Help installing phat cat?

[twoheadedboy]

Hey, I picked up a Phat Cat bridge for my SG today. I've never had a pickup with the braided lead before, and I'm wondering how the heck i'm supposed to ground this thing. The schematic shows the entire lead soldered to ground, then soldered onto the volume pot. How is this possible? Could somebody tell me what I need to solder and where? Thanks.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Help installing phat cat?

Well on the volumepot with the ground, that would be the braided wire, preferly on top of the pot, do not overheat as your pot will vanish to pot-heaven.
The hot is where ever your switch or lack of is located, and to the appropiate postition, neck or bridge.

 

[twoheadedboy]

Re: Help installing phat cat?

Yeah it's done now. it just seemed a little weird having to solder the whole lead to the ground

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Help installing phat cat?

That is how it has been done for ages

 

[twoheadedboy]

Re: Help installing phat cat?

Holy crap. This pickup rules. Holy crap.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Help installing phat cat?


Great

 

[Scott_F]

Re: Help installing phat cat?

Anotehr p90 phat cat ho!

 

[fishgiven]

Re: Help installing phat cat?

I'm new, don't know much and I've only messed with the pups for two guitars so I am in no way qualified...

but...

both were phat cats and they both are exremely nice! It seems to be a great set of Pups.

 

[twoheadedboy]

Re: Help installing phat cat?

I have a Reverend guitar that has 3 p-90s. They are nice and quiet, but a little tame and closer to a single coil. The Phat Cat has to be wound a little hotter. It gets closer to that grindy PAF vibe, but with the beautiful clarity and definition you get with a single coil. It's noiser, but who cares? In my SG, it renders an incredible zeppelin-esque crunch. Yum. :dance:

 

[BlueGuitar]

Re: Help installing phat cat?

Yeah it's done now. it just seemed a little weird having to solder the whole lead to the ground

That trick only works with the old fashioned braided cable that uses cloth to insulate the center conductor. If you try it with modern plastic-jacketed shielded cable you can end up with the center conductor(s) shorted out to ground.

With 4+ shielded cable you would typically solder the bare wire and the green wire together, connecting them to an appropriate ground point (like the back of a volume pot). I'll slip a short length of heat shrink tubing over the bare and green wires, just to keep them from shorting something out.

Glad to hear of another convert to P-90/Phat Cats!

 

[twoheadedboy]

Re: Help installing phat cat?

Oh, right. I was trying to figure out what was keeping the insulation on the center conductor from melting and causing a short and I forgot about the cloth insulation. I'm gigging the Phat Cat for the first time today! Thanks for the help, guys! :burnout: