Question about wiring of a Duncan '59...

[atomheartmother]

I got one of these second hand and strangely enough there are two wires (the black that is covered by the wire braiding and a white that looks to come of out the wire braiding). I figured that the original owner just connected a white wire to the braiding to make it easier to ground it. However, I emailed the owner and he said white is hot.

Do '59's usually come with two wires? Every PAF type pickup I've ever had only had the one black wire and you soldered the braiding to the ground.

What's up with this?

I wired the black to the switch (this is a Tele) and the white to the ground and it works. But the seller is messing me up. I'm wondering if it's still wrong, but just sounds wierd or something (it sounded normal, I think...I've never owned one).

If I was wrong, and they were reversed, wouldn't there be no sound?

 

[Zerberus]

Re: Question about wiring of a Duncan '59...

reversing hot and Ground won´t cause problems other than phase cancellation when used with other pups (which you may or may not like, I have my Rhoads set up that way).

but ´59s generally come with "standard" vintage style braided wire or 4 conductor wire... it COULD be that the second wire is for a Coil split the previous owner installed....

Does it Hum?? If no hum, then no coil split, phase reversal is the worst case then... and if that turens out to be a problem, just swap the leads around and resolder them

 

[martinsixstringcustoms]

Re: Question about wiring of a Duncan '59...

59's are either single or 4 conductor wire. I have no idea what ups with the white wire? Are you sure its a Duncan 59? I assume the base plate is marked with SH-1?

 

[martinsixstringcustoms]

Re: Question about wiring of a Duncan '59...

Zerb beat me to it.....

 

[atomheartmother]

Re: Question about wiring of a Duncan '59...

It has the Seymour Duncan plate stamp and says 59NL, I believe (which I assume means '59 nickel as it has a nickel cover).

 

[Zerberus]

Re: Question about wiring of a Duncan '59...

59NL = 59 Neck, wound by someone with the initial "L"

http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/labels.shtml

 

[Inge Malmstein]

Re: Question about wiring of a Duncan '59...

I got one of these second hand and strangely enough there are two wires (the black that is covered by the wire braiding and a white that looks to come of out the wire braiding). I figured that the original owner just connected a white wire to the braiding to make it easier to ground it. However, I emailed the owner and he said white is hot.

Do '59's usually come with two wires? Every PAF type pickup I've ever had only had the one black wire and you soldered the braiding to the ground.

I think i know what's up with the pickup ;-)
Maybe the white was thoght to make the pickup possible for splitting?
Here in Germany the '59s with 4-conductor wire cost more than the regulars.
I simply bought one regular, and added a wire inside, so i used that wire for splitting.

 

[atomheartmother]

Re: Question about wiring of a Duncan '59...

But it doesn't look like it's splitting anything. It looks like the wire is basically just soldered to the braiding. I'll take a closer look at it and maybe take pics.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: Question about wiring of a Duncan '59...

....Here in Germany the '59s with 4-conductor wire cost more than the regulars.....

Only if your dealer is a "Schlitzohr", I´m pretty sure Warwick´s wholesale price on both is identical

BUt interestingly enough, ROckinger also selld the 4 wire for 15 EOROS more....

20 DOLLARS MORE for a STANDARD FEATURE supposedly available at no upcharge? if it were SHop floor custom I could understand it... That´s almost 25% of what the whole Pickup costs. :

*Edit* Just looked, the 4 wire really IS more expensive wholesale :smack:

I´m starting to remember why I try to avoid Warwick on everything but their own basses...

 

[Inge Malmstein]

Re: Question about wiring of a Duncan '59...

Only if your dealer is a "Schlitzohr", I´m pretty sure Warwick´s wholesale price on both is identical

Well, then this lies in the hands of the shop's who sales them.
The '59 with single-conductor is the regular, so they mostly have this version on stock.
But, for those who know HOW to mod, this is no problem :13:
It's just sad that i damaged two humbuckers during my first "researches". :yell:


That's the same thing with the trembuckers.
Nobody has them on stock, and i NEVER!!!!!! has been asked what spacing i need, neither someone told me that for Strats and heavy strats trembuckers have the right spacing...

 

[ShredFetus]

Re: Question about wiring of a Duncan '59...

In Australia the 4 con is $20 more expensive too. Can someone tell me what the difference is? Total n00b, I know.

 

[DanielToth]

Re: Question about wiring of a Duncan '59...

I added a 59 humbucker to the bridge location of my 1997 Samick Les Paul copy. When I have both pickups on, the tone is hallow and the volume decreases. When just on the bridge pick-up, it really rips. I have read that when you add only one humbucker and leave another, there is a chance that there wil be a phase problem. I think that is the problem I have. Another person in this thread mentioned that all you have to do is reverse the wires on one of the pick-ups. I also read on the Duncan web site the same thing. Therefore, I think the solution to your and my problem is to reverse the wireing on one of the pick-ups. Can any one out there confirm this? Also, if pickups are out of phase, can the pick-ups be damaged becaue of this?

 

[Gibsononly]

Re: Question about wiring of a Duncan '59...

You can't damage pups by wiring them out of phase, it's actually a popular mod with the Peter Green set.

And yes, just reverse the wiring.