Classic Stack Plus Wiring Question: what is the "hot" lead and what's the red wire?

[Charlie Boo]

Classic Stack Plus Wiring Question: what is the "hot" lead and what's the red wire?

I am an admitted novice guitar "tech" and I'm having some installation issues with my new Classic Stack Plus neck pickup in a humbucker bridge (SD EVH 78) and single coil neck stay build. I am using the Mad Hatter Guitar solderless install system - really cool and easy to use, BTW - great customer service, as well - anyway - I always test my connections by lightly tapping on the pickup coils with a screwdriver and while I got the customary "thunk" in the bridge, I wasn't getting anything but light tapping in the neck. The Classic Stack instructions show 2 diagrams - one with the red wire taped off and another with the red wire to a complicated looking 5-way switch. When I removed the red wire from the equation, I got considerably more screwdriver tapping "output" - lol. Still not as much as the humbucker, but I would expect less "thunk" out of the single coil, correct? Also - I swapped the white and black wires and it didn't seem to make a difference, which is confusing. 2 questions: 1) which is the "hot" lead, the black or the white and 2) what is the purpose of the red wire - is it OK to just tape off and will I still get him canceling with it taped? Thanks for tolerating my inexperience!!!

 

[jeremy]

Re: Classic Stack Plus Wiring Question: what is the "hot" lead and what's the red wir

Re: Classic Stack Plus Wiring Question: what is the "hot" lead and what's the red wir

black wire to ground, white wire to the switch. insulate the red wire so it doesnt make contact with anything unless you want to split the coils

 

[Charlie Boo]

Re: Classic Stack Plus Wiring Question: what is the "hot" lead and what's the red wir

Re: Classic Stack Plus Wiring Question: what is the "hot" lead and what's the red wir

Thanks Jeremy. One more novice question. The solderless system I am using has 3 terminals for wires (Ground/Pickup Common, Hot, and Center Tap Landing Terminal) ... the 4 conductor humbucker is wired: Green/bare to "Ground/Pick Up Common", Black to "Hot", red and white to "Center Tap" ... With these options, when you say "Black to ground", would you put the black and bare wires to the "Ground" terminal? Then I would tape off the red and put the white to "Hot"? Thanks again!

 

[jeremy]

Re: Classic Stack Plus Wiring Question: what is the "hot" lead and what's the red wir

Re: Classic Stack Plus Wiring Question: what is the "hot" lead and what's the red wir

black would go to ground/pickup common. bare wires always go to ground. the red wire would be center tap if you wanted to put it there.

 

[rickardgreg]

Re: Classic Stack Plus Wiring Question: what is the "hot" lead and what's the red wir

Re: Classic Stack Plus Wiring Question: what is the "hot" lead and what's the red wir

black wire to ground, white wire to the switch. insulate the red wire so it doesnt make contact with anything unless you want to split the coils

Hi. I'm in the process of replacing the stock pups in a sss squier. I have the bridge Classic Stack Plus in, with the neck on the way. I'm wondering, is it worth having the option to split them? If so, do you know how I'd wire them to a toggle switch so that all 3 are split at once (i.e. I'm in either normal mode on all 3, or split on all 3)? I'm fine wiring them standard, but not sure on the splitting option with a toggle. Tx.