Replace dinky reverse pickups with EMG

[Spectrum]

Hi. I'm thinking to replace the stock pickups (j80 an j85) on my 1994 Jackson Dinky Reverse Professional with a pair of EMG 81 85.
Problem is that the stock pickups are direct mounting so I don't know if the Emg fitting process is an easy and doable thing to do.
Anyone who replaced his Jackson' s stock humbuckers with Emg that could give me an advice prior to buying the new set of pickup?

Thank you and Happy New GEAR !

[SylentCommando]

You need to drill out the threads in the EMG's. You can also just use the screws that came with the stock pickups and screw them in the emg's, just make sure you screw them in straight.

[LaoWai]

don't drill out the pickups! get smaller screws

[Spectrum]

I'm not so sure that I have understood the procedure to mount the Emg 81-85 set.. one user suggest me to drill out the threads in the emg..the other not to do it ..
There's a method to not drill the body of my guitar? I want something that do not compromise the woods ..
I'd appreciated someone's guitar pic with that pickups upgrade.
Thank you

[LaoWai]

drilling out the threads of a pickup kind of messes things up if you want to use those same pickups in the future with pup rings,
my advice is to get screws that fit the hole without drilling. fill the existing holes with a toothpick and wood glue and re drill a pilot hole.

if you don't mind modifying the pickup hole, drill out the pickup and use the existing screws & holes

[Spectrum]

I found this thread here where at half page there is a post by an user named Julz who has attached pics of a guitar basically like mine in which he changed the stock pickups for the newer emg pair. He made a quick report of the installation.. Could you more expert than me, read and explain me what he has done? (It seems to see some kind of filler in the hole..)

http://www.jcfonline.com/threads/144625-Show-Your-Dinky-Professionals

[Nightbat]

I put EMG's in my direct mount Ibanez using shortened p'up screws instead of woodscrews
just cut them to about the same length as the woodscrews that came out

As long as I don't try to lift the guitar by it's p'ups, it'll hold just fine (and has been doing so for 15 years)

[SylentCommando]

If you plan on keeping them in that guitar and not upgrading to something else in the future then I would just drill them out, if not do what LaoWai said. I never upgrade the pickups again in direct mount guitars once I install them there in for good. I have a mint condition 81/85 set if you want to buy them, the threads are not drilled out. I just pulled them out of my brandnew Godin Redline 3 which had pickup rings.

[Spectrum]

Hi revisiting this old thread cause I finally bought the 81-85 Emg pickups but I have some troubles installing in the guitar.
I bought the pickups second hand from a previous owner who had they installed on a ltd les paul. Pickups are original emg solderless but the wiring kit appear to be some sort of cheap "non original" wiring kit. He sent me 2 vol and 2 pot, wires only the jack stereo pot is missing...but I'm not so sure.
Could you guys basing on the pics I'm going to add here, tell me if that's all I need to install the two pickups into my Jackson Dinky Reverse Professional ( 1 vol, 1 tone , 2 hb as you know). There's a pic (the one with my hand) where you can see my index finger pointing the far end of the red wire..is that normal to it be cutted there?
I really don't know if I should buy another wiring kit or if this one is right...Please give me an hel hand!! Thanks!
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[SylentCommando]

Those are the original wires and pots for your emg's. They are just the older ones before they came out with the solderless kits.Looks like some modified the red wire for the battery, someone probably cut it too short, and that guy bought it and extended the wires probably to fit in a tremolo cavity since there might not have been enough room in the control cavity for the battery. You can get the solderless kits for like $30-40 bucks. They come with all parts need, are you still putting them in your 1994 Jackson? if so and you get the kit make sure you get the short shaft pots, the long ones are made for Gibson, and guitars with more wood, you want the short shaft for your Jackson

[Spectrum]

Those are the original wires and pots for your emg's. They are just the older ones before they came out with the solderless kits.Looks like some modified the red wire for the battery, someone probably cut it too short, and that guy bought it and extended the wires probably to fit in a tremolo cavity since there might not have been enough room in the control cavity for the battery. You can get the solderless kits for like $30-40 bucks. They come with all parts need, are you still putting them in your 1994 Jackson? if so and you get the kit make sure you get the short shaft pots, the long ones are made for Gibson, and guitars with more wood, you want the short shaft for your Jackson

Thanks SylentCommando. One question (or two) : So you say that I can't use those pots and wires to install the emg's cause there's something missing (besides the jack stereo I could buy soon) or wrong with them ?
I thought this was a solderless kit cause the wires go in the pickups through a solderless conjunction if you see the back of the emg.
Thanks!

Oh and another question: If you say I can use this wiring kit I have, could you please link me a wiring diagram that is right for this kinda kit and my 1 volume 1 tone 3 way switch Jackson guitar? (On the wiring diagrams I found there's a green 0.1 capacitor..so I'm a bit confused if that diagrams is for my type of solderless pickup or for the one with the wires coming out from their back...)

[SylentCommando]

No problem Brother. You can use those pots you have. I was saying if you ordered the solderless wiring kit get the short shaft pots not the long ones. The diagram is the same for both, the EMg's with the wires coming out of the back are older ones before they had quick connects. I have found a diagram, which switch do you have blade style like on fender strats or toggle switch like on Gibson?

[Spectrum]

Thanks! It's a fender style 3 way switch. In the diagram You attaached I see a 0.1 uf capacitor. It seems the only thing I do not have right now to begin the installation of the kit

[SylentCommando]

Your Welcome You can probably get one cheap off ebay. Is it your first time installing pickups?

[Spectrum]

Your Welcome You can probably get one cheap off ebay. Is it your first time installing pickups?

The second! The first attempt was a dimarzio tonezone in the bridge, same guitar but I ended reinstalling the original jackson pu.

There's a particular reason to use a 0.1 uf capacitor? I have a bunch of 223Z (seems to be .022 uf), ITT2A473K ( .047 uf ) and 473Z (.047 uf) laying around ..but I don't know if the 0.1 uf is only a reccomendation or an "order"