Wiring noob needs help with a strat!

jokun · 09-14-2010, 09:17 AM

Hi folks!

I just bought a single coiled sized humbucker for my strat and I see it got 4 wires from it. One black, one green, one rad and one white, which is soldered together, and one bare wire.
I'm pretty sure the black wire is the hot wire and the green and bare wire is ground(correct me if I'm wrong), but I'm not sure what the red and white wires do...? Are they for coil-tapping or...?

Also... If i wire it without any coil-tapping, will it still be humbucking when combined with the middle pickup? And will the middle pickup be out of phase?

Lots of questions...

Thanks
Håkon

AnthemBassMan · 09-14-2010, 11:01 AM

-Doesn't do much good not knowing what brand of p'up you bought. Quite a lot of manufacturers use the same wiring lead colors, but not in the same order. And yes, your p'up should still be humbucking when used with the middle p'up. The red and white leads that are taped off are in fact for coil tapping/splitting.

L8R,
Matt

jokun · 09-14-2010, 11:56 AM

Thanks!
What do I do with them then? Just "tape them off" so that they don't hit any grounding?

When it comes to brand I'm not sure... I think it's some kind of half-cheap stuff.

AnthemBassMan · 09-14-2010, 02:19 PM

-Yeah, just tape off the red/white leads so they don't short out against anything. Is there any markings on the bottom of the p'up? Either way, it's either the black or green for the hot, and the braided/black or green for the ground. All you can do is try it both ways. You'll hear the difference if it's the right way or not. Good luck...

L8R,
Matt

jokun · 09-14-2010, 03:00 PM

There are no markings... I think I will try the black one for the hot...
What happens if the red and white wire touches ground? Does it kill the signal or just tapp it into a singlecoil? (Think I read something about that a long time ago, but I'm not sure)

Indyclone · 09-14-2010, 08:46 PM

if the red and wires touch the ground you will ground out one of the coils, leaving yourself with a single coil pickup

AnthemBassMan · 09-15-2010, 04:01 AM

-Yep. Your guitar won't go up in smoke or anything. You'll just have a regular single coil instead of a 'bucker.

L8R,
Matt

jokun · 09-15-2010, 06:55 AM

Nice! Then maybe I'll install some kind of switch so that I can tap it...

THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!!!!

AnthemBassMan · 09-15-2010, 04:03 PM

-You could go with a master tone and put a mini switch where the mid tone was.

L8R,
Matt

09-14-2010, 09:17 AM	#1 (permalink)
jokun Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Norway Posts: 104 Thanks: 4 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Wiring noob needs help with a strat! Hi folks! I just bought a single coiled sized humbucker for my strat and I see it got 4 wires from it. One black, one green, one rad and one white, which is soldered together, and one bare wire. I'm pretty sure the black wire is the hot wire and the green and bare wire is ground(correct me if I'm wrong), but I'm not sure what the red and white wires do...? Are they for coil-tapping or...? Also... If i wire it without any coil-tapping, will it still be humbucking when combined with the middle pickup? And will the middle pickup be out of phase? Lots of questions... Thanks Håkon __________________ My last signature was stupid, so I deleted it...

09-14-2010, 11:01 AM	#2 (permalink)
AnthemBassMan Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Ohio Farm Country! Posts: 343 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Wiring noob needs help with a strat! -Doesn't do much good not knowing what brand of p'up you bought. Quite a lot of manufacturers use the same wiring lead colors, but not in the same order. And yes, your p'up should still be humbucking when used with the middle p'up. The red and white leads that are taped off are in fact for coil tapping/splitting. L8R, Matt __________________ 2002 Unsung built Epiphone Les Paul Classic Quilt Top with DiMarzio Virtual PAF bridge, GFS Mean 90 neck, and Black Rose Customs electronics. 1991 Fernandes LE-1 Strat copy refinished by me. 1993 Samick SSM1 Strat copy with Carvin S60 single coils in neck and mid, with a Bill Lawrence L-500XL in the bridge. Screamer! Samick Stingray bass copy. Epiphone Valve Junior slightly modded. Hartke B30 bass amp.

09-14-2010, 11:56 AM	#3 (permalink)
jokun Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Norway Posts: 104 Thanks: 4 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Wiring noob needs help with a strat! Thanks! What do I do with them then? Just "tape them off" so that they don't hit any grounding? When it comes to brand I'm not sure... I think it's some kind of half-cheap stuff. __________________ My last signature was stupid, so I deleted it...

09-14-2010, 02:19 PM	#4 (permalink)
AnthemBassMan Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Ohio Farm Country! Posts: 343 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Wiring noob needs help with a strat! -Yeah, just tape off the red/white leads so they don't short out against anything. Is there any markings on the bottom of the p'up? Either way, it's either the black or green for the hot, and the braided/black or green for the ground. All you can do is try it both ways. You'll hear the difference if it's the right way or not. Good luck... L8R, Matt __________________ 2002 Unsung built Epiphone Les Paul Classic Quilt Top with DiMarzio Virtual PAF bridge, GFS Mean 90 neck, and Black Rose Customs electronics. 1991 Fernandes LE-1 Strat copy refinished by me. 1993 Samick SSM1 Strat copy with Carvin S60 single coils in neck and mid, with a Bill Lawrence L-500XL in the bridge. Screamer! Samick Stingray bass copy. Epiphone Valve Junior slightly modded. Hartke B30 bass amp.

09-14-2010, 03:00 PM	#5 (permalink)
jokun Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Norway Posts: 104 Thanks: 4 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Wiring noob needs help with a strat! There are no markings... I think I will try the black one for the hot... What happens if the red and white wire touches ground? Does it kill the signal or just tapp it into a singlecoil? (Think I read something about that a long time ago, but I'm not sure) __________________ My last signature was stupid, so I deleted it...

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09-14-2010, 08:46 PM	#6 (permalink)
Indyclone Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Indianapolis Posts: 3,563 Thanks: 52 Thanked 101 Times in 27 Posts	Re: Wiring noob needs help with a strat! if the red and wires touch the ground you will ground out one of the coils, leaving yourself with a single coil pickup __________________

09-15-2010, 04:01 AM	#7 (permalink)
AnthemBassMan Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Ohio Farm Country! Posts: 343 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Wiring noob needs help with a strat! -Yep. Your guitar won't go up in smoke or anything. You'll just have a regular single coil instead of a 'bucker. L8R, Matt __________________ 2002 Unsung built Epiphone Les Paul Classic Quilt Top with DiMarzio Virtual PAF bridge, GFS Mean 90 neck, and Black Rose Customs electronics. 1991 Fernandes LE-1 Strat copy refinished by me. 1993 Samick SSM1 Strat copy with Carvin S60 single coils in neck and mid, with a Bill Lawrence L-500XL in the bridge. Screamer! Samick Stingray bass copy. Epiphone Valve Junior slightly modded. Hartke B30 bass amp. Last edited by AnthemBassMan; 09-15-2010 at 03:57 PM.

09-15-2010, 06:55 AM	#8 (permalink)
jokun Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Norway Posts: 104 Thanks: 4 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Wiring noob needs help with a strat! Nice! Then maybe I'll install some kind of switch so that I can tap it... THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!!!! __________________ My last signature was stupid, so I deleted it...

09-15-2010, 04:03 PM	#9 (permalink)
AnthemBassMan Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Ohio Farm Country! Posts: 343 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Wiring noob needs help with a strat! -You could go with a master tone and put a mini switch where the mid tone was. L8R, Matt __________________ 2002 Unsung built Epiphone Les Paul Classic Quilt Top with DiMarzio Virtual PAF bridge, GFS Mean 90 neck, and Black Rose Customs electronics. 1991 Fernandes LE-1 Strat copy refinished by me. 1993 Samick SSM1 Strat copy with Carvin S60 single coils in neck and mid, with a Bill Lawrence L-500XL in the bridge. Screamer! Samick Stingray bass copy. Epiphone Valve Junior slightly modded. Hartke B30 bass amp.

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