Ibanez 5-way switch

[Yunhaoli]

Hi everybody,
I want to buy and install Seymour Duncan SH-8B invaders in my old Gio Ibanez RG170DX. But after I can't seem to find a wiring diagram for the guitar. It's a guitar with 3 pickups: Bridge humbucker, Middel Single Coil and Neck humbucker with a 5 way switch. Can anybody tell me if there could be any complications while replacing the pickups, or give me a diagram? I think that I'm just going to follow the stock pickups's wires, and just solder the corresponding wires of the new pickup in the same places, but beter safe then sorry .
Thanks in advance!

 

[Yunhaoli]

Re: Ibanez 5-way switch

The humbuckers have 3 cables coming out: One Back cable connected to the volume pot, one red and one white both connected to a different lug on the 5-way switch.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Ibanez 5-way switch

Welcome to the forum.

What type of selector switch does your Ibanez have? Eight contacts in a line or one of those fancy OTAX ones with two PCBs.

Photographs of the control cavity will help.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Ibanez 5-way switch

The humbuckers have 3 cables coming out: One Black cable connected to the volume pot, one red and one white both connected to a different lug on the 5-way switch.

Sounds like the eight-in-line switch, rigged for automated coil splitting on one pole.

One question. With the selector switch in positions 2 or 4, which coil of the Ibanez humbucker remains operational? The "inside" coil (the one nearer the middle pickup) or the "outside" coil?

 

[Yunhaoli]

Re: Ibanez 5-way switch

I also learned that the pickups are powersound pickups. Neck: Powersound PSND1, Middel: Powersound PSNDS, Bridge: Powersound PSND2

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Ibanez 5-way switch

What middle position pickup are you proposing to use?

 

[Yunhaoli]

Re: Ibanez 5-way switch


Here is a picture of the switch

 

[Yunhaoli]

Re: Ibanez 5-way switch

I want to install a bridge pickup, the SH-8B invader

Sounds like the eight-in-line switch, rigged for automated coil splitting on one pole.

One question. With the selector switch in positions 2 or 4, which coil of the Ibanez humbucker remains operational? The "inside" coil (the one nearer the middle pickup) or the "outside" coil?

The one nearest the middle stays active

 

[Yunhaoli]

Re: Ibanez 5-way switch

What middle position pickup are you proposing to use?

I want to install the SH-8B invader in the bridge

 

[Yunhaoli]

Re: Ibanez 5-way switch

Welcome to the forum.

What type of selector switch does your Ibanez have? Eight contacts in a line or one of those fancy OTAX ones with two PCBs.

Photographs of the control cavity will help.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Ibanez 5-way switch

Looking at the photograph of the CorTek selector switch, the contacts (left to right) are:
1 Bridge HB hot
2 Middle SC hot
3 Neck HB hot
4 Switch output to volume pot

5 Unused
6 Bridge HB coil split
7 Coil splitting ground
8 Neck HB coil split

Disconnect the wires from contacts 1 and 6. Disconnect the thick black wire from the bridge HB to the volume pot chassis.

On the SH-8B,
Bare ground soldered to the volume pot chassis.
Green conductor soldered to the volume pot chassis.
Red and white conductors soldered together then to selector switch terminal 6.
Black conductor soldered to switch terminal 1.

If selector switch position 2 yields a weak, wiry sound, swap the black and green conductor wires from the SH-8B.

 

[Yunhaoli]

Re: Ibanez 5-way switch

Looking at the photograph of the CorTek selector switch, the contacts (left to right) are:
1 Bridge HB hot
2 Middle SC hot
3 Neck HB hot
4 Switch output to volume pot

5 Unused
6 Bridge HB coil split
7 Coil splitting ground
8 Neck HB coil split

Disconnect the wires from contacts 1 and 6. Disconnect the thick black wire from the bridge HB to the volume pot chassis.

On the SH-8B,
Bare ground soldered to the volume pot chassis.
Green conductor soldered to the volume pot chassis.
Red and white conductors soldered together then to selector switch terminal 6.
Black conductor soldered to switch terminal 1.

If selector switch position 2 yields a weak, wiry sound, swap the black and green conductor wires from the SH-8B.

Thank you very much!

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Ibanez 5-way switch

Be aware that the CorTek selector switch is not massively durable. It is vulnerable to physical damage due to rough handling and heat damage during soldering.

If you enjoy the SH-8B Invader humbucker, you may soon find yourself wishing to upgrade the other two pickups.