Dimarzio + Ibanez Installation Help Needed

[Mastah]

Hiya, folks. I've been having some problems getting my new pickups installed correctly. I'm putting a DiMarzio Blaze Custom and an Air Norton 7 in the bridge and neck positions, respectively, of my Ibanez RG1527. Basically, I wired everything up according to the wiring diagram for my guitar (as seen here: http://www.ibanez.com/wiring/diagrams/RG1527.GIF ) as I wasn't sure how the color codes on the Ibanez pickups corresponded with those of the DiMarzios. This resulted in only the second switch position producing any kind of sound. I tried switching a couple of wires (don't remember which at the moment) at the recommendation of the guitar electronics guy at one of my local shops to no avail. At this point, he basically told me that there was nothing more that he could do, and "Good luck," and that's where I am now. Even after the wire switching, I'm still only getting anything out of the second position.

I could very easily put up pics of the control cavity if necessary.

Any ideas would be much appreciated.

[lovekraft]

IIRC, Ibanez and DiMarzio use the same color codes, so there's probably something else wrong. Triple-check your wiring, and if you can't figure it out, post a drawing of what you've got - there are enough Ibanez fans around here that one of us should be able to get you sorted.

[Kevan]

The standard wiring rig for Ibanez guitar goes like this:

- DiMarzio pickups = OTAX switch (aka VLX-91 switch).

- IBZ pickups = 8-pole switch.

That makes it tough for folks to drop DiMarzios in with 8-pole switches, without breaking out the DMM or looking up diagrams all over the 'net. Lovekraft does that stuff in his sleep, but some of us like 'seeing' what we're doing. LOL

Give me 24 hours. I have a diagram of "DiMarzio + 8-pole", but I need to put it on the computer and upload it.

I might even send it to Ibanez. :-)

[Mastah]

The standard wiring rig for Ibanez guitar goes like this:

- DiMarzio pickups = OTAX switch (aka VLX-91 switch).

- IBZ pickups = 8-pole switch.

That makes it tough for folks to drop DiMarzios in with 8-pole switches, without breaking out the DMM or looking up diagrams all over the 'net.  Lovekraft does that stuff in his sleep, but some of us like 'seeing' what we're doing.  LOL

Give me 24 hours.  I have a diagram of "DiMarzio + 8-pole", but I need to put it on the computer and upload it. 

I might even send it to Ibanez.  :-)

←

That'd be wonderful. The whole eight-pole dealie has been confusing me from the start, actually, otherwise I would have felt confident enough to not even bother with the Ibanez diagram in the first place, hehe. I don't think mucking around with a multimeter and trying to find out how the switch works would do anything to alleviate my confusion, either.

Oh, and take your time. This has been a project for the past couple of weeks now.

[Kevan]

Here's what half an hour in Photoshop gets ya:

http://www.tremol-no.com/images/DiM_8poleRev2.jpg

(NOTE: That diagram is strictly from paper.)

[scott from _actual time_]

The standard wiring rig for Ibanez guitar goes like this:

- DiMarzio pickups = OTAX switch (aka VLX-91 switch).

- IBZ pickups = 8-pole switch.

yep, except the RG7620 did have DiMarzios and used the 8-pole "Special 5-Way" switch, through the first couple years of production at least. if you still need a diagram, Mastah, look for the oldest 7620 diagram you can find on the Ibanez wiring diagram page.

[Kevan]

Good call, Scott!

http://www.ibanez.com/wiring/wire.asp?y=1999&w=RG7620

I'll repair my drawing now...heh heh.

[Mastah]

Good call, Scott!

http://www.ibanez.com/wiring/wire.asp?y=1999&w=RG7620

I'll repair my drawing now...heh heh.

←

I can't tell all too clearly given the clarity of that picture, but it looks like the second position is wired a bit differently. It looks like the inner coil of the bridge pickup and the outer coil of the neck pickup are active, as opposed to having both inner coils active.

Thanks for that diagram you drew up. I'm going to give it a shot tomorrow if I get the chance.

[scott from _actual time_]

I can't tell all too clearly given the clarity of that picture, but it looks like the second position is wired a bit differently.  It looks like the inner coil of the bridge pickup and the outer coil of the neck pickup are active, as opposed to having both inner coils active.

it does _look_ that way in the crappy shaded coil-diagram down in the corner, but on an actual RG7620 you do get both inner coils in position 4.

the thing to check is the orientation of your neck pickup. in that wiring diagram, they are installing the neck DiMarzio with the big cable coming out of the coil closest to the bridge. that orientation + that wiring = inner coil in position 4. with your AN7, this will put the coil with the screw-head pole pieces closest to the bridge, not closest to the neck.

there is a catch. that orientation of the neck pickup looks 'backwards' to some folks like me, who are used to 50 years of gibson neck humbuckers having the coil of screwhead poles closest to the neck. you could just rotate the pickup, but that means you will get bridge inner coil + neck outer in position 4.

if you want the Ibanez Special 5-Way wiring combinations with a Dimarzio pickup in the neck with the screwhead poles closest to the neck, you'll need to do two more things: take the magnet out of your AN7 and rotate it 180 degrees, and change the wiring colors for the neck pickup in the diagram.

if you do this, BE VERY CAREFUL opening up the pickup. also, you might want to go to the forum at www.jemsite.com and search for pickup threads by 'scott of actual time'. i've posted dozens of threads over there on magnet-flipping in DiMarzio neck pickups.

[Kevan]

How about a nice, clear, COLOR diagram? :-)

http://www.tremol-no.com/images/DiM_8poleRev2.jpg