"In" or "Out of Phase"

Howdy all.
I'm replacing the bridge pup in my 2008 MIM Tele with a SD Five - Two.
In the instructions, it says that if the bridge & neck pup sound "wimpy" together, the pups may be wired out of phase with each other.

My question: Is there a way to check if the pups are in or out of phase with each other using a multimeter, or do I have to string it up to find out if it's "wimpy" or not?

Thanks

From StewMac - I have one and it works great.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_pickups/Tools:_Polarity_tester/Magnet_Polarity_Tester.html?actn=100101&xst=3&xsr=43849


Schatten
Magnet Polarity Tester
Pickup rewinding specialist J.M. Rolph has noted, "How many times have you wired a pickup and found it's magnetically out of phase, with the same thin, low-powered sound as a pickup that's wired out of phase, even though the lead wires looked right?" By indicating the north or south magnetic orientation of a pickup's polepieces, this polarity tester can help you avoid the problem.

Refined by Les Schatten especially for guitar shops, the tester is economical and easy to use. Coupled with a basic knowledge of vintage pickup magnet polarities (instructions are included), it can also be a quick way to determine a pickup's authenticity.


Item# Description In stock Price Quantity
5127 Magnet Polarity Tester $8.95

wire in the new pup, plug a cable into the jack, and then tap on the pups with a screwdriver. it will either go up or down and then "settle in". i'd think that the pups will play nice as they are stock. if they are out of phase, all you need to do is clip the ground connection between the baseplate (on the lead pup) and pup and splice in another lead. then you just flip the hot and cold leads from the lead pup.

compass

compass


+1.

Besides, relying on the funny and/or weak sound is not actually all that reliable. Some pickups, wired out of phase sound cartoonish and silly. Others, especially used in parallel, have some really cool and useful sounds and are frankly the same strength as the same pickups wired parallel and in phase.