Need some help wiring my guitar (H-H, 2 Push Pull Vol, 1 tone)

[Distortion_101]

EDIT: Along with if my wiring is correct, I have queestions regarding wiring making pickups sound dark and muffled. Please see latest post

Hey guys

I need some help re-wiring my guitar, and i cant seem to find diagrams for my specific needs.

I currently have my Ibanez SZ320 so that is has individual coil split and hum canceling middle position (Slug Bridge, Screw Neck)

The guitar has 2 humbuckers (Dimarzio Air Zone and Air Norton), 2 vol (both push pull for individual split), 1 tone, 3 way super switch.

I'm fairly confident with a soldering iron, just need assistance with the wiring itself. Please let me know if what i have drawn out is correct or what needs changing? This is what i seem to trace out from the cavity

I really appreciate the assistance
D_101

[shadowfire90]

Re: Need some help wiring my guitar (H-H, 2 Push Pull Vol, 1 tone)

the color codes are correct for the pickups, the hum will be cancelled and everything looks grounded properly. Ibanez has a few strange toggle switches you never see anywhere else or at least in the 100s or so guitars easily I've worked on so I wish I could help more. The most contacts I saw was like on a switch that was stock on an Ibanez was the John Petrucci Ibanez the JPM100 which is a 3x4 type switch. I can imagine your switch is some variant of on/on/on

just make sure the neck pickups volume is also grounded.

[Distortion_101]

Re: Need some help wiring my guitar (H-H, 2 Push Pull Vol, 1 tone)

Ive updated my picture, that seems to be all that's missing from your experience?

the switch is strange, but i like the feedback of it, and i know you can do coil cancellations using just the switch as per the stock wiring (middle keeps 2 inner coils of each) so i'm keeping it. Might make it harder for everyone to help but here is a photo of the stock wiring (very messy)

[shadowfire90]

Re: Need some help wiring my guitar (H-H, 2 Push Pull Vol, 1 tone)

Found the final piece to the puzzle. Focus on the switch of this diagram and you're set. This was drawn out a few years ago by Hermetico on here.

So your pickups color codes and grounding are all correct, just how they approached the switch is better. I'm going to have to try this wiring out myself as I have one of those switches gathering dust in my room.

[Distortion_101]

Re: Need some help wiring my guitar (H-H, 2 Push Pull Vol, 1 tone)

the way its currently wired seems to be working and its a bit neater.

what difference would come about by wiring the switch your way? could there be a tone difference?

[shadowfire90]

Re: Need some help wiring my guitar (H-H, 2 Push Pull Vol, 1 tone)

with tone differences it'll come out of how we hook a tone capacitor up or choice of pots at best. Since your guitar is 2 volume 1 tone i wouldn't worry too much about exotic ways to hook the tone control up. I like the idea putting a 22nf (0.022uf) capacitor for the tone too. Sometimes 47nf can be a bit much.

For the switch as long as you're getting the standard series tone out of all 3 positions without the push pulls used you've done it right. Sort of like how there is many ways to achieve certain sounds on a super 5 way. For instance series/parallel wiring on a super 5 way switch the diagram someone helped me with was totally different than Dimarzio's they sent me. But both offer the same results.

this is a few ways to hook up tone capacitors for future builds

https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/29161-mod-garage-three-ways-to-wire-a-tone-pot

[Distortion_101]

Re: Need some help wiring my guitar (H-H, 2 Push Pull Vol, 1 tone)

Hey guys, I have a couple of follow up questions. I really appreciated shadowfire90's input so far!

My Air Zone and Air Norton are quite dark and bassy pickups (with a very smooth OD). Im looking for reasons that wiring could be the cause before i look at new pickups again
These pickups are most likely the reason, mid high output and "air" tech makes it more rounded and respond more like weak A5's or A2's). Wiring was done by my tech at the time (ill be wiring any new pickups when i get them)
Looking at Fralin's wiring explanations for push pull pots, i cant help but notice a few things.

1. My volume knobs first lug on the switch goes to the 1st lug on the pot then to ground, but Fralin's just goes straight to ground from the switch. Does this make a difference in tone?
2. Do I have to connect all 3 pots ground to each other (purple wire in my diagram). Can i not just ground the Bridge HB to bridge pot, Neck HB to neck pot and Tone grounds the Jack, Bridge and itself?
3. According to this thread, forum member hermetico shows ibanez switches to work a certain way. Should my switch not be wired like the below picture?



4. Does any of this even make a difference?

I have a extremely basic understanding of elctrical circuits but this just goes over my head.

Thanks for the help guys!