Changing from active to passive

[miconight]

Hi

I recently bought a Ibanez rga220z. My first reaction to active pickups, wow, awesome sustain. After awhile - maybe because I had passive p/u's all my life - the sound didn't appeal to me. Or is it something about Ibanez pickups?

Anyone can help me to change from active to passive pickups?

I asked Seymour Duncan & dimarzio support. They all say I need a professional to install pickups, since I don't have experience.
But I live in a remote place, it takes time to recieve & send packet.
I want to change them to humbuckers (maybe dimebucker brigde and dh-1 neck) myself, or my friend is machanic...

All I need is ?
- diagram
- 500k pots
- mono output jack
- humbuckers

Thanx already

Mike

 

[samu]

Re: Changing from active to passive

Welcome to forum by another newbie.

That's how I started, basically. It is not rocket science (it's something much worse, hehe). Seriously, you can do it.

If needed (if the jack is like that), you can short the "active jack" to behave like any mono jack, however I think it would be good to get a new monojack and save the original one with the active set. In the case you'll return to it.

Adjustabe soldering iron is a good buy.

Samu

 

[miconight]

Re: Changing from active to passive

Thanx man for the info

another newbie

 

[Varg]

Re: Changing from active to passive

Im surprised youve been told you need an expert. If we all needed experts I think Seymour and Dimarzio would be out of business. I wouldn't have tried the literally hundreds of pickups I have if I had to pay some dude fifty big ones for ten minutes work every time.

In answer to your question, yes, you just need the pots, jack, wiring diagram and some wire to go with your new pickups and of course the soldering iron etc.
Im thinking of doing the same thing myself, the Blackouts in my new Jackson just dont appeal to me, I need a JB/59 I think.

 

[miconight]

Re: Changing from active to passive

I think I'm in a right place. This is good stuff

 

[Varg]

Re: Changing from active to passive

The first time I ever changed a guitar from passive to active I found it EASIER than some other pickup changing experiences, simply because you are starting completely from scratch with all new parts so have less chance (if you do it right) of getting something wrong or a cold solder joint or whatever.

There are of course people on forums, like the My Les Paul forum, who will make you up a pre-built wiring harness you can just slot into your gutiar and solder the pickups and earth wire onto. Might be something to think about? I dont think the guys take much for it and will use good components (CTS pots etc) to your specification.

I would rather do it myself but its an option.

 

[Maynardo]

Re: Changing from active to passive

probably a liberator pot would make it easier, yo dont need to change the jack to go passive, you do need a ground conection to the bridge tho

 

[75lespaul]

Re: Changing from active to passive

Don't forget the capacitor(s).

 

[Guston7]

Re: Changing from active to passive

You can do it. It isn't hard and there's so much in the way of support on the net for passive setups. I've had much more trouble figuring out active circuit problems I've had.