SG wiring

[RW James]

I have an SG of unknown origins (my son won it in a raffle at his school). I have no experience with SGs and I wonder if someone can tell me how it is wired.

It has two zebra pickups - a 3 way switch (which I understand) and a 2 way switch - which I assume splits one of the humbuckers. Typically which one? I am assuming the bridge...

Again, what is typical?

 

[dd12939]

Re: SG wiring

As you probably know, "typical" for an SG is just 2 Vol, 2 Tone, and a 3 way. In my experience, most guitars with factory split switches are wired to split both pickups. Not knowing the particular guitar though, it's tough to say. If I were you, I'd just open up the back of the guitar and look around. If you're not too familiar with wiring stuff, post photos or diagrams and any number of people around here can help you out.

And after typing all that, I just realized an easier way to check what the switch splits (assuming it's a split switch) if you aren't concerned with looking in the control cavity. Plug it in and with the volume on the amp quite low, tap on the pole pieces of the pickups with a screwdriver (or similar implement) and see which coils are active. Flip the switch and repeat.

 

[RW James]

Re: SG wiring

Okay, thanks... I could take a look at the wiring and probably figure it out... but I didn't know about the tapping - I guess I wasn't sure whether the split just changed the series/parallel aspect of the humbucker - or just turned off one half of the pickup. I guess the latter is true.