Need help wiring a sh 13 dimebucker

SeanConway

New member
I need to wire a sh 13 dimebucker in the the bridge position of an Ibanez RG370DX (HSH, 5 way selecter, 1 tone, 1 volume. The pickup is in place and I followed the recommended wiring diagram for the guitar but it sounds like the volume pot is backed almost all the way off (which it isn't) when I try to play trough the sh 13. All the other pickups are working fine. I have tried many other wiring configurations to try and get the pick up to work properly but none of them worked. Can anyone diagnose the problem?
 
Re: Need help wiring a sh 13 dimebucker

What other configurations did you try? Can you post a good pic of the wiring?
 
Re: Need help wiring a sh 13 dimebucker

which lugs of the swtich do you have the dimebucker soldered too? Is it the lugs to the farthest left on the switch? The red and white should be soldered together and taped off to the side then green should go to ground and the black to the switch. Or am i looking at this picture wrong?
 
Re: Need help wiring a sh 13 dimebucker

I tried wiring it as you said but I got the very same results as I did with the wiring in the picture
 
Re: Need help wiring a sh 13 dimebucker

As strange as it sounds its the very same. I'm starting to think its the pickup. is there any way of testing it without having to put it in another guitar?
 
Re: Need help wiring a sh 13 dimebucker

In addition to testing the DCR, you'll want to test the magnetic field. Also tell us if it is brand new & where you got it. There was a very brief recall on these years back for blades that would not magnetize. (Non-magnetic steel) I believe there was a thread on here somewhere, but it may require sophisticated searching since there are lots of threads on the Dimebucker. If you check the DCR and it reads within range, then you'll probably contact customer service.
 
Re: Need help wiring a sh 13 dimebucker

As strange as it sounds its the very same. I'm starting to think its the pickup. is there any way of testing it without having to put it in another guitar?

Sure solder it straight to the output jack... Just ground out the green wire and solder the black to the jack... If its loud and ok... it might be a bit bright and harsh like this. Then the pickup is OK... then work backwards from there eliminating each piece as a possible source of trouble. After the jack try it soldered to the switch and the jack.. then the switch volume knob and jack.. so on so forth until you eliminate the problem
 
Re: Need help wiring a sh 13 dimebucker

@frankfalbo, I got the pickup second hand from someone in my local area and he clams the pickup was working fine before he changed it for a different pickup.

@Edgecrusher, I wired the pickup straight to the output jack and got the same low output results. I'm starting to think it might be a fault in the pickup
 
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Re: Need help wiring a sh 13 dimebucker

@frankfalbo, I got the pickup second hand from someone in my local area and he clams the pickup was working fine before he changed it for a different pickup.

@Edgecrusher, I wired the pickup straight to the output jack and got the same low output results. I'm starting to think it might be a fault in the pickup

Yep if its the same wired directly to the output jack its probably toast. If you have a multimeter you can test it and see what it reads but at this point it sounds like a bum pickup. Sorry dude.
 
Re: Need help wiring a sh 13 dimebucker

Hello

I'm a newbie at pickup installs. So take my advice with a grain of salt. But I've done two so far with my Ibanez rg's. And had a few issues myself in the process. If I'm looking at your picture correctly. The new humbucker is the one with the long thick black wire. And your stock ibanez Neck PUP is the thick red one. By the look of the color of the wires on your 5way switch. It looks like you may have the wrong wires soldered to your 5way switch.

The hot wire is black on the SD. That needs to go to the first lug on the far left based on your picture. Red and white soldered together and that goes to the 6th lug.That will give you your coil splitting. And your green and bare go to ground on the back of your volume pot.

My first attempt changing pickups using the SD wiring diagrams confused me because they don't correspond to ibanez 5 switches. They apply to fender 5 way or american style switches. After my first install the pickups were noisy and sounded weak. Especially in the 2 and 4 positions. Had some phase issues. and in the process I may have fried a Volume pot and possibly my five way switch.

I bought a fender switch followed SD's HSH one vol diagram. And everything worked fine. But obviously its a bit different than how a stock ibanez is wired but at least it worked. On the next pickup swap I was a bit more careful and just followed the stock pickup wires. Made notes were they are soldered. Made the swap and didn't fry any switches this time. If you have the soldering iron on the switch or pot to long you can fry them internally very easily. so you gotta get in and get out.

Hopefully this helps.....if not.....I've got nothing left lol. Good luck.
 
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