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Wiring Library

YTLP

New member
Joined
Mar 25, 2003
Messages
652
Use a DPDT switch (ON-ON) for series / parallel wiring of the coils or a DPDT (ON-ON-ON) switch for series /split / parallel wiring of the coils.

I agree that series / parallel wiring is the way to go over coil tapping.

2hb_2vol_2tone-w-series_par.jpg
 

turkish

Member
Joined
Nov 19, 2002
Messages
370
I've yet to ask to John @ Blackrose whether or not long shaft SPST push/pull 500K CTS audio's are available. But I remember him saying that CTS was to stop producing them. Anyways, this leads to the following question of mine (which I thought should be here):

Is there a way to install a DPDT miniswitch (either on a pot, or stand alone) without drilling the wood of my 95LP standard. I vaguely remember the phrase "under the pickguard", but cannot make much sense of it.

Your feedback will be very appreciated.

Best,

B
 

johan

New member
Joined
Oct 23, 2002
Messages
128
Great Thread!

So braided wire is ok between pots-jacks-switch but not for ground? I'm about to solder my 335 and once is more than enough head-ache for me :)
 

GlassSnuff

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 30, 2002
Messages
3,671
Braided wire would work for the ground connections, but it's not needed as there's no point in shielding the ground. Gibson used bare wire for reasons of cost and ease of assembly. Anything that conducts will work in a pinch - the ground wire from my tailpiece is a piece of a .010 guitar string.
 

RickN

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Feb 12, 2002
Messages
7,143
ashbass said:
Sliding-Tom:
Here is a wiring that gives you Master Volume and Master Tone after your regular individual pickup volume controls. You can modify this to include 50s style wiring on the master volume and tone controls. You can also modify it for independent separate volume controls ala the diagrams above in this thread.


wiringMVolMToneSepVols.jpg

The problem with this wiring scheme is that it puts the master volume in parallel with the pickup volumes, producing a 250k load on each pickup instead of the 500k load they were most likely designed to see. It's even worse in the middle switch position - in the middle switch position you're at 250k total load even without the master volume - add the master volume and it drops yet more.

I've been using this type of scheme for years. The solution is to lift the third lug away from ground on both the pickup volume controls. That restores the pickup loading back to 500k via the master volume. The individual volume controls will still function just fine to reduce the individual pickup volumes and allow you to adjust the balance between the pickups. The only thing that requires a mental adjustment is that neither individual volume control will go all the way 'off'. But that's now the job of the master volume.

As I said, I've used the two pickup volumes plus master volume/master tone for a long, long time. Until I figured out to lift the grounded lug on the pickup volumes, there was muddiness, most noticeable on the neck pickup. Now, all is well, and the middle position now has more brightness, since the middle position now has a 500k load on it instead of a 250k load. :salude
 
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MoRawk

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Dec 14, 2005
Messages
59
Well I'm pretty much mentally disabled when it comes to things like this. I wish I could understand it all as well as you folks. Anyhow, my question is this: I'm going to drop in an RS kit with all the goodies. Being as bad as I am with electronics I'm going to have a buddy of mine's do the pickup connections using the pre-wired kit. How is that RS pre-wired kit wired? Standard or 50s? Click on the enlarge pic.

http://www.rsguitarworks.net/rsstore/product_info.php?cPath=47&products_id=178

Would I be better off buying the non-pre-wired kit and printing this thread out and handing it to a guitar tech in my area? I just want to make sure I have my LP set up at optimum.
 

smirk

New member
Joined
Jun 1, 2006
Messages
247
another bump and another vote to sticky

...and a request...


two volume, 3way, series /paralel sw, no tone

tone pots are replaced by the 3 way and the s/p switch

thanks
 
E

eresseraca

Guest
Here's my contribution to the Wiring Diagram thread.

50's wiring schematic, the way I did it on Thursday Burst.

50sschematiclogoed.jpg
 
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Danny

Les Paul Forum Member, Formerly Musicinmysoul
Joined
Jun 10, 2006
Messages
1,875
For the 50's Wiring do I unsolder the lower tabs that are grounded to the tone pots and straighten them out?

Edit: Nevermind! I just took my Paul down to the garage and switched to 50s wiring and it took like 10 minutes!
 
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Danny

Les Paul Forum Member, Formerly Musicinmysoul
Joined
Jun 10, 2006
Messages
1,875
Hmm a little bit, the treble is a bit clearer on the lower levels. I like the swell I'm getting from the tone as well.

Different topic, say I were to buy an RS upgrade kit, loose parts. I'm trying to figure out if I could install it myself, what does the "Shielding soldered together with addition wire" thing mean on eresseraca's diagram? I figured out where everything else goes and even where the big white jack wire and orange wire-both coming from the switch- go on the jack, but are they soldered together or what???
 

Danny

Les Paul Forum Member, Formerly Musicinmysoul
Joined
Jun 10, 2006
Messages
1,875
With my wiring the only wires that have braids are the pups, the others coming from the switch or just colored white, red, green, and black. There are 4 wires coming from the switch, with the colors above.
113-1395_IMG.jpg

They are packed into bigger gray wire and when I look at the bottom cavity theres the gray wire, out come the white, red, green, and black, but then theres another wire, a yellow one, seemingly coming out of nowhere. I looked closely at the edge of the gray wire at the switch cavity and there is a little tiny wire kind of just hanging out, looking to be the source of the yellow wire.
114-1401_IMG.jpg


Now, how do I put all of that into one black wire running from the jack to the switch?
 

A-tony

Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2006
Messages
463
hi Ash,
thanks for all the precious info you gave us...
do you have any info on how to wire a Fishman piezo-TOM using a tone of the LP and usin' the other as a master one?? I want that in a way that when I roll off the fishman its muted and evrything else works normally...
thanks for any advice
 

ganjie

New member
Joined
Nov 4, 2006
Messages
4
this thread has been very useful.. i did the 50's wiring on my '93 studio and i like it very much.. tone does stay put(up to a certain extent) when decreasing volume.

kudos to Ashbass for being so generous in sharing/starting this thread..
Godbless.

***bump to top***
 

R4R7Custom

Member
Joined
Oct 5, 2006
Messages
176
This seems to be the thread for this:
LPMVT.jpg


This Circuit uses a 500k Blend/Balance pot w/Center Detente to allow either individual caps on the pups or a Master Tone Control w/2 values of caps.

All the pots used are 500k either Audio or Linear Taper. Capacitors "A" and "B" can be any value. If one is using a Master Tone type circuit, one might use a .02 and a .04 to duplicate a standard LP tone circuit. Personally, I like .01 and .02.

If one is using the Individual type circuit values for "A" & "B" might be .02. Again, I like .01 for the Bridge and .02 for the Neck. The .01 for the Bridge gives more bite than a .02

The beauty of this design is that it allows for the Master Volume in a 4 knob configuration without losing the ability to have either separate caps for each pup, or a Master Tone with 2 different cap values. The nice thing about the Blend pot is the Detente, which lets you bring to pot back to center by feel, without having to look at it.

The 500k Blend/Balance Pot w/Detente is available from Allparts. Part # EP 0386-000 for $10. This seems to be an Audio Taper so most of the tone roll off is in the last 20% of the knob's travel in either direction. I haven't been able to find a Linear Taper balance pot.

Enjoy.:2zone
 

GlassSnuff

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Joined
Jan 30, 2002
Messages
3,671
Very nice, R4R5Custom! :salude

I'd suggest a 250K pot for the master volume pot, to reduce both the inline resistance and the added load. This would be especially important in the second diagram, where the tone pots aren't connected after the master for a 50's effect.

While shopping at AllParts, you might pick one of their stacked independent controls ( EP_4586-000) as in the second version it would let you have separate tone controls that could be used simultaneously. For this, I'd connect them to the input lugs on the volume pots (modern style) so the inline resistances would isolate them when the pots were turned down.

Anyway, I'm happy to see this as I'm a big fan of separate caps for each pup, AND I like master volumes, AND I like mixing pups in the middle position. These designs have it all!
 

R4R7Custom

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Joined
Oct 5, 2006
Messages
176
Very nice, R4R5Custom! :salude

I'd suggest a 250K pot for the master volume pot, to reduce both the inline resistance and the added load. This would be especially important in the second diagram, where the tone pots aren't connected after the master for a 50's effect.

While shopping at AllParts, you might pick one of their stacked independent controls ( EP_4586-000) as in the second version it would let you have separate tone controls that could be used simultaneously. For this, I'd connect them to the input lugs on the volume pots (modern style) so the inline resistances would isolate them when the pots were turned down.

Anyway, I'm happy to see this as I'm a big fan of separate caps for each pup, AND I like master volumes, AND I like mixing pups in the middle position. These designs have it all!

Thanks for your comments.:dude:

On my R4 & R7 Customs I have used the stacked pots for Volume controls; works great. On the R4 Goldtop I wanted to retain the vintage look, saw Ashbass's Master Volume design, and thought about how I could incorporate that and still have separate caps on the tone controls.

What would be the benefit of lowering the resistance of the circuit? Would there really be a noticeable difference in output level? :hmm

I'm glad to know these designs will be part of the Library. Thanks to Ashbass for his compilation. :wail
 

R4R7Custom

Member
Joined
Oct 5, 2006
Messages
176
Cool image. Yes I was thinking of the martial art Kali.

Here's another take on the two caps thing. I have my R4 and R7 done up like this but the R4 has a Sprague .022 and a vintage Grey Tiger .02. Here the caps are connected to the center/output lug of the master vol control for the 50s style wiring. I didn't 50s-ize the tone control in the diagram because the caps would've covered up the connections.

Notice the ungrounded neck and bridge vol pot outside lugs. Mofinco mentioned this here in an earlier post and I agree that no ground there sounds much better.

A benefit in this setup is that I can use either cap for either pickup. This is cool for when you want a darker cap on the neck or need the brighter cap on the bridge. Good to go all around.

My earlier diagram without the switch had the Tone control as the bottom rear control. The way I hold the guitar the bottom rear control is hidden from view behind the top front control. In practice I've found that I need to see the tone control numbers more than the master vol control numbers so I moved them around. I can dial the 'hidden' master vol control by ear. The Tone control I like to look at for quick hits to the sweet spots.

Very cool. :laugh2: Have you tried the PUSH/PUSH switches? :jim You don't have to get your fingers under the knob; just push and play. Pretty cool! I've got 'em on some of the amps I build and on my R7 Custom, switching the middle pup on/off and I've got a simple High-pass filter to get more of a single-coil sound. I'll get a drawing of that up in the near future. :2zone
Allparts EP_0296-000 500K Push/Push Linear Taper Potentiometer, With Nut and Washer Retail Price: $16.00
 
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