Install 4-conductor and 2-conductor pickups in one guitar?

[bluecollin]

Hi everyone,

First post here. I have an Epiphone SG G400 to upgrade. I've got a SD Jazz neck 4-conductor and a SD 59 bridge 2-conductor. Hope this combination would work. Now I'm also upgrading the pots. Here's my question: my SG's current wiring has no split-coil function. What kind of pots or how many split or solid pots respectively should I get for a split-coil neck pickup and regular bridge pickup? Please advise. Thank you very much.

Colin

 

[Mincer]

Re: Install 4-conductor and 2-conductor pickups in one guitar?

Welcome to the forum!

You can certainly mix 4 conductor and 2 conductor pickups in one guitar, but here is where it gets tricky: without those extra 2 wires in your 59, it can't be split. However all is not lost; a 2 conductor pickup can be converted to a 4 conductor pickup. Either we can do it, a tech can do it, or you can do it, but it is sort of delicate work if you've never worked with tiny wires before.

 

[The JEM Ghost]

Re: Install 4-conductor and 2-conductor pickups in one guitar?

What kind of pots or how many split or solid pots respectively should I get for a split-coil neck pickup and regular bridge pickup? Please advise. Thank you very much.

If you don't need the bridge pickup to be split, you are fine with a 4-conductor Jazz at the neck and a 2 conductor 59 at the bridge. All you need is a push pull (or push push if you'd like that better) pot to wire the Jazz to so it's split. One push pull pot will be more than fine, you could even split 2 humbuckers with that single pot if you would install a second 4-conductor pickup in the future! Hope this helps

 

[gregory]

Re: Install 4-conductor and 2-conductor pickups in one guitar?

Unless you want to keep the 4 controls doing their stock functions (2 volume, 2 tone), you could make one a variable split. I'd likely sacrifice one of the tones. In doing so I'd switch the two volumes over to linear taper and connect the remaining tone control to the output of the jack.

 

[VinceT]

Re: Install 4-conductor and 2-conductor pickups in one guitar?

Others have given you immediate solution - I would just add that you could put the neck pickup in a Triple Shot ring as an alternative.


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[bluecollin]

Re: Install 4-conductor and 2-conductor pickups in one guitar?

Thank you very much guys. At this point I only need the jazz neck pickup to be split, I don't mind the 59 being solid. Now here's a newbie question if you don't mind: If I buy a set of 4 split pots (saw a pretty good deal on Amazon), will that work for my case? Only one push-pull pot will trigger the split function and all other three have no effect at all?

 

[VinceT]

Re: Install 4-conductor and 2-conductor pickups in one guitar?

Thank you very much guys. At this point I only need the jazz neck pickup to be split, I don't mind the 59 being solid. Now here's a newbie question if you don't mind: If I buy a set of 4 split pots (saw a pretty good deal on Amazon), will that work for my case? Only one push-pull pot will trigger the split function and all other three have no effect at all?

If they're push-push or push-pull then the switching is physically separate to the wiper (normal function of pot), so if the switch isn't wired in, it doesn't do anything at all.


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[bluecollin]

Re: Install 4-conductor and 2-conductor pickups in one guitar?

If they're push-push or push-pull then the switching is physically separate to the wiper (normal function of pot), so if the switch isn't wired in, it doesn't do anything at all.


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Got it, so I suppose if I buy 1 split and 3 solid that'll be sufficient for my need? Thanks.

 

[VinceT]

Re: Install 4-conductor and 2-conductor pickups in one guitar?

Got it, so I suppose if I buy 1 split and 3 solid that'll be sufficient for my need? Thanks.

Right.


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[zionstrat]

Re: Install 4-conductor and 2-conductor pickups in one guitar?

Two suggestions with an sg.

Consider parallel instead of split... Essentially the same sound but noise canceling. Better sound on every sg I have owned and just as easy to wire.

And since you're putting in pullpots, add a series out of phase as well. Easy mod and my favorite cutting lead sound on an SG.

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[bluecollin]

Re: Install 4-conductor and 2-conductor pickups in one guitar?

Two suggestions with an sg.

Consider parallel instead of split... Essentially the same sound but noise canceling. Better sound on every sg I have owned and just as easy to wire.

And since you're putting in pullpots, add a series out of phase as well. Easy mod and my favorite cutting lead sound on an SG.

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Thanks. Does that mean for each function I need a split pot? So one knob for coil split, one knob for parallel (if this could coexist with coil split), and one knob for phase reverse?

 

[gregory]

Re: Install 4-conductor and 2-conductor pickups in one guitar?

He's suggesting parallel instead of split. Which you like better is a matter of personal preference.

One push pull is required for out of phase (an acquired taste ). One push pull is required for each pickup you wish to run in parallel. It is possible to override a series/parallel switch so that it splits instead, among other creative ideas.

 

[bluecollin]

Re: Install 4-conductor and 2-conductor pickups in one guitar?

hmm... seems like the creative ideas are infinite, I think I'll get 2 push-pull and 2 solid to start with, at least learn the wiring diagram first to see what's going on inside. Thank you guys for all the advice, really appreciate that.

 

[zionstrat]

Re: Install 4-conductor and 2-conductor pickups in one guitar?

Good plan. You will learn a lot from simple mods and there are many good diagrams online.

Also wanted to be clear I like out of phase pickups in series euth sgs. Out of phase by itself is too thin for me with sgs.

Looking forward to results.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Install 4-conductor and 2-conductor pickups in one guitar?

Well if you are debating about parallel vs split, you will never get a consensus here.

I like split. But, if you want to try both (as selecting which coil is selected), I think it is just easier to grab a Triple Shot ring for the neck pickup. I think it is more elegant than push/pull pots, and you have more options. You can use a push/pull pot for phase, though, if you want a ton of options.

 

[zionstrat]

Re: Install 4-conductor and 2-conductor pickups in one guitar?

Mincer, hoping to try a triple one day. Most of my builds are top loaded or without rings, but have a couple of clients interested in trying a trippleshot.

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