Help with Jazz/JB combo rewiring

[endwell]

Help! That 150-in-1 electronics kit I had as a kid did nothing to explain how a freaking pickup selector switch worked ;-)


Cut to chase:

I have an Ibanez SCA220 that I want to replace the pickups in. I already have the Jazz for the neck, and the JB for the bridge (classic setup). The following link shows my guitars original wiring:

http://www.ibanez.com/wiring/wire.asp?y=2004&w=SCA220

I’d like to rewire it with the new pickups (4 conductor) to have the switching of this guitar:

http://www.ibanez.com/wiring/wire.asp?y=2004&w=S1625

I’ve already verified the switches used in these two guitars are one in the same, so I’m assuming the switching I want (from the 2nd link) will work with the new 4-conductor pickups. I’ve tried cross-referencing with the SD wiring schematics but I get lost when I start reading about flipping poles, which is north/south, etc. I think going from the original 2 conductor to the 4 conductor pickups is only confusing me more.

What would be the MOST IDEAL Christmas present would be if someone could “map” the SD wires (Jazz Neck/JB Bridge) to the Ibanez switch in the 2nd provided link (reading from left to right: #1 - #8 lug)???? The only thing I know is I have to move the black ground(?) wire from the #8 pole (like in pict.1) to the #6 pole (like in pict.2)…from there I’m a mental midget ;-)

THANKS FOR ANY AND ALL HELP

Tom

P.S. – I searched/read the archives tirelessly and found lots of great data, but I think it’s only making things worse ;-)

P.P.S. – where do you think I got the idea for the Jazz/JB combo?

 

[endwell]

Re: Help with Jazz/JB combo rewiring

anyone? Purdy please?

 

[Artie]

Re: Help with Jazz/JB combo rewiring

I'm working on it, but I need you to clarify something.

Either my understanding of how that switch works is wrong, or that first diagram has a misprint in it. Look at this modified diagram:

Edit: Pic removed to save bandwidth. (Since it apparently was incorrect.)

Look where I moved the ground wire at the green arrow. (From the red dot terminal to the green dot terminal.) Can you peek inside your guitar and make sure its the way I show, rather than the way Ibby shows it. I can't really go any farther 'til I know.

Artie

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Help with Jazz/JB combo rewiring

I'm working on it, but I need you to clarify something.

Either my understanding of how that switch works is wrong, or that first diagram has a misprint in it. Look at this modified diagram:

Look where I moved the ground wire at the green arrow. (From the red dot terminal to the green dot terminal.) Can you peek inside your guitar and make sure its the way I show, rather than the way Ibby shows it. I can't really go any farther 'til I know.

Artie

look everybody, ArtieToo is back!!!

where ya been brother?

 

[Armotron]

Re: Help with Jazz/JB combo rewiring

I saw, Helping people with wiring and schematics will be alot quicker again! :dance:

 

[endwell]

Re: Help with Jazz/JB combo rewiring

I'm working on it, but I need you to clarify something.

Look where I moved the ground wire at the green arrow. (From the red dot terminal to the green dot terminal.) Can you peek inside your guitar and make sure its the way I show, rather than the way Ibby shows it. I can't really go any farther 'til I know.

Artie

Yes Virginia, there is an ArtieToo!!! I knew it...I just knew it ;-)

ArtieToo,

Hopefully I don't get coal telling you this, but the actual wiring in my guitar matches the diagram (for the SCA220).

Thanks for looknig at my post,

Tom

 

[Artie]

Re: Help with Jazz/JB combo rewiring

Ok, cool. Let me just look at this for a bit then. I don't see how they're splitting that bridge pup, in the second position with it wired that way.

It'll probably come to me in a minute.

Artie

 

[endwell]

Re: Help with Jazz/JB combo rewiring

bump.....my soldering Iron is screaming at me ;-)

 

[Artie]

Re: Help with Jazz/JB combo rewiring

I'm chewing on it. :laugh2:

The problem I'm having right now is, on that first diagram you posted, (the way your guitar is now), the wiring they show can't produce the p'up combo's they show below.

I'm trying to figure out whether they're wrong, or me.

Artie

 

[endwell]

Re: Help with Jazz/JB combo rewiring

any way for me to check? I have a multimeter and the guitar hasn't been "undone" from Ibanez' factory. I could check the switching/wiring for you to verify anything...that is....if you told me what to check...like I said before, this north/south, in/out, in-phase/out-phase stuff has me confounded.....

I dont KNOW that the diagram matches the actual switching either...this had me confused also since the original pickups are two wire (plus ground).

THANKS AGAIN for spending so much time on this! I really do appreciate it....

- Tom

 

[Artie]

Re: Help with Jazz/JB combo rewiring

Hey endwell; sorry for taking so long on this. I'll post what I have so far, as soon as I get home tonight.

 

[endwell]

Re: Help with Jazz/JB combo rewiring

I'll post what I have so far, as soon as I get home tonight.

You "Da Man!"!!

Thanks,

Tom

 

[endwell]

Re: Help with Jazz/JB combo rewiring

I'll post what I have so far, as soon as I get home tonight.

ArtieToo,

Hopefully you made it home? :newangel:

- Tom

 

[Artie]

Re: Help with Jazz/JB combo rewiring

Ooops . . . that was 2 days ago. :smack:

Tomorrow morning . . . with my Sat. morning coffee. I promise.

(Its been a rough week.)

 

[endwell]

Re: Help with Jazz/JB combo rewiring

Beggars can't be Dictators!!!

Just the offer to help made my day...anything more will be awesome.

So...what time is your alarm set for? Kidding!!!! Kidding!!!!

Thanks again for any/all help,

Tom

 

[Artie]

Re: Help with Jazz/JB combo rewiring

Ok, Tom; Here's the problem I'm having with this:

Either that first diagram, that shows how your guitar is wired, is wrong, or your switch is completely different than any like it that I've seen. (I have that same switch in two guitars.)

Here's what that switch should look like:

In this next diagram, you'll see, starting at the top:

1. At the top, is the Ibby wiring diagram that you posted first. (Compressed to make it smaller.)
2. In the middle is the way that 5-way switch works.
3. At the bottom, is what Ibby says is the way those pups are selected.

But that can't be. Look at position #3. (Switch straight up.)
At the top, the two green terminals are connected together, and the two cyan terminals are connected together. As you can see, the only thing thats connected is the white wire, (coil tap wire), of the neck pickup. There's no way that both coils of both pups are selected.

In this last diagram, I show how the pups are actually selected, with that switch wired according to Ibby's drawing.
As you can see, it makes no sense:

So here's what I need you to do:

Plug your guitar in to your amp. Get a small screwdriver. Start with the 5-way in position #1, (handle towards the neck), and gently tap on each of the four coils, one at a time, and write down which ones are active. Do this for all 5 positions of the 5-way switch.

Post back, and we'll go from there. Sorry about all this hassle, but something ain't right in Ibby-land! :laugh2:

Artie

 

[Artie]

Re: Help with Jazz/JB combo rewiring

I should also add, me and my wife are getting ready to roll down to St. Augustine to see Elizabeth Roth play. So I won't be back 'til a little later tonight.

Thanks for being patient.

Artie

 

[endwell]

Re: Help with Jazz/JB combo rewiring

So here's what I need you to do:

Plug your guitar in to your amp. Get a small screwdriver. Start with the 5-way in position #1, (handle towards the neck), and gently tap on each of the four coils, one at a time, and write down which ones are active. Do this for all 5 positions of the 5-way switch.

Artie

All right, now we're gettin' somewhere :laugh2:

Okay, starting in the "neck" postion and calling that #1, and working to the bridge selection and calling that #5...here's what I got:

#1) Neck pickup - both coils active - silent operation - perceived equal output from both coils

#2) Neck pickup - both coils active - buzzing present - south coil (nearer bridge) perceived lesser output than north coil

#3) Neck pickup + Bridge pickup - all coils active (all 4) - perceived equal output from all - silent operation

#4) Neck pickup + Bridge pickup - all coils active (all 4) - perceived LESS output from south coils of both pickups - silent operation

#5) Bridge pickup - both coils active - silent operation - perceived equal output from both coils

Hopefully that helps! Like you thought...not what the Ibby diagram shows. Hopefully I made a good diagnoses of the output, etc.

THANKS AGAIN!

- Tom

 

[endwell]

Re: Help with Jazz/JB combo rewiring

So here's what I need you to do:

Plug your guitar in to your amp. Get a small screwdriver. Start with the 5-way in position #1, (handle towards the neck), and gently tap on each of the four coils, one at a time, and write down which ones are active. Do this for all 5 positions of the 5-way switch.

Artie

All right, now we're gettin' somewhere :laugh2:

Okay, starting in the "neck" postion and calling that #1, and working to the bridge selection and calling that #5...here's what I got:

#1) Neck pickup - both coils active - silent operation - perceived equal output from both coils

#2) Neck pickup - both coils active - buzzing present - south coil (nearer bridge) perceived lesser output than north coil

#3) Neck pickup + Bridge pickup - all coils active (all 4) - perceived equal output from all - silent operation

#4) Neck pickup + Bridge pickup - all coils active (all 4) - perceived LESS output from south coils of both pickups - silent operation

#5) Bridge pickup - both coils active - silent operation - perceived equal output from both coils

Hopefully that helps! Like you thought...not what the Ibby diagram shows. Hopefully I made a good diagnoses of the output, etc.

THANKS AGAIN!

- Tom

 

[Kent S.]

Re: Help with Jazz/JB combo rewiring

That's not the switch they used Art, you are showing one of the GAE series switches (SGAE,CGAE,YGAE,WGAE followed by the number of positions 3 or 5, and preceeded by the Ibanez prefix ...3PS1 ...BTW ... don't ask me what the difference between S,G,C,W,and Y is, I think it's the profile of the switch, or the mounting holes or something, I couldn't tell you). Not the same switch used in those guitars, gotta look at the part list, the switch in question is the SC-2502N ... or in full Ibanez speak ... 3PS1SC5 ... or just SC5 for short.
It's kinda like on of the megaswitches (same idea). That's a special switch for two humbuckers.
I've never used one myself ... Also the revised schematic shows a volume control with a G taper instead of W, yeah whatever IBZ ...
From what the guy says, it appears to be doing just what the schematic said, some noise from tapping will get picked up thru the other coil when you tap on them like that, not big deal there. I'm sure an authorized technician in his area can get it converted for him, and the cost won't be great.