Need Wiring Help....Import Gretsch

D

darnright

RepententRodentologist
I recently purchased a Gretsch G2627T streamliner. It's a semi-hollow w/3 humbuckers. It has the BEST switching-wiring system I have seen on any 3 pup guitar.
It has a volume pot for each pup w/ a master tone and a master volume. Also has 2 control switches, one is a standard 3-way for bridge-neck or both. There is a 2nd switch that controls only the middle pup. Can be on (all the time) or Off ( all the time) or on by itself alone. So you have control of every pup, except for tone. Can have any combination of the 3...All 3, Br and neck, Br and middle, Br alone, Middle and neck, or neck alone or middle alone.

I contacted Gretsch (Fender), they sent me wiring for completely different guitars...the only schematics on their site. Just hoping, by chance, that someone on here has access to that wiring schematic or something like it.

Thank you for any and all help

Dave
 
Re: Need Wiring Help....Import Gretsch

assuming the middle pickup is a 2 position DPDT of some sort try this. I had to watch a few videos on youtube and they were either agonizing on a similar model where you question ones sobriety amongst other things but this is how I'd approach it. Either way I did a fair bit of research after my initial reply and went to photoshop.

my approach was simple
the 3 volumes are decoupled in typical gretsch style
modern tone, approached like a 2 volume 1 tone type les paul setup was how I did it
finished off with a regular volume control. The regular volume doesn't go dark as quick.

attach the black ground wires from the pickups anywhere I just put them to the tops of any pots I felt was necessary for a clean diagram

I also color coded the hot leads of the pickups for you to make life easier

capacitor value you could go with whatever is on the guitar usually polyester capacitors from Thailand are 2A22 2A33 or 2A47 being the first 4 characters. Wiring is all about finding what we like. Focus more on value, avoid ceramic and MLCC and there is no reason to spend more than a dollar on a single capacitor on a guitar no matter what snake oil salesmen tell us online. Save them for tube amps, hifi stereoes and stuff pushing more than a volt and or amp of power.


as always any questions someone on here may be able to shed some more light on this wiring than I do. The last gretsch I played was 8 years ago.. in fact the last one I saw was the oldest guitar I've ever seen was from the late 20s to early 30s.
View attachment 102512
 
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Re: Need Wiring Help....Import Gretsch

Thank you SO much!!! Wow, I didn't expect you to do all that, But I really appreciate it!! Thank you...Thank you...Thank you!!!
 
Re: Need Wiring Help....Import Gretsch

shadowfire90 said:
assuming the neck pickup is a 2 position DPDT of some sort try this.
Click to expand...

First of all, let me say...great diagram, very helpful to the OP.

In the quote above, you don't make any sense. I'm assuming (from your diagram and from common sense) that you meant to say..."assuming the middle pickup goes to a 2 position DPDT of some sort try this"
 
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Re: Need Wiring Help....Import Gretsch

for all three pickups that would be the purpose of the DPDT switch so I got you guys covered. However let me know if it's an SPST or a different type of switch. Photos are always appreciated as I always like to be accurate.

How the DPDT switch works below the 3 way toggle is similar to the 7 way mod for those familiar with it from the black strat David Gilmour has recently sold. This way you can have all three pickups selected by
setting the bridge/neck switch to the middle position
than adding the middle pickup with the secondary selector
if they don't line up the approach is simple, just physically rotate the switch so use a bit of extra wire until you know.


The other way to approach this without a second toggle switch which would defeat the purpose is to turn the middle pickups volume into a blend as 4 volume knobs seems overkill on this. I'd probably put a cheap joyo pedal inside it or something as it's not a big deal as I'm sure the main control cavity is quite large on this

either way any improvements or changes people suggest to make this better let me know these diagrams take maybe 15 minutes to make so it's no big deal. Making the gretsch style pickup covers probably required more thought
 
Re: Need Wiring Help....Import Gretsch

shadowfire90 said:
assuming the middle pickup is a 2 position DPDT of some sort try this. I had to watch a few videos on youtube and they were either agonizing on a similar model where you question ones sobriety amongst other things but this is how I'd approach it. Either way I did a fair bit of research after my initial reply and went to photoshop.

my approach was simple
the 3 volumes are decoupled in typical gretsch style
modern tone, approached like a 2 volume 1 tone type les paul setup was how I did it
finished off with a regular volume control. The regular volume doesn't go dark as quick.

attach the black ground wires from the pickups anywhere I just put them to the tops of any pots I felt was necessary for a clean diagram

I also color coded the hot leads of the pickups for you to make life easier

capacitor value you could go with whatever is on the guitar usually polyester capacitors from Thailand are 2A22 2A33 or 2A47 being the first 4 characters. Wiring is all about finding what we like. Focus more on value, avoid ceramic and MLCC and there is no reason to spend more than a dollar on a single capacitor on a guitar no matter what snake oil salesmen tell us online. Save them for tube amps, hifi stereoes and stuff pushing more than a volt and or amp of power.


as always any questions someone on here may be able to shed some more light on this wiring than I do. The last gretsch I played was 8 years ago.. in fact the last one I saw was the oldest guitar I've ever seen was from the late 20s to early 30s.
View attachment 102512
Click to expand...

I don't see that 2nd switch providing one of the features that the OP mentioned, which is the ability to have the Middle Pickup active all by itself.

I think to get everything the OP mentioned, that 2nd switch would need to be an on/on/on switch, and wired like this.

Screenshot_20191216-001151_Gallery.jpg

20191205_223147.jpg

Ignore the 2nd drawing appearing at bottom. It was an earlier version of the drawing at the top, and i can't figure out how to remove it.
 

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Re: Need Wiring Help....Import Gretsch

good call with the type 2 ON/ON/ON DPDT switch,I would never have thought of that.

I drew this out quickly so any ways I can improve this let me know.
View attachment 102523
 
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Re: Need Wiring Help....Import Gretsch

shadowfire90 said:
good call with the type 2 ON/ON/ON DPDT switch,I would never have thought of that.

We can make this in two options
Cosmetically and for getting as accurate to your description as possible one of the easiest ways is with the Dimarzio EP1111 on/on/on 4PDT switch. It's a bit on the pricier side

if not the cheapest would be how I illustrated this
with either an SPST or DPDT on/on , both work just as fine as we're only using half the switch
the only difference is no middle by itself quickly accessable

Is the 2nd toggle switch 3 position? If it's 3 it's a very easy update to the wiring in photoshop so it's no big deal on my behalf
Click to expand...

Thanks. Yes, the switch idea that i shared is a 3 position switch. That is what allows it to be ON-ON-ON (count of 3 positons), vs ON-ON (count of 2 positions). In that top drawing, i notated what each of the 3 positions would yield for outputs.

I am not following you when you say a 4 pole switch would be the closest "cosmetically" to the 3 way on-on-on switch i recommended. Why would some other type of switch need to substitute in for the 3 way on-on-on switch?
 
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Re: Need Wiring Help....Import Gretsch

in terms of looks and functionality the Dimarzio EP1111 in my experience has similar dimensions and it's also looks like a standard 3 way toggle. I haven't had any desire for on/on.on 3 way toggles as I only found out they were a thing maybe a month ago. Hopefully there is a lot more options out there for this project that won't need a 20-40$ switch.

Either a 4PDT or DPDT on/on/on will do the job. Just the Dimarzio has more potential wiring options. The only thing that can go wrong with on/on/on switches is assuming its the wrong type. As there is type 1 and 2 where the middle position changes slightly.


the best advice go with whatever works best for you or is most readily available and the better price for those attempting this project and if it's 100% accurate now share it to any sites or other forums.
 
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Re: Need Wiring Help....Import Gretsch

That latest diagram is correct for everything the OP wanted.

The DPDT on/on/on posted by kingswebe is the type 2 (I believe) and is by far the most common available. It is very difficult to find the type 1, but as you say, it can still be used...just needs slightly different wiring (it would be a mirror image of the type 2 wiring).

Good job guys.
 
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