Need Help With Fender Lead III and Invaders

[kagreen2k]

I have a 2020 Fender Lead III and installed 2 SD Invaders. They sound great and my pickup selector works fine. I have a second switch which I thought was a phase switch but was told it is a coil split switch which is not working. No matter what position the second switch is in, there is no change of the sound.

When I installed them, I found a wiring diagram of the Fender Lead III. I removed the pickup cover and noted the wire colors on the diagram and matched up the wire colors on my invaders. I do realize the wire colors may not be standardized but that all I really had to go on. I looked through the wiring diagrams on the SD site but none of the configurations match my guitar (that I could tell).

 

[jeremy]

it looks like you are using red for ground on one pup and green for ground on the other? is there a reason behind that?

 

[kagreen2k]

As I said in my original post, I matched up the colored wires from the original pickups; rightly or wrongly.

I found this pickup diagram on SDs site and a diagram that explains my switch from somewhere and it’s starting to make sense now.

Hopefully this will help someone else.

 

[kagreen2k]

This is the updated diagram. I believe it is correct.

 

[kagreen2k]

I also want give credit where credit is due. The wiring diagram came from https://www.pedalsatdawn.com

 

[kagreen2k]

Now I believe it is correct.

 

[Artie]

Those colors still aren't correct. We can fix that easy. The bigger "problem", (if you want to call it that), is that the split switch splits one pup in one position, and the other pickup in the other position, with neither split when used together. That's really odd. The more normal thing to do is split both at the same time. Which would you prefer, and I can provide the corrected diagram.

 

[Artie]

Like this:

 

[freefrog]

Those colors still aren't correct. We can fix that easy. The bigger "problem", (if you want to call it that), is that the split switch splits one pup in one position, and the other pickup in the other position, with neither split when used together. That's really odd. The more normal thing to do is split both at the same time. Which would you prefer, and I can provide the corrected diagram.

I may be wrong but I understand this odd wiring as a possible way to keep the level and resonant frequencies of pickups in parallel in the same range than those of the pickups split.

And I salute once again your help online. Duncan users are lucky to have you there.

 

[Mincer]

I may be wrong but I understand this odd wiring as a possible way to keep the level and resonant frequencies of pickups in parallel in the same range than those of the pickups split.

And I salute once again your help online. Duncan users are lucky to have you there.

Don't I know it!

 

[kagreen2k]

Those colors still aren't correct. We can fix that easy. The bigger "problem", (if you want to call it that), is that the split switch splits one pup in one position, and the other pickup in the other position, with neither split when used together. That's really odd. The more normal thing to do is split both at the same time. Which would you prefer, and I can provide the corrected diagram.

Wow! Thank you sooooo much for this. I was okay with splitting one pickup at a time but didn’t consider both. What would I use the 3rd position for if one position is split and another not split? I don’t really know what I’m doing so this is very much appreciated.

 

[Artie]

Wow! Thank you sooooo much for this. I was okay with splitting one pickup at a time but didn’t consider both. What would I use the 3rd position for if one position is split and another not split? I don’t really know what I’m doing so this is very much appreciated.

The trouble is, with that particular switch, as it's shown now is your best option. To get both split, or neither split, you'd want a DPDT on-off switch. To get split-to-inners/non-split/split-to-outers, you'd need a DPDT on-off-on switch. I'd probably just leave it as I showed for now. Then decide if you aren't happy with that, and we could go from there.

P.S. I just noticed that I accidently erased part of the string bridge ground. That's what's left of the little line and arrow that's under the bridge pup green & bare line. Just be sure to ground the string bridge somewhere.

 

[Artie]

I may be wrong but I understand this odd wiring as a possible way to keep the level and resonant frequencies of pickups in parallel in the same range than those of the pickups split.

And I salute once again your help online. Duncan users are lucky to have you there.

You're probably right. (Actually, I'm sure you're right.) I'm not sure if I've done split, with a humbucker before. I'll have to try it.

And thanks for the kind words. There are quite a few others here who do great diagrams. I was a just bit quicker on the draw on this one.

 

[kagreen2k]

I am going to go with the switch that I have and try the original configuration where I get 1 split at a time.

I was also thinking about replacing the 250k pots with SD 500k pots based on other threads I have been reading.

 

[Artie]

I think Invaders would definitely benefit from 500k pots.

 

[jeremy]

i agree. ive never tried invaders with 250k but id guess they would be too dark for my taste

 

[Mincer]

OT, but the Lead III is one hell of a cool guitar.

 

[kagreen2k]

OT, but the Lead III is one hell of a cool guitar.

I am in my mid fifties and bought this a year and a half ago as my first guitar. I have bad arthritis in my left hand and didn’t know how much I would be able to play. I didn’t want to spend much but wanted something that would be easy on my left hand. I tried my Lead III first and was amazed at how well it played. I probably tried a half dozen other guitars in that price range and nothing played as well.

I replaced the tuning pegs and pickups recently. I also bought a straight edge for the neck from StewMac. After adjusting it, it plays like a dream. Once I get the pickup wiring fixed, I’m sure it will sound as well as it plays.

 

[Mincer]

I am in my mid fifties and bought this a year and a half ago as my first guitar. I have bad arthritis in my left hand and didn’t know how much I would be able to play. I didn’t want to spend much but wanted something that would be easy on my left hand. I tried my Lead III first and was amazed at how well it played. I probably tried a half dozen other guitars in that price range and nothing played as well.

I replaced the tuning pegs and pickups recently. I also bought a straight edge for the neck from StewMac. After adjusting it, it plays like a dream. Once I get the pickup wiring fixed, I’m sure it will sound as well as it plays.

Congrats on the purchase and the upgrades. Back in the day, Steve Morse was an endorser of the Lead III (early 80s).

 

[kagreen2k]

I finally got around to rewiring and replacing the pots and am very happy with the results. Thank you everyone for your help; especially ArtieToo.