dawnofzion Posted November 28, 2005 Report Share Posted November 28, 2005 I am going to be rebuilding an old guitar i have and I need to know what all I will need to wire it up. I will be running a humbucker in the bridge position and two single coils in neck and middle. I am not sure if I will be using single coil sized humbuckers or true single coils in neck and middle. I don't really care to split the humbuckers into single coils because this will be my guitar for playing metal. I just need to get a check list of everything I will need to wire up my guitar. what all resistors and stuff will I need?? can you please help me with this? also a wiring scheme would be great if someone could help me with that as well. This is the guitar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crafty Posted November 29, 2005 Report Share Posted November 29, 2005 Do yourself a favor and purchase the EMG KH20 pro system without the pickguard. It's a good amount of pickup for metal and it'll probably be the easiest for you to install or have installed. It comes with the 81 humbucker, two S single coils, and all the other components you need to get going except the 9-volt battery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawnofzion Posted November 29, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 29, 2005 nah thats ok i dont' want emg's and i dont' want to go active pickups. so can you help me with everything I need to wire this baby up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted November 29, 2005 Report Share Posted November 29, 2005 Well, do you know what pickups you want? You can get a wiring diagram for HSS at Seymour Duncan. For pickups, if you're doing metal, I'd get something like a Dimarzio Evo in the bridge, and Dimarzio HS3 in the middle, and a Seymour Duncan Hot Rails in the neck, so it'll be like HSH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XPLOAD Posted November 29, 2005 Report Share Posted November 29, 2005 go to www.guitarelectronics.com for some wiring diagrams. they have everything you will need there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crafty Posted November 29, 2005 Report Share Posted November 29, 2005 For pickups, if you're doing metal, I'd get something like a Dimarzio Evo in the bridge, and Dimarzio HS3 in the middle, and a Seymour Duncan Hot Rails in the neck, so it'll be like HSH. The HS-3 won't fit in his guitar and the Evo isn't the greatest metal-head pickup out there. If you play like Vai, the Evo is great, but if you play chuggin' metal, you'll want something a bit meatier. Seymour Duncan JB or Custom in the bridge, JBJr. in the neck and mid positions. 500k volume and tone with a .47pF cap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawnofzion Posted November 29, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 29, 2005 I will need the 500k pot? as well as the 47 pf cap? I found some wiring diagrams on seymour duncans website and it said to get both pots for volume and tone at 250k and the cap to be a .022 cap. what is the difference between the larger ones and the smaller ones? why should I go for the larger one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawnofzion Posted November 29, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 29, 2005 oh and how do I connect the two single coils since there is no pickguard? Where would I get a surround like a humbucker but for a single coil? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovekraft Posted November 29, 2005 Report Share Posted November 29, 2005 Back to the original question - (2) 500K audio taper pots w/knurled shafts (1) 5-way selector switch (1) film or ceramic cap (.47uF has been recommended, but I'd go .1 uF, or even .047uF - just me ) (1) 1/4" panel jack - bite the bullet and buy quality. (3) pickups ( your choice) hook up wire or shielded cable, heatshrink, electrical tape cavity shielding (if desired - I wouldn't leave home without it.) soldering iron, flux, solder, wire cutters and strippers, any other tools necessary mounting hardware, knobs, switch tip, pickguard (if desired). wiring diagram, or at the very least, a clear idea of what you want to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawnofzion Posted November 29, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 29, 2005 sweet lovecraft. thanks. that helps a lot. but what are the differences in the caps? I have no clue what they do and what the difference between the numbers is. if you could enlighten me that would be great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawnofzion Posted November 29, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 29, 2005 oh and should I get the orange drop caps? i have heard they are better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovekraft Posted November 29, 2005 Report Share Posted November 29, 2005 ...what are the differences in the caps? Tone Capacitors, values vs sound ...should I get the orange drop caps? Pots and Caps, I'm confused capacitors for tone pots Not that I'm being a jerk or anything, but a quick browse through the forum and a search for Orange Drop would have found you these posts immediately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawnofzion Posted November 30, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2005 Ok I think i have decided to get two sets of rails for the neck and middle. would this make the guitar have three humbucks? Would I need the same pots and caps? also how would I wire it up? with a humbucker in the bridge and two sets of rails in the neck and middle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawnofzion Posted November 30, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2005 Is there a way I can wire the rails up in the neck and middle where they don't every split? I don't want to split them. and i can't seem to find the right wiring diagram for a humbucker in the bridge, little humbuckers in the neck and middle. with one volume and one tone. with a 5 way switch. anyone have a wiring diagram for this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crafty Posted November 30, 2005 Report Share Posted November 30, 2005 You can adapt this Seymour Duncan diagram for your project. Just replace the pots with 500k pots instead of 250k, the cap with a .047 cap, and you'll be hooking up the black wire on the two rails pickups to the switch just like the full-size humbucker at the bridge. For the wiring, drill holes from the lower corner of each pickup cavity into the control cavity and pass the wires through. Also, unless you're a tone nazi like Eric Johnson, and given the fact that you're using high-output pickups anyway, you're never going to notice the difference between Orange Drops and generic tantalum caps from RadioShack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovekraft Posted November 30, 2005 Report Share Posted November 30, 2005 ...you're never going to notice the difference between Orange Drops and generic tantalum caps from RadioShack...Please don't use tantalums or electrolytic caps in a passive guitar tone control - all audio issues aside, neither type fares particularly well in a circuit that doesn't furnish them with a DC bias of correct polarity. Stick with either films or ceramics (unless special circumstances dictate otherwise). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawnofzion Posted November 30, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2005 (edited) You can adapt this Seymour Duncan diagram for your project. Just replace the pots with 500k pots instead of 250k, the cap with a .047 cap, and you'll be hooking up the black wire on the two rails pickups to the switch just like the full-size humbucker at the bridge. ← Well I think the Rails are 4 wire pickups. What would I do with the other wires? solder them together like the humbucker in that diagram? Oh and I have some .047 ceramic disc caps....will these be ok? or should I get some film caps? Edited November 30, 2005 by dawnofzion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawnofzion Posted November 30, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2005 yeah the rail pickups are 4 conductor wire. What should I do with the extra wires on the rails since most single coils dont' have 4 wires? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovekraft Posted November 30, 2005 Report Share Posted November 30, 2005 All Duncan humbuckers wire the same way, regardless of package, so simply wire them exactly the same way the humbucker in the diagram is wired = green and bare (shield) to ground, red and white soldered together and taped off, black to the 5-way. And, yes, the ceramic disc caps you have will work great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawnofzion Posted November 30, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2005 Is a 15k output rails pickup too hot for the neck position? I was thinking about getting a 15k in the neck and a 10k in the middle? would this be waay to hot? my other option is to get a 10k in the neck and a 6k in the middle.. which one of these setups would be the best? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crafty Posted December 1, 2005 Report Share Posted December 1, 2005 Please don't use tantalums or electrolytic caps in a passive guitar tone control - all audio issues aside, neither type fares particularly well in a circuit that doesn't furnish them with a DC bias of correct polarity. Stick with either films or ceramics (unless special circumstances dictate otherwise). Did I really just say that? You know I meant ceramic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crafty Posted December 1, 2005 Report Share Posted December 1, 2005 Is a 15k output rails pickup too hot for the neck position? I was thinking about getting a 15k in the neck and a 10k in the middle? would this be waay to hot? my other option is to get a 10k in the neck and a 6k in the middle.. which one of these setups would be the best? It'd be a lot easier if you'd just tell us which pickups you were getting instead of what their DC Resistance ratings are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawnofzion Posted December 1, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2005 pickups i'm looking into Sorry I added the link in the other thread but i figured I would add it to this one as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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