 10:21 AM (in response to stb3222)
    Re: Spider IV 150 with EMG 81/85 Issues

    Fixed! Why this affects the spider amp only is beyond me, but, the problem for me was the 3-way toggle switch. The contacts are just worn or dirty enough to cause a slight change in impedance, causing the weird problems as described above.

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