First Time Installing Pickups - Question

[evwalton311]

(This is my first time swapping out the pickups on my guitar so I apologize in advance if this is a stupid question & my terminology is off).

I bought a used Epiphone G-400 Custom about 2 years ago & finally decided to swap out the pickups on it.
I already installed the neck pickup & middle pickup but I'm a little confused swapping out the Bridge pickup.

Whoever had the guitar before me left the stock pickups in the neck & middle but they installed a D'Marzio pickup in the bridge position.
Both the neck & middle only had 2 wires each soldered (the ground & lead)... but the D'marzio has 3 wires (green, red, silver). 1 is grounded and the other 2 aren't. My new pickup is just like the others were - 1 ground, 1 lead.

How do I know where the lead goes on this? I'm not sure if it should go where the green or silver wire is...
(I attached a photo of the d'marzio wiring).

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
(Again, sorry if my terminology is all off)

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: First Time Installing Pickups - Question

Welcome to the forum.

Even with your photograph being rather out of focus, it is possible to discern that the green wire is connected to the volume pot terminal #2 and that the red and bare wires are connected to ground.

This arrangement is the reverse of the expected DiMarzio convention. It has been necessary in order to obtain the correct phase relationship between all three pickups.

The DiMarzio pickup output cable actually has a total of five wires. The black and white ones will have been soldered to each other and insulated. There ought to be a DP number stamped into the baseplate. This will identify precisely which model your current bridge/Treble position humbucker is.

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: First Time Installing Pickups - Question

If your new pickup has only 2 wires like the stock pickups, you would wire it like those, regardless of the DiMarzio.

 

[evwalton311]

Re: First Time Installing Pickups - Question

Welcome to the forum.

Even with your photograph being rather out of focus, it is possible to discern that the green wire is connected to the volume pot terminal #2 and that the red and bare wires are connected to ground.

This arrangement is the reverse of the expected DiMarzio convention. It has been necessary in order to obtain the correct phase relationship between all three pickups.

The DiMarzio pickup output cable actually has a total of five wires. The black and white ones will have been soldered to each other and insulated. There ought to be a DP number stamped into the baseplate. This will identify precisely which model your current bridge/Treble position humbucker is.

Yeah, sorry about the crappy photo. I'm attaching a better one.
You're right. I didn't realize the bare wire was also connected to the ground. Should I just not worry about where the bare wire is when I swap the pickups then?
The DiMarzio pickup is labeled DP100 if that helps.

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: First Time Installing Pickups - Question

Super Distortion? Could never keep track of their numbering scheme. At any rate, the bare wire can stay between the terminal and the pot casing, just clip it off the front of the terminal and attach the new pickup's ground there (or to the casing).

 

[evwalton311]

Re: First Time Installing Pickups - Question

I took your suggestion and seemed to work when I tested the pickups.
My problem now is after I re-strung my guitar only the bridge & middle pickup work. And.. they only work when I have the Treble switch on. It sounds great this way but if I have the switch any other way, none of the pickups work. Any suggestions or ideas what I may have done wrong?
I may just give in and take it to a shop at this point.

Thanks

 

[evwalton311]

Re: First Time Installing Pickups - Question

(and by none of the pickups work, I mean that it is super quiet, barely any sound - even with my amp cranked all the way up. But when I have the treble switch on, its super loud and sounds great)