Single Humbucker switch options?

Brainbanana · Jan 25, 2018

Hey there-

I have an old Electra Westone guitar that I am fixing up for a friend. It is a single Humbucker guitar with a volume and a tone control. It also has a small DPDT mini switch. I don't know what the mini switch did, as there is no pickup currently in the guitar, and the wires have been all removed from the pots and switch.

I have an Ibanez INF2 Humbucker that I want to install. It only has three wires - Black, Red, and White. I don't want to yank the switch out and leave a hole there, as it has no pickguard. What are my options for this mini switch? I'm sure I could just make it a kill switch easily enough, but if I have any other options for it, I would rather do something tonally, if that makes sense.

1. Does anyone know what the color code for this pickup is? Ibanez Infinity-2 with 3 wires Black, Red, and White. I am sorry it's not a Duncan, so if this is out of line, I apologize. I just have no clue which wire is what...

2. Do I have any options for the mini switch besides Kill?

Thanks for taking the time to read this. Any help at all would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you thank you thank you

gregory · Jan 25, 2018

Re: Single Humbucker switch options?

You are not out of line. I don't know the color codes off hand, but if you have a multimeter you're in luck.

First thing is to see which wire is connected to the backplate of the humbucker. That is ground. From that wire, the other one that gives you the highest resistance is the hot wire for series operation. The other wire is for splitting by connecting it to ground. Leave it floating/disconnected for regular humbucker mode.

Brainbanana · Jan 25, 2018

Re: Single Humbucker switch options?

Wow, thanks for your help. I believe I can locate a multimeter here.
I attached a crude drawing of a wiring diagram. So, you're saying I can split the coils by sending the wire with less resistance to ground.
If the red wire has less resistance across ground, then I could send it to ground using the mini switch, correct? The White wire, having higher resistance, would go to the volume pot.
Of course, all grounds connected to each other. Does this wiring diagram look like it could work?
Considering:
black wire from pickup = ground
white wire = hot
red wire = splitting wire