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Wiring inquiry with a 3 pickup black beauty

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  • Wiring inquiry with a 3 pickup black beauty

    so I have a 3 pickup les paul Greco from 1982.

    I want to make the best of all 3 pickups and my tech suggested the following

    having the switch function like a normal les paul so I can get neck, neck/bridge, and bridge, BUT also having the middle pickup on a volume pot so it can be blended into any of those combinations, basically meaning the middle pickup is always on and controlled by it's own volume. this will allow for normal 2 pickup switch, as well as neck/middle, bridge middle, all 3 on, or even middle alone

    the bridge tone pot will also be converted into a master tone

    my tech suggests a custom wiring harness will be required. cost is not really a big issue for me, but I've had this guitar for about 1 year, and am ready to just get it to "completed" status.

    so is this wiring scheme possible with the stock switch and pot setup (and where can I find a diagram??) or am I gonna need some special switch or something?
    Last edited by memoryhead; 04-17-2021, 10:42 AM.

  • #2
    You can convert stock to do this. My 3-pickup Firebird had been modded like this when I bought it. It's a good and useful option. A lot more voices possible than the stock wiring.

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    • #3
      Originally posted by beaubrummels View Post
      You can convert stock to do this. My 3-pickup Firebird had been modded like this when I bought it. It's a good and useful option. A lot more voices possible than the stock wiring.
      interesting. do you have a diagram or something? i know it MUST be out on the internet somewhere, but not sure exactly what I would even google. I am not a wiring/electrical person so a verbal explanation might as well be chinese

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      • #4
        I love the way that the three pickup Gibson Les Paul and SG looks. Crazily cool.  Their wiring, however, seems like an afterthought. That middle pickup is pretty much wasted with the standard wiring scheme.  So let's mod it for heaps more flexibility.




        All kinds of other useful options...
        Here is a detail of the gibson 50s wiring: The tone pot changes have been discussed as not necessary unless you want the full vintage vibe. It can't hurt, anyway. The key to this is the moving of the tone pot connection from the pickup to the switch. The typical quote of "just move...

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        • #5
          beau beat me to it, but here's what I pasted together that does what you asked. It does however, leave an unused hole. Gimme a sec and I'll show a good way to use it. Note the modification to the volume pot wiring so that they operate independently. (And the pup off to the right is the middle. Not bridge.)

          Click image for larger version  Name:	3-HB_2V_1T_3-way.png Views:	0 Size:	172.4 KB ID:	6074666

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          • #6
            This is an idea I had for my own, (yet to acquire), Black Beauty, or a Strat. The DPDT on-on-on switch allows normal neck / bridge, N/M/B, or middle by itself. I intended it for master vol/tone, but adding the other middle volume shouldn't hurt anything.

            Click image for larger version

Name:	3-HB_2V_1T_3-way_mod.png
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            • #7
              I have a Black Beauty and replaced the 3-way switch with a 6-way and use push-pull pots to split the coils on the neck and bridge pickup.

              Heaps of sound options...

              I have the diagram somewhere too if interested.

              Cheers, Mark

              Sent from my SM-G781B using Tapatalk

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              • #8
                Freeway switch?

                Schematic diagrams for Free-Way 3X3-03, 3X3-05, 3X3-07 & 3X3-08 Toggle Switch models. Dimensional templates also provided.
                Last edited by hamerfan; 04-19-2021, 08:58 AM.
                I get the feeling the A8 will blow your skirt up more so - Edgecrusher

                Smooth trades with Jerryjg, ArtieToo, Theodie, Micah, trevorus, Pierre, pzaxtl, damian1122, Thames, Diocletian, Kevinabb, Fakiekid, oilpit, checo, BachToRock, majewsky, joyouswolf, Koreth, Pontiac Jack, Jeff_H

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                • #9
                  That's it

                  Sent from my SM-G781B using Tapatalk

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