OMG - What's a soldering iron?

[MrBump]

OK.

So, the pickups are here, and they look mighty fine to me.

I also have CTS 500k pots, appropriate caps, wire, knobs and a "P" model Megaswitch.

Now I have a slight problem.

According to the BKP specs, the colour code is:

Black=Start of Screw Coil
White=Finishof Screw Coil
Red=Start of Slug Coil
Green=Finish of Slug Coil

... I guess the shield is the bare wire?

Now, according to the diagram for the Megaswitch, I need to work out:

Series Link
Ground
Hot
Shield

Hmmm... that makes 4.  But there are 5 wires from the pickups.

I would guess the following:

Ground=Green
Hot=Red
Shield=Bare

... But I'm not sure.  Can anyone advise?

Thanks.

Mark.

[_tom_]

No idea what that "series link" is, but for a regular bkp 4-conductor without any splitting options I think its:

green+white soldered together and taped off
black+bare to ground
red is hot which goes to switch in a strat style guitar.

[MrBump]

Thanks, Tom.

I'd like to make use of the megaswich in terms of it's coil splitting capacity.

Mark.

[Philly Q]

Series Link = Green + White together
Ground = Black
Hot = Red
Shield = Bare

[MrBump]

Philly Q, you are a scholar and an gentleman.

That's exactly what I neede to know, thanks a bunch.

While I have your ear, I've just had a look at the megaswitch, and the order receipt says "P", the instructions say "P", but it's profile is squared off rather than semi-circular.  Looking at the Axiomatic website, that suggests that I might have the "E" switch.

Obviously they could have got their pictures wrong.

Do you know what the "P" should look like?

Ta.

Mark.

[Philly Q]

I don't actually have both switches, but going by the StewMac website, the "P" model should be semicircular and the "E" model should be rectangular.  

Having said that, I've got a very old "E" model (from when it was just called the Schaller Megaswitch, there were no other models) and it's semicircular.  So maybe they're not always consistent?  :?

May or may not help, but here are close-ups of the 2 switches:

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_pickups/Components:_Switches_and_knobs/2/Megaswitches/Pictures.html#details

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_pickups/Components:_Switches_and_knobs/1/Megaswitches/Pictures.html#details

[MrBump]

Thanks - it's the pics that are confusing the hell out of me!

I saw something on a forum last night that might explain it - there was talk about cost cutting at the Schaller factory, and standardising switches on the rectangular circuit boards without metal lugs.

I'll phone them today and find out.

Cheers.

Mark.

[Philly Q]

I saw something on a forum last night that might explain it - there was talk about cost cutting at the Schaller factory, and standardising switches on the rectangular circuit boards without metal lugs.

Cheers Mark, that's interesting.  I know Schaller have been going through difficult times, but if they actually let the quality of their products drop in order to reduce costs, it'll kill 'em.  :(