Wiring help needed

[Brow]

Hey guys.

I finally got all the bits together for my next parts-o-caster (Ash body, rosewood board, single volume control and a Cold Sweat in the bridge) and am asking for help on wiring it up as I've never wired a guitar from scratch before  :roll:

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks.

[Fikealox]

Hey man,

A good place to start is with one of the wiring diagrams from http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/. The wiring colours will be different of course, but that's easy to nut out :)

I'm not sure what other advice you might need, but incase you're not experienced at soldering, here're some general tips... remember to tin the tips of wires (cover them with a bit of solder) before you start, don't take too long with each joint so as to avoid damaging components, keep your wires tidy and use cable ties or electrical tape where you can, after soldering a joint, hold the wire in place for 3 seconds or so to prevent dry joints.

Anything specific that you wanted to know?

[MrBump]

This is also a great place for tips, if you haven't seen it before:

http://projectguitar.com/

(plus you get to oggle Wez' lovely creation on the front page!)

Mark.

[Brow]

Hey guys.

I've changed the pickups on around 15 guitars in total, so have got a vague idea of what I'm doing, but I've always replaced the existing pickups with BKPs/Duncans, so I've always been able to see where things were wired in previously and I could follow that.

This time, I'm starting from scratch.

I'm not having any splits or anything on the pickup, so I assume I put the hot wire to a lug on the volume control and the ground/bare wires to ground on the back of the pot, but I have no idea how to wire the individual volume control to the output jack  :roll:

[Fikealox]

When you say individual volume control, do you mean you only have a volume pot and no tone pots? If so, all you do is wire the middle lug of the volume pot to the "tip" of the output jack (the lower lug, that connects to the big curly bit that touches the tip of the lead), and wire the other lug to earth (the body back of the volume pot).

Hope that description isn't confusing... it should be easy to nut out when you look at the output jack.

[Brow]

When you say individual volume control, do you mean you only have a volume pot and no tone pots? If so, all you do is wire the middle lug of the volume pot to the "tip" of the output jack (the lower lug, that connects to the big curly bit that touches the tip of the lead), and wire the other lug to earth (the body back of the volume pot). Hope that description isn't confusing... it should be easy to nut out when you look at the output jack.

Yup, that's the plan. Just the Cold Sweat in the bridge and a 500k volume control.If the middle lug of the volume pot goes to the tip of the output jack, what gets soldered to the other connection on the output jack?I know these must seem like really purile questions, but I've always had the previous wiring to follow when I've done this in the past, and this is the 1st time I've done it without  :roll:  :lol: 

EDIT: the sleeve of the jack socket goes to ground. Just had a look on the Duncan schematic :)

[Fikealox]

Oh, sorry man, my post was a big ambiguous :) When I said the "other lug" gets connected to earth, I meant the other lug of the output jack gets connected to earth. Same goes for the volume pot, though, you're spot on :)

Edit: Just saw your edit :D Those wiring diagrams are great, imo

[Brow]

Oh, sorry man, my post was a big ambiguous :) When I said the "other lug" gets connected to earth, I meant the other lug of the output jack gets connected to earth. Same goes for the volume pot, though, you're spot on :)

Edit: Just saw your edit :D Those wiring diagrams are great, imo

No worries mate. I think it's me not understanding what you mean. I haven't been up that long and think I'm still half asleep  :lol:

Also, what would I do on a standard SSS Strat to get a tone control for the bridge pickup and another for the middle/neck pickups?

I'm also putting a set of Apaches in a 93' Japanese Squier Strat while I have the time :D

[Fikealox]

I've been sitting here trying to figure the easiest way to explain it, but I think this diagram says it best: http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=3s_1v_2t_5w

To get one of the pots to do both the middle and neck, though, I'd just put a jumper across their respective outputs on the switch.

So with that diagram as a guide, you'd unsolder one of the tone pot connections and move it to the spare lug on the right hand side (so it does the bridge), and then solder a piece of wire linking the bottom two lugs.

Does that make sense?

[Brow]

I've been sitting here trying to figure the easiest way to explain it, but I think this diagram says it best: http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=3s_1v_2t_5w

To get one of the pots to do both the middle and neck, though, I'd just put a jumper across their respective outputs on the switch.

So with that diagram as a guide, you'd unsolder one of the tone pot connections and move it to the spare lug on the right hand side (so it does the bridge), and then solder a piece of wire linking the bottom two lugs.

Does that make sense?

I think so yeah :)

I'm not a big user of tone controls anyway, so I may just leave it as it is for ease (and because I'm lazy  :twisted:)

[Fikealox]

I think that's a top idea :D

[Brow]

I think that's a top idea :D

I s'ppose I can always take it to bits again if I need to and alter the tone controls around if I don't like how they work with the Apaches.

If I get these 2 projects out the way, just leaves me with 2 more (told you I was lazy  :lol:)

[Fikealox]

I think the standard strat wiring for tone pots is just fine when you're using 3 single-coils, so I don't expect you'll feel a pressing need to change it :) I've only changed it on one of my strats (which has a hotrails bridge that is as bright as the centre of the sun :))

[Brow]

I think the standard strat wiring for tone pots is just fine when you're using 3 single-coils, so I don't expect you'll feel a pressing need to change it :) I've only changed it on one of my strats (which has a hotrails bridge that is as bright as the centre of the sun :))

I have 1 other SSS strat with Mothers Milks and that does have a tone control for the bridge pickup, and I'm glad it does as the bridge Milk can be very bright (but not shrill)

[_tom_]

To wire the bridge pickup up to a tone control you just move the wire on the switch from one of the tone controls to the lug at the end of the switch I think (on the same side). Cant really explain it very well but maybe you'll know what I mean.