Motherbucker wiring

[Alexander]

Hi all,

Well this afternoon I've been trying to wire up a Kent Armstrong Motherbucker, with absolutely no experience, skills or clue. I'm chuffed to bits, because the guitar actually makes guitar like noises! This is a major coup.

However, much of it was guesswork and I think I kinda fluked it. I'd like to actually understand what was going on - obviously I've picked probably the worst pickup in the world to start with, but no mind.

I've been using the instructions included - it suggests using 3 DPTP switches, but I only had two so decided to try it without the third switch. At the moment the two I've got wired up don't seem to do anything at all. I think they're supposed to put each side of the MB into either series or parallel, then the third (missing) switch puts each half of the pickup into either series or parallel. Thing is, I'm using two on/on switches, and the diagram isn't very specific as to whether these are right or wrong.

Sorry for waffling, I guess I'm asking if anyone has any alternative MB wiring schematics that I can compare my "work" with?

Ta!

[webster]

this maybe nothing to do with this but the first time i tried to wire a pickup i wired it as a single coil not humbucker, so if you think you fluked it just make sure its not doing that if your not sure. Just a bit of self experiance

cheers.

[Alexander]

Thanks chap - raises another good point - what's the best way to tell which part of a humbucker is "working"? I used to think you could tap the blade/pole with a screwdriver to tell which is "live" but on this one they all seem to make a noise all the time.

[webster]

I think the only way to tell is by listening to the sound of the guitar and deciding if it is single or humB, don’t really know any other way.

actually this is getting real inventive and its really just a stab in the dark because I don’t know alot about pickups but what if you made a tool like this "continuity tester" and put one wire on a pole on one side of the pickup and the other wire on the other side, if the light comes on is running as a humbucker and if not a single. and maybe of its a single connect one wire to a pole on one side and the other wire to some wire some where (just have a play around) and try this for each side to see which one makes a connection to find which is running in single.

This maybe the most ridiculous thing ever written but if it was me I’d start doing weird test like that. Hope i helped.