Wiring Help

[Speiro]

Hi guys, I'm almost finished with my Model 4 rebuild but need some help with wiring her up. I'm using one HB and one SC pickups with one Vol pot and would like to use a single mini switch (on/on)if possible to select bridge or neck pup (don't need both at the same time). Can this be done? Can anyone help with a diagram for me please?
Thanks
Tony [img]/images/graemlins/band.gif[/img]

[Sunbane]

Re: Wiring Help

Yup, can certainly be done. I'm sure you're aware that the existing mini switches will only let you use one pickup at a time. You'd have to buy an on/on/on switch to be able to use both pickups at once - or use the original style wiring; One switch per pickup.

Anyway, you would wire the hot leads of the pickups to the switch, and wire the output from the switch to the volume pot. The output from the pot would then go to the jack.

[Speiro]

Re: Wiring Help

Thanks for that. I only want to use 1 pick up at a time so that's not a problem. I don't have ANY of the original wiring from the guitar, I picked up some pots and mini switches from EBay but the mini switches look completely different from the original Charvel ones, these have 6 pins on the back with on/on written on the sides.

[Sunbane]

Re: Wiring Help

I would guess that your switches have two rows of independent poles(?).

Anyway, you could probably wire them up in the same manner the original Charvel ones, using just one row of lugs. Middle lug should be the output, and the ones left and right the input lugs.

On the volume pot, the middle lug is the output. Usually the left lug is the input, and the right lug is soldered to the common ground.

On the jack, the "blade" is for the signal (in your case, the output wire from the pot will go to the lug that is connected to the blade). And the "collar" if you will (the other lug), is connected to the common ground.

Don't forget to ground the switch! It needs a ground wire soldered to the switch casing, connecting it to the common ground (usually the volume pot casing, to which the wire from the trem claw also goes).

If your guitar still has the tiny ground wires coming from the pickup cavities, they should also be connected to the common ground.

[Speiro]

Re: Wiring Help

Thanks for your help, I will have a go at it tomorrow night and see how I get on. There are no wires from the pickup cavities though.

[Speiro]

Re: Wiring Help

Thanks for your help Sunbane, I've got it all wired up now but have just one question. The casing for the switch is not metal, it has a small metal plate across the top of it though. How do I ground the switch properly? I have the 3 unused pins on the switch, can I use the middle one of them?
Thanks

[Sunbane]

Re: Wiring Help

No, you shouldn't use the pins. Those are connected to the inner circuitry, so that wouldn't work. Does it have any sort of grounding lug somewhere? If not, suppose you could try it without ground and see if it works, but typically it would need to be grounded.

[Speiro]

Re: Wiring Help

I don't remember there being a grounding pin on there, I will have a look when I get home from work tonight.
Thanks