Help Me Find A Wiring Diagram?

[Vinylworks]

Greetings fellow instrument builders, this is my first post in this forum although I've been using it as a reference for quite some time. I finally have a project that has me completely without answers. I've had this BC Rich NJ series (supposedly) for many years but never really played it because I get a 60hz whine in the background. Now I would like to repaint it so it will at least look pretty as it hangs on the wall, but painting will require removal of the electronics. The wiring diagrams for the NJ series show no options for the setup that I have (making me think that it is not an NJ body) but it has the "Kahler flyer" bridge and other NJ characteristics. I can provide pictures, but I guess I'm just trying to find out how to wire it properly. The more I research this, the less sure I am that it is an actual NJ, there are no serial#s, only BC Rich and NJ Series painted on the head. Pickups are (from bridge) HB-SC-SC and it has a 3-way toggle and 2 2-way toggles. The only diagrams I can find show a 5-way toggle. Help?

Pictures: Body and neck

wiring bayLet me know if the links don't work.

Edited April 4, 2008 by Vinylworks

[Vinylworks]

It appears to be a modified ST3, although without any Serial# I can't verify this. Still I am unable to find the diagram for an ST3.

[GregP]

Just carefully map out the electronics as you remove them... draw your own diagram! That's assuming they're in as good "working" condition as you expect them to be.

Also, you won't have to remove every single wire, just the ones that lead out of the cavity. The output jack leads are better removed at the jack itself; the pickup wires will have to be removed at the electronics cavity. If you keep meticulous care of everything, draw it up, and label the wires as you remove them (piece of tape and a little piece of paper work fine for me... no need to get fancy!) you shouldn't have much trouble re-wiring it when the painting part is done.

My personal instinct would be to upgrade the guitar if I was already pulling it apart... as long as the neck (incl nut) and bridge are fine and the action is good, you can approach this as a whole revamp project! Get rid of the singles if 60Hz whine does you in, replacing them with single-sized humbuckers (stacked or rails or otherwise), and shield the electronics cavity with adhesive copper foil.

But that's just me...

[Vinylworks]

Interesting tip on the adhesive copper foil. I will definitely do that when I rebuild it. I guess I just worry about the quality of the existing wiring job, everything seems to work, but I alway like to improve something if I'm going to take the time to re-finish it. I'm just not familiar with instrument wiring. There seem to be connections using (2) 14ga. wires where I would think 1 is sufficient. The picture of the wiring kind of says it all, looks like a rat's nest to me. I would like to clean up the wiring where possible since I'm going to re-route the bay, whoever worked on this before me used a 1/2" drill bit and a power drill to hollow it out, then scabbed an ill-fitting piece of acrylic onto it.

Thanks for the quick and helpful response by the way.

[GregP]

No problem.

In any event, if you're relatively handy with a soldering gun, and the only stumbling block is the diagram itself, I say just make your own, and keep your wires labeled. Probably easier than hunting one down.