Spectrum - new pickups

[adamsnez]

Got the spectrum strung up, found it's kinda lacking..

I have a S.D Lil59 humbucker (in the size of a single coil) im thinking of putting in the neck position. Thing is, i have no idea where all the wires go. I tried wiring it into my old ibanez and it was half as loud as the rest....
It has these colored wires:
GREEN
WHITE
BLACK
RED
WIRE SHIELDING

A littl guidance here as to what goes where on the spectrum to accomodate this humbucker (since the spec. only has single coils)

ALSO: The bridge!! Icky... I want to try and get an 80s tone out of it, something like in "Cherry Pie"... ya ya about the song But the lead tone is KILLER.... Has to be single coil sized, what would you guys recommend for an 80s tone single coil, or mini-bucker in bridge

[straycat]

Does it still have the J 1200 mid boost?You can toss the mid boost and install an rsguitarworks pot upgrade kit and keep the pickups or get some more Duncans.I have a modern strat kit in my 80s Squier MIJ strat and it barks out big 80s tone in spades even with the original pickups.Think White Lion type tones thru the rectifier setting on the J-station.

[dg]

The original system on the Spectrum was the JE-1500 Para Mid EQ. It's a pretty cool system & it'll work fine with Duncans. Besides, if you keep any of the original J200 pickups in there they'll sound horrible without the active electronics.

As for the wiring, all you need to do is solder the red & white wires together & tape them off. Black is your hot wire, green & shield go to ground.

[adamsnez]

Ya, I want to leave in the JE1500.
Sorry for sounding like a total n00b, but i have never successfully done a PROPER pickup swap, ermmmm..

Black (hot) goes to where?
Green&Shield, grounding goes to where?
i think something needs to be soldered to the volume pot? ehhhhhhh?

Is this the same for ANY pickup with these 5 wires coming off them?

[straycat]

I actually have an rs kit in my Dinky XL that has a JH-2 hum and 2 j-200v's and the J-200s sound very clean and sparkely not muddy at all.
Black wire goes to the switch green and bare go to the back of the pot.
The red and white wires can be used to tap the coils but when not tapped are taped together an put out of the way.

[adamsnez]

thats whats good straycat, thanks for the info.

I think I'm going to go with a SD JB Jr. bridge for, well...the bridge :p
I've seen that recommended a lot for 80s tone