Vultite Posted July 11, 2005 Report Share Posted July 11, 2005 (edited) My brother gave me his Epiphone Les Paul. I want to replace the pickups on it. I want to go EMGs. I think I will get an 81 & 60. Now heres where I have some questions. Pot lengths. Do I need to get extended length pots for the body of the Les Paul? If so what type of pot? Arent you supposed to use a lower value one like 50k or something? Kill Switches. I want a kill switch. Its just my personal need to have something to instantly mute the guitar. How would I go about wiring one in there? Also is it possible to install a switch that will disconnect the battery so I can leave it plugged in without worrying? This is going to be my "beater guitar" so I want to be lazy. Dual Batteries. I want to try this second battery thing. How do I go about installing that? Im sorry to sound so hopeless about this, but electronics where I have very little knowledge. Sorry for asking so much, graphics is just my area. (I'm going to build a custom explorer. I have a high-res blue print in photoshop. Thats where I know what I'm doing) Edited July 11, 2005 by Vultite Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemleggat Posted July 11, 2005 Report Share Posted July 11, 2005 1: No u dont need longer pots, it only Gibson LP u need longer pots for as the controls are mounted on a large metal plate. 2: Yes. Easy just wire a little switch that sends the Hot/Output to Earth(ground) and yes just use another switch to disconnect the battery. 3:Easy, remember hidh school physics about series and parallel? Just wire the batteries in series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vultite Posted July 11, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2005 1: No u dont need longer pots, it only Gibson LP u need longer pots for as the controls are mounted on a large metal plate. 2: Yes. Easy just wire a little switch that sends the Hot/Output to Earth(ground) and yes just use another switch to disconnect the battery. 3:Easy, remember hidh school physics about series and parallel? Just wire the batteries in series. ← I never had physics, I spent most of my days in rooms that had things like oil paints and stuff like that in them. I've never had any electronics classes ever. :-( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted July 12, 2005 Report Share Posted July 12, 2005 Hi Vultite If you used a double pole / double throw switch (DPDT), it has 6 terminals on the back...2 sets of three...you could use one side (set) to kill and the other to turn off the batteries...that way you'd only need one switch on the guitar, just make sure you "kill" it when you leave it... Series just means one battery running into the other, so -ve ----- -ve///ve+ ----- -ve///ve+ ----- +ve If that makes sense (blue batt#1, red #2).... Good luck with the Explorer and it's good to make a few mistakes with a project like this one...good on ya... pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vultite Posted July 12, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2005 Hi Vultite If you used a double pole / double throw switch (DPDT), it has 6 terminals on the back...2 sets of three...you could use one side (set) to kill and the other to turn off the batteries...that way you'd only need one switch on the guitar, just make sure you "kill" it when you leave it... The reason I want a kill switch is because I hate having to silence one pickup and use the switch as a one. What I would like is the LP switch in its usualy place, doing its usual job, but the other 4 knob locations to be like Switch, switch knob knob (I forgot to mention, im not going to use the tone knobs. I hate them.) You can have a kill switch to the battery AND mute the guitar at the same time? That would be neat, would it cause problems (such as crackles and stuff) when you switch it? I really would like to prevent any crackles and stuff. If you think that doing a battery + mute switch will work I can do a 2 volumes, tone, and switch on it. Series just means one battery running into the other, so -ve ----- -ve///ve+ ----- -ve///ve+ ----- +ve If that makes sense (blue batt#1, red #2).... I don't understand what that means at all. :-( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crafty Posted July 12, 2005 Report Share Posted July 12, 2005 Just connect the black (-) wire from one battery to the red (+) wire coming from the other battery. That's series wiring and it will get you the 18 V. If you are indeed going to have two switches, wire one to shunt the output to ground (silent killswitch), the other to the red (+) wire going to the pickups to turn off the battery power (noisy killswitch). The DPDT pot is probably a better idea and would look cleaner than two separate switches. Shouldn't have a problem with noise as the POP from disconnecting the power would be shunted to ground. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovekraft Posted July 12, 2005 Report Share Posted July 12, 2005 It's a lot easier to set up a killswitch separately from the power switching, and it's a lot less likely to cause noise at the output. psw's power/kill switch is a special case, and isn't necessary with simple active pickups. Use a stereo jack to switch the battery ground for EMGs, it's simple, robust and pop-free, and it's already bulit in to the EMG wiring harness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vultite Posted July 13, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2005 Im in way over my head :-( When they arrive in the mail I will continue to ask more questions or see if I can find a local guy to do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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