EMG and passives wiring question

[piranhaguy2002a]

Does anyone know if a wiring diagram is available for the following set-up?
Passive single coils in neck and middle position using a 500K volume pot, EMG-85 in the bridge using a 25K volume pot, wired to a 5-way switch? In a sense, 2 master volumes, one for passive, one for active and switching with a 5-way switch. Also do the ground wires coming from underneath the single coils and the ground going to the bridge need to be removed since there is and EMG in the circuit and is internally grounded? Any help from you guys would be greatly appreciated.
THANKS IN ADVANCE!!!!!!
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[Cleveland Metal]

Re: EMG and passives wiring question

I have never seen the diagram for that, although I would love to do just what you're contemplating since I love my EMGs humbucks and don't love the EMG single coils.

Just some thoughts...

I'm thinking you would preferably have to wire it so the neck pickups and the EMG would never be on at the same time I'd figure.

I'd also figure you would want to ground the neck pickups like normal and use the EMG without a ground like it would be normally used as well.

Basically, it would be like two seperate entities. One passive setup, and one active setup. And they couldn't be used at the same time I'm thinking.

If you ever see anything about doing that please post it. I have my ideas about the wiring of that system, but would want to try it before opening my mouth.

I'd think it would be simple to do it with mini toggles like the older Charvel Model 4s etc. Just ditch the tone control and use that for the EMG.

[sambencuda]

Re: EMG and passives wiring question

I did it for a guy that I built a strat for. I can't remember how I wired the switch, but I'm sure I wired them individualy. I think I wired the EMG (89) in the first pos, nothing in the second, the middle hotrails in the 3rd, both hotrails in the 4th and the neck hotrails in the 5th pos. The vol, was a push/pull that split the 89. This setup kicked ass. EMG's don't need a ground, but if they are grounded it won't cause problems. I'll see if I can dig up the diagram on this one.

[piranhaguy2002a]

Re: EMG and passives wiring question

Cleveland,
That's exactly how I felt about the EMG single coils. I dig the sound of my STK1 Duncans but love the EMG-85 in the bridge. Trying to find the best of both worlds!

[piranhaguy2002a]

Re: EMG and passives wiring question

Ok, I couldn't get around the stumper of wiring for the 5-way switch. But I did get this set-up to work for my SL2H, basically you have 2 master volumes, one 500K for the passive and one 25K for the EMG. The tone is not affected in either pickup by wiring the two together. Both volume controls do have to be on for the EMG to work but the passive pickup does not bleed through when the 3-way switch is in the bridge position. Both pickups also blend pretty well in the middle position and in the neck position it's strictly the passive pickup. I left all of the ground wires from the passive set-up intact and replaced the input jack with the 3 prong EMG jack, you just have to wire the 500K volume control to it as if you were still hooking up to a regular mono jack. So there you have it, you can utilize your fav passive pickup in the neck and still use an active in the bridge. [img]/images/graemlins/headbang.gif[/img]

[beaner]

Re: EMG and passives wiring question

Okay this may be a stupid suggestion. I don't know how much it would change the tone of the singles either. Couldn't you put a small onboard amplifier in the cavity that would boost the passives; then the emg and the passives would play nicely together and you could wire the switch as you normally would?

This is off the top of my head. If it's completely stupid, somebody go ahead and tell me. I'll think about it a little more though if no one points out an obvious error. Seems to me I thought about doing this a few years back to my HM Strat but never did.

[piranhaguy2002a]

Re: EMG and passives wiring question

Yup, you can install a PA-2 EMG preamp in line with the passives, but why shell out more cash than you really need to?

[piranhaguy2002a]

Re: EMG and passives wiring question

Cleveland,
I have a diagram for ya sir.