Help Needed on Pick up Install

[Brad]

I am attempting to put in EMG's 85 and 60 in my '86 Model 3A. Is this easy or have I bitten off more than I can chew? My first problem is the EMG's don't fit through the holes in the pickgaurd. Are there any suggestions that will help me speed this process up? As you all can imagine, I can't wait to hear the EMG's on this guitar.

Thanks~

[Budman68]

Re: Help Needed on Pick up Install

Well you only have to remove a little bit from the top and bottom of the pickup window correct? Do you have any files? If you don't, go get a Mill/Bastard flat file(type of file) and a 3/16ths round file (to clean up the pickup window corners after using the flat file). Just file it back a bit but take your time and do a nice job. Also, do you have the correct 25k control pots, you'll need them with EMG's.


Dave->

[metafaza]

Re: Help Needed on Pick up Install

What budman said. Don't rush it up, take your time, so nothing goes wrong. Caution is your best friend here. If you don't have the pots that come with the pickups just make sure you pick up 25k ones. Soldering the whole thing shouldn't be a problem. If you don't have the schematics you can find one on EMG web page.

[Brad]

Re: Help Needed on Pick up Install

Thanks Guys~ I do have the pots and the schematics. Hey Dave~ Can I get one of those files at Home Depot or Lowes?

[Ace]

Re: Help Needed on Pick up Install

Whether you bit off more than you can chew is something only you can decide. If you have a basic understanding of soldering and can follow a very simple schematic, and you have patience, you should be able to get those EMG's in there.

Yes, both those files can be bought at Home Depot or Lowes. You can get a pack of about 5 files for maybe $10 and you will find all sorts of uses for them around the house too.

[Brad]

Re: Help Needed on Pick up Install

Thanks Ace!

[metafaza]

Re: Help Needed on Pick up Install

I just reminds me of the excitement when I was installing my first EMG... Good times.

[Budman68]

Re: Help Needed on Pick up Install

Good luck Brad, I know how exciting it can be but please, just take it slow and don't try to remove the material to fast or you'll end up slipping and screwing something up. The hardest part about this stuff is the discipline to go slowly.

Dave->

[Ace]

Re: Help Needed on Pick up Install

Imagine that your getting paid by the hour. [img]graemlins/images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

[metafaza]

Re: Help Needed on Pick up Install

Yes, 'the way to go is sex me slow'. When I was installing my first EMG it took me like 3-4 hours. I was SO careful no to screw up. It paid of: it worked the first time, no damage to the guitar. Think twice before you do anything and you'll be fine.

[Brad]

Re: Help Needed on Pick up Install

Do I need to cut the Battery wire and re-solder in order to get it through the hole? Also, with this three way switch, are the white wires from both pickups all I need to solder? The schematics leave a lot to be desired. [img]graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img]

[Sunbane]

Re: Help Needed on Pick up Install

Originally posted by Brad:
Do I need to cut the Battery wire and re-solder in order to get it through the hole?

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Hmm...the battery wires from the pickups shouldn't be connected to anything when they come out of the box (at least they came that way when I bought all mine).

First of all - find the bridge ground wire and isolate it with a piece of electrical tape. It will not be needed with the EMGs.

Then start putting the neck pickup into the guitar. All the wires from the pickup should go all the way into the control cavity. When you've gotten the wires through, it might be a good idea to solder the pickup leads up the way you want them (either to the neck volume pot, or the switch if you're only going to use 1 vol). Don't bother with the battery wire yet. Then do the same with the bridge pickup.

After both pickups are in, connect the switch to the rest of the electronics. Make sure it's properly grounded with a wire to a pot casing.

Then solder the black wire from the battery clip to the jack and mount the jack into the guitar. After that, put the little heat-shrink tubing on the red battery wire and connect this wire to the battery wires from the pickups. After the wires are connected, pull the heat-shrink tubing over the solder joint and heat it up with your soldering iron (without touching it). It should shrink in on the wires after a few seconds.

Note: If there's enough space in the control cavity to house two batteries, you may want to consider running the guitar on 18 volts. You'd need two battery clips: The one that's connected to the jack connects in the other end to the black wire of the second clip, which in turn is connected to the pickups by its red wire end.

Also, with this three way switch, are the white wires from both pickups all I need to solder? The schematics leave a lot to be desired. [img]graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img]

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">The white center wire is the signal wire. The braided shielding is the ground wire, and should be connected to either the back of a pot casing or the the ground tab on your switch.

[metafaza]

Re: Help Needed on Pick up Install

Sunbane explained it all pretty much. I have the exact same combo running at 18 volts. Killer!

[Brad]

Re: Help Needed on Pick up Install

Where can I get the battery clips if they didn't come with the pickups?

[Brad]

Re: Help Needed on Pick up Install

Also, Is there going to be a problem converting the original 5-way swith to a 3-way swith?