SD Hot Rails + Lollar Blackface

[PFDarkside]

The Jimmy Vaughn diagram uses the 5 way switch in the traditional Strat wiring method. One side selects the active pickup, the other side selects the active tone control. The Hot Rails diagram moves the tone selection to the same side as the pickup selection, freeing up the other side to split the Hot Rails in position 2. You can use the Hot Rails diagram.


In the Hot Rails diagram, see how there is a white wire leading from each tone control to the switch? One is connected to the same terminal as the neck pickup white wire (leave this one as is) and the second is connected to the same terminal as the middle pickup white wire (move this tone control connection to the next terminal, so it shares its position with the Hot Rails black wire).

Otherwise you can use the Hot Rails diagram as is. And as I mentioned, if that combo position is out of phase, just swap the black and green on the Hot Rails. (If the split position 2 is not hum-cancelling we can fix that too, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.

[alexreinhold]

Perfect! This explanation makes total sense. Really really helpful, I owe you one!

[alexreinhold]

PFDarkside Sorry to follow up here (FINALLY am in the process wiring actually; the finish took ages...). If you take a look at the Hot Rails diagram again, you can see that it doesn't suggest wiring to the spring claw. Just to confirm, given that my guitar has a tremolo, I guess I should, however, wire from volume pot to spring claw, right?

[ArtieToo]

Yes.

[Mincer]

Many of the SD diagrams omit the string ground, which, of course, they should have. But there are a few diagrams that are missing this, and some that are just plain wrong. They need to be looked at again.

[alexreinhold]

So, I ran into problems... When soldering everything together as per @PFDarkside's and the wiring diagram I posted, position 5,4,3 and 2 created sound and no hum. However, no sound from the hot rails on position 1. Even when I did not follow PFDarkside's suggestion and followed the diagram, there was nothing but a loud hum in position 1.

Now I went on SD's website again and the 2 single coil + hot rails diagram looks totally different (see below). How do you guys suggest I proceed for a Jimmie Vaughan setting as described before? And why are those diagrams so vastly differen?

Here's the new wiring diagram:


a photo of my work is attached.

Best,

Alex

[alexreinhold]

2 more things:

1. Just noticed, the new diagram I posted is not splitting the hot rails on position 2, right?
2. in the old diagram, the lowest of all pins on the 5 way blade is marked with a black dot in the diagram but no cable leads to it. I left it blank. Is that right?

[alexreinhold]

Quick update: after hours of testing, it turns out that I had a faulty Hot Rails. Just ordered a new one and then expect everything to work fine.

[Mincer]

Wow, weird, did not expect that. Let us know when the other one is installed.

[alexreinhold]

Yeah, very weird. Here are some details:

I soldered the red and green cable straight on the output socket to the amplifier and heard that clicking sound when I touched the bridge with a screwdriver. I did the same with the black and white cable, and there was no sound.

I then unsoldered all wires coming out of the bridge from the rest of the circuit and did some resistance measurement. As shown in the attached picture, I measured that joint 1 is connected to joint “R”, which is the end of the red cable, 2 to “G” (green), 3 to “W” (white) and 4 to “B” (black). I ruled a broken cable wire out: Joints R, W, B and G are connected to the other end of the red, white, black and green cable, resp.

If I am not mistaken, one coil of this pickup should be connected to joints 1 and 2 (the red and green cable) and the other to 3 and 4 (white and black cable). Between 1 and 2 I measure a resistance of about 18 kΩ. Between 3 and 4, however, I did not measure any conducting connection.

[alexreinhold]

Next problem i got the new hot rails installed and they work just fine - the lollar mid and neck are perfectly in phase. However the potis seem to create some sort of crackling sound. I only tested one amp and one cable (will test another amp and cable tomorrow) any idea what could cause the crackling coming from the potis?