pickup wiring

  • Thread starter Thread starter feintguitarist
  • Start date Start date
feintguitarist

feintguitarist

Member
I was getting ready to install the DiMarzio ToneZone I acquired from Fek, but I think I'm going to have to put this on hold for a bit..

Previously I was running an EMG 85/60 setup in my guitar.. and I have some questions about reusing some of the parts..

I just realized that I had 25k pots for the EMG's.. so I'm guessing I'll be buying a 500k or 250k pots in order for them to work with the DiMarzio. I'm guessing the 25k pot either won't work, or would sound horrible with the DiMarzio?

Also I've got a Switchcraft input jack that I'm not sure if I can reuse. It has three prongs.. 2 of them are currently running to the volume pot, and the other is covered in heatshrink wrap..and runs to one side of the battery for the EMG. Could I cut that of fand still use this jack, or should I replace it?

I think the only thing I'm going to be able to reuse is my 3-way-toggle.

What should I do?
 
The 25k pots won't damage anything, but they'll make the guitar sound like shit. The three prong input is called a stereo input jack, and if you plug a TS (or otherwise known as 'instrument' cable in the guitar world) into it, the longer sleeve of the TS cable bridges the ring and sleeve connections of the jack. This is not a problem so long as nothing is connected to the ring connection of the jack.
 
you need to put in 500k pots
you can still use the 3 prong (stereo) jack... see this diagram:


dimarzioibanez.gif
 
oh also, as someone that just switched from EMGs to Dimarzios....you will be VERY happy with the results.
 
Thanks for the info..

I may just go ahead and order another jack while I'm at it... since I'm having to buy tone/volume pots anyways.

My plan was to wire the bridge pickup in tonight... and then maybe tomorrow or the next day go pickup a practice amp at Guitar Center. I guess that's not gonna happen now!

(I'm ampless right now, and until I bought the DiMarzio from Fek.. I was also pickup-less.)
 
any old guitar shop should have those pots....if you've already got a switchcraft jack, keep it! those are good quality and there's no need to replace unless it's just beat/rusted to shit.
don't have ANY other pots laying around? or maybe just one you could hijack and wire up Pickup->volume->output til you order another?
 
Yeah... I remember reading Switchcraft was good.. which I why I bought the one I have currently. So, I'll just reuse this one then..

I don't have any old pots lying around. I tossed all the old hardware out of my guitar because it was in rough shape.

As far as guitar shops.. I haven't been playing guitar since I moved where I live now..and the only guitar place I know of is the Guitar Center a few minutes away from me. I'm not sure if they carry pots or not. Hopefully they do since they sell pickups. Then I could just grab what I need when I get the amp.
 
I just got back from Guitar Center.. they had some 500k pots, but no caps for the tone pot. Looks like I'll just be running without that for a bit. Also picked up a little Fender Mustang practice amp. It's definitely not going to fill my old Engl Blackmore's shoes, but it should suffice for what I need right now!

Hopefully the ToneZone doesn't sound too bad running without a cap.
 
I think most people say running without your tone pot gives the guitar a slightly brighter sound, but I think you'll manage! good luck.
 
Well... I don't know what I was thinking.. What's the point in wiring a pickup if you don't even have the mounting screws! Ha.

I just ordered 2 mini 500k pots, 1 mono output jack, mounting springs and screws, caps, and some wire from stewmac.com. I'm going to return the one pot back to Guitar Center.. I've already got some solder on one..so I'll be keeping it as a spare.

Now I just need to find a used ToneZone for the neck!
 
P.S.
I need soldering skills.

I got all the parts in. The pickup isn't very sturdy when mounted. Plus I'm diagram illiterate.

I've got a red wire and a black wire coming from the pickup. I'm assuming red is hot, black is ground. I want to wire without using a toggle switch. So pickup / vol / tone / output.

Which wire gets soldered to the back of the volume pot? Red or black? Then does it matter which lug the other is soldered to?
 
mounting in a pickup ring or direct mount?
either way, some foam or even a wooden shim under the pickup will help stabilize it.

only two wires from the pickup? no bare wire, white or green wire?
 
Neeklaus":4der8dhs said:
.... see this diagram:

dimarzioibanez.gif
Click to expand...

FYI, the 5-way switch in this diagram is not a normal Fender-style 5-way. it's the Ibanez "Special 5-way" switch.

its internal connections are different from normal 5-way switches. the wiring in this diagram will only work with it; it won't work with a normal 5-way.
 
Well, it does have the white and green, but they're tucked away under some heat shrink wrap. So I was hoping I could get away with only use the two exposed, as I think they were soldered that way originally(?).

I only have a 3-way toggle, but it has 5 posts/lugs (3 in a row, and 2 on another).. so I've been looking for a diagram that uses it & only showed 2wire pickups, but I guess I should just cut the heat shrink wrap and expose the green and white wires.

This is the one I have: http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics ... witch.html

What throws me off is the wiring diagram stewmac has shows the pickup with 2-wires. BUT, the toggle switch they show only has what looks like 4 lugs, not the 5 that the one they sell has. However, the diagram shows a pickup with 2 wires.. so that's nice. I just don't know which is pos and neg.
 
Well I found a file on DiMarzio's site.. it's not a diagram, but it just explain which wire is what. So, after reading that I think I should be able to get it soldered up without the toggle switch for now. I only have one pickup right now, so I don't really need the switch wired up yet anyways. My iron is 25-watts, but I still have a problem getting the solder to melt to the back of the pots. I found a video on YouTube on how to solder to the back of the pots, and it looks like a piece of cake, but I just can't get the solder to melt onto the back of the pot and stick.

I'll probably try yet again later tonight.

(Edit: DiMarzio sent me the diagram I need. Looks easy to follow!)
 
Neeklaus":c8dtdjga said:
mounting in a pickup ring or direct mount?
either way, some foam or even a wooden shim under the pickup will help stabilize it.

only two wires from the pickup? no bare wire, white or green wire?
Click to expand...

It's mounted to the pick guard. I don't remember having this problem with my old pickups (pre EMGs). There was certainly no wobble when I had the EMGs. They were all mounted the same.
 
feintguitarist":13p8u6a3 said:
Well I found a file on DiMarzio's site.. it's not a diagram, but it just explain which wire is what. So, after reading that I think I should be able to get it soldered up without the toggle switch for now. I only have one pickup right now, so I don't really need the switch wired up yet anyways. My iron is 25-watts, but I still have a problem getting the solder to melt to the back of the pots. I found a video on YouTube on how to solder to the back of the pots, and it looks like a piece of cake, but I just can't get the solder to melt onto the back of the pot and stick.

I'll probably try yet again later tonight.

(Edit: DiMarzio sent me the diagram I need. Looks easy to follow!)
Click to expand...

Sounds like you need to clean your tip. As my girlfriend likes to remind me, never put your tip away dirty!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top