Hello from Clear Lake, WA. And a few pickup Q's

[Skagit_Prince]

I recently picked up and old Epi SG Special. Not for the guitar but the killer flight case and what was advertised as a 59 and Jazz humbukers. I intend to place them in and old Ibanez that my son gave me. It has a great neck and wonderful action it is just that the pu's suck. Way out of balance and muddy tones. I figured that the 59 and jazz would help. Doing some reading, I hear that it would be a good Idea to replace the pots (they are 500k) with some better ones. Ok here goes with the questions.

The Pickups

The neck one is labeled 59N the bridge is a DCL the 59 neither look like what I can find on SD's web page. They are silver jacketed humbukers. Any ideas on what I have? What is the DCL? How do I wire them? Both guitars are wired completly difrent. Will I really gain anything with the center tap and a push pull pot?

The Pots

How do I know if they are good or need replaced? What are good ones (brand names)? How do I know if I want 250k or 500k. How do I fix the leak in my kitchen sink? :eyecrazy:
Any insight or help would be greatly appriciated.

Thanks
Skagit

 

[JOLLY]

Re: Hello from Clear Lake, WA. And a few pickup Q's

Welcome to the forum!!

The DCL is a Duncan Custom. The "L" is the initial of the person that wound the pickup.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Hello from Clear Lake, WA. And a few pickup Q's

Gonna be blunt, bro.

IMO, those SD pickups are great. They just don't suit your Epi SG.

Am I correct in thinking that your SG Special is a screwed-on neck and that the body wood is hidden beneath opaque polyester? Could be Alder, Agathis, Basswood or Nato. Each of these has a different natural tonality. Personally, I do not think that any of these suits the '59/Custom pickups.

I agree that the low budget OEM pots are probably not helping the tone any but, in my opinion, you would be wiser to stash those pickups away for another guitar.

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: Hello from Clear Lake, WA. And a few pickup Q's

I believe the OP was to put them in an Ibanez

I have a Jazz/JB set in an Ibanez and it sounds great

which Ibanez do you have?
is it a 2 hum ? 3 way toggle? 5 way blade switch?


and we'll find a digram for it

also a diagram of what you want to do with the Duncans

the Pots should be fine, but Ibanez uses the metric 8mm sized shafts instead of the 3/8 version available everywhere else ( meaning if you change the pots you may have to rot out the hole a bit )

In my RG2EX1 I left the original pots and cap only changed the pickups and selector switch as thats all I needed to get what I wanted

speaking of
what did you want?

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Hello from Clear Lake, WA. And a few pickup Q's

I agree that the Duncans will be fine in the 'nez.

What is going to happen to the Epi SG? Reject Ibanez AH or INFs?

 

[Skagit_Prince]

Re: Hello from Clear Lake, WA. And a few pickup Q's

Gonna be blunt, bro.

IMO, those SD pickups are great. They just don't suit your Epi SG.

Am I correct in thinking that your SG Special is a screwed-on neck and that the body wood is hidden beneath opaque polyester? Could be Alder, Agathis, Basswood or Nato. Each of these has a different natural tonality. Personally, I do not think that any of these suits the '59/Custom pickups.

I agree that the low budget OEM pots are probably not helping the tone any but, in my opinion, you would be wiser to stash those pickups away for another guitar.

The Sg will be going in the kindling pile, as that is all it is worth. The SD's are going in a Ibanez.

 

[Skagit_Prince]

Re: Hello from Clear Lake, WA. And a few pickup Q's

I believe the OP was to put them in an Ibanez

I have a Jazz/JB set in an Ibanez and it sounds great

which Ibanez do you have?
is it a 2 hum ? 3 way toggle? 5 way blade switch?


and we'll find a digram for it

also a diagram of what you want to do with the Duncans

the Pots should be fine, but Ibanez uses the metric 8mm sized shafts instead of the 3/8 version available everywhere else ( meaning if you change the pots you may have to rot out the hole a bit )

In my RG2EX1 I left the original pots and cap only changed the pickups and selector switch as thats all I needed to get what I wanted

speaking of
what did you want?

The Ibanez is a GAX 70 As I understand it is a cheap entry level axe. If this is so then I have way under estimated Ibanez as a serious manufacturer. It is has double humbukers, volumes, and tones, and a 3 way toggle. I am looking for a warm blues tone off the neck with a bit more bite from the bridge.

Thanks
Skagit

 

[Skagit_Prince]

Re: Hello from Clear Lake, WA. And a few pickup Q's

Welcome to the forum!!

The DCL is a Duncan Custom. The "L" is the initial of the person that wound the pickup.

Thank You

 

[75lespaul]

Re: Hello from Clear Lake, WA. And a few pickup Q's

The Pots

How do I know if they are good or need replaced? What are good ones (brand names)? How do I know if I want 250k or 500k. How do I fix the leak in my kitchen sink? :eyecrazy:
Any insight or help would be greatly appriciated.

Thanks
Skagit

I was having a problem with a guitar where any pickup I put in it sounded terrible. Another forum bro once told me to wire my pickup directly to the output jack, bypassing the pots and see how it sounds. I did that and sure enough, the pickups sounded great. It was a Les Paul and I put in all new CTS pots and the guitar sounds fantastic now. I used 500ks, but that really is your preference. The 250k tone pots cut some of the highs down. Some others have said it is like turning a 500k pot down to about six or seven, I just put in the 500k pots and adjust as desired.

Have your wife or girlfriend fix the sink while you sit on the couch drinking your favorite beverage and barking directions on how to do it--even if the directions are wrong.:naughty:

 

[dominus]

Re: Hello from Clear Lake, WA. And a few pickup Q's

The Duncan Custom in the bridge and 59n in the neck will suit ANY guitar. Period.

You want 500k pots with those pickups.

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: Hello from Clear Lake, WA. And a few pickup Q's

ok this should be the way the Ibby is wired now
we'll see if we can find a proper diagram for the Duncans

 

[Skagit_Prince]

Re: Hello from Clear Lake, WA. And a few pickup Q's

ok this should be the way the Ibby is wired now
we'll see if we can find a proper diagram for the Duncans

Yes, that looks correct. In the Epi the SD's are wired to the switch first, then out to the pots.

Thank You

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: Hello from Clear Lake, WA. And a few pickup Q's

great
so if you aren't changing pots then,

where the white on the diagram is
put the black from the Duncans

where the red in the diagram is
put the red/white pair soldered together and taped

that other connection is the ground
duncan green/bare

 

[Dr.K]

Re: Hello from Clear Lake, WA. And a few pickup Q's

The Ibanez is a GAX 70 As I understand it is a cheap entry level axe. If this is so then I have way under estimated Ibanez as a serious manufacturer. It is has double humbukers, volumes, and tones, and a 3 way toggle. I am looking for a warm blues tone off the neck with a bit more bite from the bridge.

Thanks
Skagit

Don't under estimate Ibanez because you have an entry level $170 guitar, don't under estimate Fender because you have a Squire affinity, and don't under etimate Gibson because you have an Epi SG that sounds like crap. Ibanez makes some really nice guitars you just have to find the one that works for you. Most of the time, with a few exceptions you really do get what you pay for.

 

[Despair]

Re: Hello from Clear Lake, WA. And a few pickup Q's

Don't under estimate Ibanez because you have an entry level $170 guitar, don't under estimate Fender because you have a Squire affinity, and don't under etimate Gibson because you have an Epi SG that sounds like crap. Ibanez makes some really nice guitars you just have to find the one that works for you. Most of the time, with a few exceptions you really do get what you pay for.

I think he was saying the bang per buck was ridiculous on his guitar. Entry level models in some lines are ridiculously good from many manufacturers these days.

It's always nice to get way more for your money than expected.

 

[Dr.K]

Re: Hello from Clear Lake, WA. And a few pickup Q's

I think he was saying the bang per buck was ridiculous on his guitar. Entry level models in some lines are ridiculously good from many manufacturers these days.

It's always nice to get way more for your money than expected.

Sorry, you are right. I read it incorrectly, my mistake. I have an entry level Ibanez RG 120, and after a pickup change it plays like butta. But, I've played Squires that would rip your fingers apart, and I hade an Epi Les Paul Special II that I really didn't care for, I traded it for the RG 120.

 

[Skagit_Prince]

Re: Hello from Clear Lake, WA. And a few pickup Q's

great
so if you aren't changing pots then,

where the white on the diagram is
put the black from the Duncans

where the red in the diagram is
put the red/white pair soldered together and taped

that other connection is the ground
duncan green/bare

Thank you. I will be starting this project this evening. And again thank all of you for your thoughts.

Skagit

 

[Skagit_Prince]

Re: Hello from Clear Lake, WA. And a few pickup Q's

The Dummy needs more help.:banghead:

I just got done with the install. Same problem as before....but even more prononced(sp). The DCL in the bridge position ROCKS! When I flip the toggle to both or just the front I have to crank the amp way up to hear anything. It is muddy and the tone control makes no difference. It is much worse with the 59 compared to the oem pick up. Any ideas? :scratchch I tried very hard to make sure that I made no cold solder joints.

Again any help would be appreciated.

Skagit:eyecrazy:
With even more respect for Ibanez!

 

[Skagit_Prince]

Re: Hello from Clear Lake, WA. And a few pickup Q's

The dummy found it and fixed it. Cold solder joint on the neck tone pot cap. Not anything I did. Explains why the son got it so cheap at the pawn shop, and why he gave it to me. It has been sitting in the guitar closet for 5 or so years just waiting.
After seeing Epiphone's and Ibanez's cheap guitars inside out I have definently changed my mind about both manufacturers. Ibanez builds a much better Axe. The other guy builds kindling.

Skagit

 

[Skagit_Prince]

Re: Hello from Clear Lake, WA. And a few pickup Q's

Wow....what a big difference the SD's make. I can't seem to put the Axe down.

Thanks for the help

Skagit