How to install a SD Hot Rails into an H-S Config w/3-way switch and vol knob

feilong29

New member
Hey y'all!

I got my SD Hot Rails in the mail today and got her installed. I had to call Tech Support because there were 5 wires compared to the 2 that my stock pickup had, and the diagram wasn't very clear... and I tried to search on here and didn't get anywhere SO, for those who have a guitar in an H-S configuration with a 3 way switch and only one knob for volume, here is what you do:

After removing your old pickup, solder your black wire to you 3-way switch spot (where the white wire of the old pickup was, if it was white (whichever wire ws there on the switch, put your black wire there), solder the red and white wires together and put electrical tape around them, and then solder your bare and green wires together at one point on your vol pot, and VIOLA!

This is prolly my favorite pickup... blows the Air Norton S I had a while ago OUT of the water! Hope this helps!! OH and the guitar I put it in is an ESP M-II Deluxe.
 
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Re: How to install a SD Hot Rails into an H-S Config w/3-way switch and vol knob

Absolutely correct.

Glad you're liking your new pup.

In the future, when you want help with wiring schemes, on the Seymour Duncan website there is a tab called "Support". When you highlight that tab you'll see the choice for "Wiring Diagrams". Click on that and choose away.

And, welcome to the forum. Stick around and you will learn more than you ever thought you could know about guitars, pickups, magnet swaps, wiring, amps, stompboxes, etc.
 
Re: How to install a SD Hot Rails into an H-S Config w/3-way switch and vol knob

Go and have another look at the schematic diagrams supplied with your new pickup. They should make a little more sense now than they did at first.

Quite often, you will find that there is no ready-made schematic diagram for your non-standard installation. It becomes necessary to mix and match information from more than one of the standard schematic diagrams to get what you need.
 
Re: How to install a SD Hot Rails into an H-S Config w/3-way switch and vol knob

Thanks a lot guys, and this is prolly the best neck pickup I've ever heard! And I used the support section on the site... maybe I didn't choose the right configuration!
 
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