I recently installed a SD Invader into a new Squire Stratocaster. This is the first time I've done this but after watching videos on Youtube, I figured I could do it myself. I attached the hot black wire to the 1st switch lug and the bare/green wires to the volume pot. I taped the red/white together. No luck, possibly didn't solder it correctly. I then took it into my local luthier and he got it working but when I opened it up to see what he did, he just disconnected the black wire and attached the red wire to the 1st switch lug. I'm confused why this worked and just looking for an explanation? I haven't found anything online that uses this set-up. Thanks in advance!
SD Invader works on accident?
- Thread starter syngeko
- Start date
Artie
Peaveyologist
He did it wrong. He has it wired for single coil, (or "split"), operation. You're only getting half of the pickup.
Your wiring was correct, but with two potential problems:
You had a bad solder connection. Or didn't actually solder the red/white together.
Your pup is reverse polarity from the stock Fender pups. So reverse black and green. (But the pup should still work.)
Was this pup new or used? If used, it's possible that one coil was bad and the tech just wired it to accommodate that. But you'd think he'd inform you of that.
To test, tap each coil of the pup, (gently), with a screwdriver to verify if both are working. More than likely, only the one nearest the bridge is.
Your wiring was correct, but with two potential problems:
You had a bad solder connection. Or didn't actually solder the red/white together.
Your pup is reverse polarity from the stock Fender pups. So reverse black and green. (But the pup should still work.)
Was this pup new or used? If used, it's possible that one coil was bad and the tech just wired it to accommodate that. But you'd think he'd inform you of that.
To test, tap each coil of the pup, (gently), with a screwdriver to verify if both are working. More than likely, only the one nearest the bridge is.
So, the "luthier" (and I use that term loosely) disconnected the black wire from the switch and just left it dangling (meaning not connected to anything)? And he separated the red and white wires and soldered the red wire to the switch and left the white wire dangling? He left the green and bare wires soldered to the back of a pot?
Like Artie said, he did it wrong...he wired it so just one coil is active, the pup is in permanent split mode.
So, you can either take it back to him and tell him to fix it (correctly this time), or you can just wire as you said you originally had it wired, which was correct. You either had a bad solder connection or you had a short...possibly the black wire or that switch lug was touching the ground wire.
Like Artie said, he did it wrong...he wired it so just one coil is active, the pup is in permanent split mode.
So, you can either take it back to him and tell him to fix it (correctly this time), or you can just wire as you said you originally had it wired, which was correct. You either had a bad solder connection or you had a short...possibly the black wire or that switch lug was touching the ground wire.
marcello252
Well-known member
are you sure he was a luthier? because he did a thing noone with a minimum of experience would have done, since SD is in the market from decades, and even if you don't know the wire color coding there are the instructions inside e tons of docs online.
anyway, you did it right, I think it coud have been a bad solder or a short somewhere, maybe closing the pickguard, some flying wire making a false contact for example
anyway, you did it right, I think it coud have been a bad solder or a short somewhere, maybe closing the pickguard, some flying wire making a false contact for example
Supernautilus
Active member
Possibly. As long as the wires are wrapped around each other tightly and taped up, it should be ok. But a soldered connection is ideal. A decent iron and some solder are fairly cheap. If you planning doing any other mods, it’s a good investment.
