Wiring Question

[Metalman_666]

This is out of curiousity because soon I might be wiring my own pickups.... I have everything worked out except for one thing. On the 3 way switch in my guitar there are like 15 different tiny terminals for soldering.... how do you know which ones to use? Sorry guys, I'm a complete newbie when it comes to wiring...

 

[SwedishxMetal]

Re: Wiring Question

What kind of position switch is it? 3-way, 5-way? How many lugs are there exactly?

 

[shredaholic]

Re: Wiring Question

On the 3 way switch in my guitar

:scratchch

 

[Artie]

Re: Wiring Question

Can you post a pic? A 3-way should have either 6 or 8 lugs. I've never seen one with 15.

 

[Metalman_666]

Re: Wiring Question

Sorry, I should've put a pic up earlier. And it's 12 lugs, not 15, sorry. So how does one know?

God I love my camera... Canon SD300... great picture for something so small.

 

[Metalman_666]

Re: Wiring Question

bump...

 

[Artie]

Re: Wiring Question

I remember those. Its like two "Alco-style" switches side-by-side. Like this:

The way that its wired in your photo is correct.

 

[Metalman_666]

Re: Wiring Question

Sorry if I'm a little confused but if I'm reading your diagrams correctly... they don't match the wiring I have.... It still doesn't explain how you know which terminals to use?

 

[Metalman_666]

Re: Wiring Question

OHHH wait.... after studying them I think I understand... In the first diagram, all of the terminals on the left and middle are active.. the middle means it sort of zigzags and so both pickups/pots are active, and finally the ones of the middle and right are active.. I think I understand, though my words may not convey it.. lol

EDIT my pickups are like this!!

0_____0_____0
0_____0_____0
0_____T_____N vol
B vol__T_____0


I get it!!

 

[Metalman_666]

Re: Wiring Question

One more thing, does this mean that you can solder the pickups to any of those terminals for the same effect, not just the ones that are wired in my picture? For example I could connect the bridge volume to, say the terminal on the top left of the switch, as opposed to the bottom left, where it is located now in the diagram I "drew" in the post above?

 

[Artie]

Re: Wiring Question

One more thing, does this mean that you can solder the pickups to any of those terminals for the same effect, not just the ones that are wired in my picture? For example I could connect the bridge volume to, say the terminal on the top left of the switch, as opposed to the bottom left, where it is located now in the diagram I "drew" in the post above?

"Yes" - basically, to both those posts. Let me give you a few more details before you do anything drastic, but I'm just heading out for my boy's football game.

I'll be back!

Artie

 

[Metalman_666]

Re: Wiring Question

Bump... Artie where are you!

 

[Artie]

Re: Wiring Question

I'm here . . . but for the life of me, I can't remember what else I was going to tell you.

That switch diagram is pretty self-explanatory. Just connect whatever you want switched to whichever contacts "close" in whatever handle position you want that to happen.

Keep in mind, for ordinary 3-way functions, half of that switch is unnecessary. There was a post here somewhere, where someone had both pups split in the middle. Or you can have each pup split at either end.

 

[Metalman_666]

Re: Wiring Question

Thanks Artie!

I just have one more question for you. If I want to split passives (Duncans probably) in the middle position, which wire is which coil of each pickup? if that made any sense...

 

[Metalman_666]

Re: Wiring Question

bump? lol I hate doing this is makes me look like a tool

 

[Artie]

Re: Wiring Question

Thanks Artie!

I just have one more question for you. If I want to split passives (Duncans probably) in the middle position, which wire is which coil of each pickup? if that made any sense...

I just caught this as I was heading for the rack. I'll cover this in the morning.

 

[Artie]

Re: Wiring Question

I would do it like this:

This will give you the adjustable coil of the neck, with the stud coil of the bridge when the 3-way is in the middle, which will remain humbucking.

Artie

 

[Metalman_666]

Re: Wiring Question

Thanks Artie!