Help? 2 humbuckers 2 vol 2 tones, single push-pull (bridge only)

[isaidgoddamn]

I am very unsure about what I'm doing here. If anyone would be willing to help me out possibly, I would be so grateful.

I am trying to wire up a brand new SD Slug pickup I just bought, and I have 1 push-pull potentiometer to try, so I was going to use that as the bridge volume pot. The neck pickup is a 2 wire Samsung pickup (the guitar is a Samick SG from the 90s).

I'm following this diagram:

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and I'm confused about a couple parts. For a start, I couldn't find a diagram that showed only a bridge push pull, so I'm not sure how to approach connecting this 2 wire neck pickup to the volume pot.

The second issue is the push-pull itself. The diagram illustration for the pot seems to be indicating that I have to ground it to the top of the pot. This is the push-pull I have:

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Can I use this bit for grounding?

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[ThreeChordWonder]

Need pictures, but...

Q1 - Is your new pickup a four wire (actually four color coated wires plus a bare one? If so proceed. If not, stop there. You can't coil split a 2-wire humbucker unless you rewire it with four wires, which, as I presume you're a novice, I would not attempt.

Q2 - So you've got a four wire pickup. Great! Now what are you trying to achieve? Coil split or something else?

If its a CTS push-pull, one of those with the black plastic cap on the back, just solder your grounds to the metal part of the pot casing.

 

[Mincer]

Welcome to the forum!

I don't think your pictures uploaded. If you can upload them as an attachment, that might solve some questions.

Also, what is the push/pull doing in this scenario?

 

[isaidgoddamn]

I don't know how images work on this forum, I clicked the picture icon and uploaded 2 pictures and linked a Seymour Duncan diagram. I don't see any other options for the images beyond changing the size.

 

[isaidgoddamn]

The goal was coil split on the bridge volume. I don't know if the Slug is really meant to be split. Dumb idea maybe!

 

[ThreeChordWonder]

Deleted (typos).

 

[beaubrummels]

The goal was coil split on the bridge volume. I don't know if the Slug is really meant to be split. Dumb idea maybe!

For any 4-wire Duncan, just follow the diagram for the push pull. Pulling up on the push-pull will split to the individual coil towards the neck. Note it will get hum when split because splitting turns off the other humbucking coil.

For the 2-wire neck, ignore that push-pull part of the diagram and just attach the neck hot lead directly to the neck volume input lug on the left (where the black neck pickup wire is going now) and attach the ground of the neck to any ground point - the back of the neck pot is usually most convenient, so that's where most diagrams put it.

 

[beaubrummels]

Can't edit a post, what I meant to say is...

"For the 2-wire neck, ignore the neck volume push-pull part of the diagram"

 

[ThreeChordWonder]

Follow the wiring diagram. Be aware the push pull part is completely independent, electrically speaking, from the pot part. Also be aware that the two sets of three contacts are independent of each other, but when you push or pull, both push or both pull contacts connect to their respective middle contacts. The middle contacts are "common". The common contacts connect to their respective contacts furthest from the shaft in the push position and to the contacts nearest the shaft in the pull position.

Wire your non-splittable pickup like any 2-wire pickup.

Wire the coil splitting pickup thus:

On standard 4 plus a bare wire SD pickups:

• The black (hot) pickup wire goes to the volume pot left lug on the pot part.
• The output wire goes from the middle lug on the pot part to the selector switch.
• The right lug on the pot part needs to be grounded to the casing. Anywhere on the casing will do.
• The green and bare pickup wires go to ground, which can either be on that little tab you circled or anywhere else on the casing.
• The red and white pickup wires go to the SAME middle lug on the push pull part.
• On the SAME bank of three lugs, solder a wire from the lug nearest the shaft to ground.
• Leave the lug furthest from the shaft unconnected.
• Only use one set of three contacts on the push pull part for one pickup.
• Now when the push pull is PULLED you short the red and white wires to ground. Both ends of the screw coil (red and green wires) are grounded, so the screw coil becomes isolated. The white wire becomes the new ground for the slug coil (black and white wires).

If your sound is thin and weak with the push pull PUSHED in the middle position (both pickups active), the pickups are out of phase. You will need to reverse the wires on the non-splitting pickup.

If you have two splittable pickups, you can split both at the same time using one push pull. Use one set of three contacts for one pickup, the other set of three for the other pickup. Do not cross connect the two sets of three, except that you can thread one wire through both contacts that are grounded in the pull position and just run the other end of that one wire to ground.

If you want independent volumes reverse the input and output connections on the volume pots.

If you want modern tone controls connect the tone pot wire to the input lugs on the volume pots. If you want 50s style tone controls connect them to the output lugs on the volume pots.

Remember to ground all the pots to each other. Also ground the switch, the output jack and the bridge. Missing grounds cause hum (at best) and no sound (at worst).

 

[ThreeChordWonder]

PS

On the wiring diagram you posted, SD has shown the green and bare going through the push pull.

This is unnecessary IMHO. And IMHO it's better to solder the green and bare wires directly to ground either to the little tab you circled or directly to the pot casing.

Anywhere on the casing will do, but if you have a low wattage soldering iron the tab is probably the best option.

You dont need to ground the casing of the push pull part to the pot part, as the construction of the whole unit does this for you.

But remember you'll still need to ground the push pull contact nearest the shaft.

 

[isaidgoddamn]

Oh wow, thanks for all of the info! I will have to give this a thorough read a few times and give it a try

First up this afternoon though, I have to figure out how to wire up this bizarre 12 pin 3 way switch in my Ibanez RGD7(only has a volume pot). I snagged a Wes Hauch Jupiter set for it but there are not many diagrams that show a 4PDT switch.