Help with wiring a JB Jr in my strat.

[Rick M]

Hi,

I plan to install my new JB Jr pickup in the bridge position. I would like to wire my strat so I have the option of selecting the pick-up to be a single coil or a humbucker. I have purchased a mini-3 position switch (6 solderable lugs on the back of the switch - 2 rows of 3).

There are instructions with the pick-up but I don't understand if what I'm trying to do is called "splitting" by itself, with another pick-up, series/split/parellel, etc...

To avoid drilling a hole in my pick guard, I read I could remove the second tone knob and put the switch there. If so, what do I do with the leads that are attched to that tone knob - just solder them together - or leave them seperate?

Thanks in advance for pointing me in the right direction.
-Rick

 

[Artie]

Re: Help with wiring a JB Jr in my strat.

Hi Rick; Welcome to the forum. To do a split of one pickup, you really only need a SPST switch. If the one you have actually has 3 handle positions, (as opposed to 2), I'd save that one for a later project. Get an on/off switch, either DPDT or SPST.

Basically, you just need to solder the red and white wires together, (as usual), then short them to ground through a switch. Here's some pics that might help:

 

[Rick M]

Re: Help with wiring a JB Jr in my strat.

Hey Artie,

Thanks for helping me out. I assume the top part of your photo is for a three position switch which I'm not going to use. Based on your suggestion, I plan on using a two position switch with 3 solder lugs as shown in your lower picture.

Despite the photo, I'm not sure I understand the wiring - I'm a bit slow on the uptake. It looks like the green wire should be soldered to the bottom lug and connected to "ground" - no problemo. The red and white wire tied togeter and soldered to the middle lug - no problemo. It looks like the black wire goes "out" (whereever that is) and nothing is attached to the top lug - is that correct?

When the switch is thrown down, I think you indicate that is "off", which looks like you mean that the full humbucker is on, acting as a dual-coil pickup. When the switch is up, you indicate it's "split to stud coil" - I take that to mean the pickup will be in single-coil mode. It that right? Even with no wire attched to that top lug???

Finally, where does the black wire go "out" to? Should it be tied to the top lug, as well as going "out"? Is that what the red arrow is supposed to represent? When you say "out" does that mean the black wire needs to go to whereever the wire from the existing stock Fender pick-up went (somewhere on the 5 position switch I assume)? As you can tell, I have not yet taken off the pick-guard.

Thanks again, man, for your patience in explaining such a simple install to a certified dope.

-Rick