Wiring a three way switch (Help guitar tech's)

[Fixxxer]

Can anyone help me out?

One of my guitars was basically raped at the last shop I brought it too. I think they used the EMG 3 way toggle, anyway, it was the sh!tiest wiring job I ever saw. Had I not spazzed out, I would have taken pictures.

Anyway, can somebody point me in the direction of a wiring diagram for a three way switch?

Specifically, how do I know what wire goes to the neck, and what goes to the treble?

Also, what type of wire do I need to connect all the pots together on the outside?

Finally do I need to ground the tail piece to the neck volume pot?

Please help...:confuse d:

[FLICKOFLASH]

did you look here ? :

Wiring Library

[Fixxxer]

I did, it was very helpful. In fact the modern diagram s basically taped to the baseplate of my lamp.

How do you wire a 3 way switch on a lester?, and

what wire(s) go to the jackplate.

I am basically a novice when it comes to wiring, unfortunately the guy that re-wired my custom, did a bad job.

Also for a cust will any size 3 way switch work? (they sell long and shorts)

[Fixxxer]

Was looking here: Guitarelectronics.com Inc. Universal Wiring

Can anyone share pictures?

[FLICKOFLASH]

Originally Posted by Fixxxer

I did, it was very helpful. In fact the modern diagram s basically taped to the baseplate of my lamp.

How do you wire a 3 way switch on a lester?, and

what wire(s) go to the jackplate.

I am basically a novice when it comes to wiring, unfortunately the guy that re-wired my custom, did a bad job.

Also for a cust will any size 3 way switch work? (they sell long and shorts)

I would say you need a long switch

[FLICKOFLASH]

[FLICKOFLASH]

[Fixxxer]

Can I ground the lug to the input jack and be OK? Some verbal response would work instead of all the pics.

[FLICKOFLASH]

Originally Posted by Fixxxer

Can I ground the lug to the input jack and be OK? Some verbal response would work instead of all the pics.

not sure what you mean by lug but any grounding points are connected & should be fine

[captainbraindamage]

This shows a switchcraft type switch with shielded wire. Push the two hot wire lugs together and solder the hot wire. Then use a pigtail for the ground from the middle lug on the switch and wrap it around the shielded wires and solder all together.

[Fixxxer]

How important is it to ground to the bridge of a les paul?

Originally Posted by Fixxxer

How important is it to ground to the bridge of a les paul?

ground it..

[FLICKOFLASH]

Originally Posted by Fixxxer

How important is it to ground to the bridge of a les paul?

Have you ever had your lips shocked with 120 volts off a microphone ...I have !!!

[Fixxxer]

oh man hommie..

No, and I don't even want to know what that is like.

Thanks for the feedback guys, I have some work to do.

Last questions, what type of wire is ground wire? Can I use basically anything?

[captainbraindamage]

I use 22 gauge. It has the plastic insulation on it that I strip off where I need to.

[Sinmastah]

How do you ground something to the bridge, I thought you can just ground it to the top of the pots?

[Fixxxer]

agreed, pictures please

[FLICKOFLASH]

Originally Posted by Sinmastah

How do you ground something to the bridge, I thought you can just ground it to the top of the pots?

all electric guitars are grounded to the bridge or tail maybe except EMG equipped guitars

[Fixxxer]

how do you get the wire from the bridge to the pot?

[FLICKOFLASH]

Originally Posted by Fixxxer

how do you get the wire from the bridge to the pot?

should be a hole that runs to the tail bushing hole .Need to pull the bushing

[Bowhunterwt]

If you have EMG's active pickups (one that requires a battery) DO not ground to the post. If you have passive EMG's (the one that don't required battery) you have too ground

[Frit]

This is a great thread, and I have all of the above schematics. However, I have a 3 pickup LP Custom that I was modifying to 3 volumes 1 tone. The customer decided they didn't want the guitar, so I went to restore it. I had meticulously drawn all of the connections....except to -- am I a bonehead -- the switch. It's a 3-way toggle, but it has an extra leaf that I haven't seen on a 3 way toggle. I've rewired the whole thing, but I can only get the neck pickup to make a sound. WTF am I doing wrong?? Can I rewire to a regular 3 way toggle? Is there some extra connection that I don't know about?

Sorry for all the questions, but this is driving me batshit.....

Thanks,

[Big John]

Frit, you say it has an extra leaf. In the schematic already posted for this mod (3 vols/1 tone), the extra leaf isn't being used. Also, since you're not getting any signal from the bridge and middle pups, that means those signals are getting shunted to ground through resistance. You might want to re-check the wiper connections on all the pots, and make sure everything is going to where it's suppossed to.

Also, a pic is worth 1,000 words. If you can post a clear jpeg of what you have, that may help.

[Buffleheid]

Originally Posted by Frit

This is a great thread, and I have all of the above schematics. However, I have a 3 pickup LP Custom that I was modifying to 3 volumes 1 tone. The customer decided they didn't want the guitar, so I went to restore it. I had meticulously drawn all of the connections....except to -- am I a bonehead -- the switch. It's a 3-way toggle, but it has an extra leaf that I haven't seen on a 3 way toggle. I've rewired the whole thing, but I can only get the neck pickup to make a sound. WTF am I doing wrong?? Can I rewire to a regular 3 way toggle? Is there some extra connection that I don't know about?

Sorry for all the questions, but this is driving me batshit.....

Thanks,

holy crap thats the exact thing that happened to me...

now im redoing the connections following this instead.

GuitarElectronics.com WDU-HHH3T22-01

should be interesting...

[Frit]

Thanks for the replies-I'll try to post a pic of what's going on. And thanks for the schematic, I have that one, too, but the toggle is different on the guitar I am working on.

[gadgetfreak]

Hello Gentleman,,

I have just purchased a pre-wired switchcraft switch and Jack,etc... I understand and have directions on what to do except for 1 little point.

On my switch I have a wire labeled white which is supposed to be soldered to the hot lug on the output Jack. Do I have to soldered the braided outer jacket to the other lug? Or does the lug only need one wire connected because I have another wire labeled black that is my ground that is going to a pot. Make sense??

My current epi output jack has 2 wires connected, 1 on each lug but this new switchcraft only has 1 wire labeled for the jack so I just want to be sure.

I'm laying it all out before I even break the soldering Iron Out, Doing it right this time.

Thanks in advance for any help, Yes I have read all wiring pages but this is a unique question to my particular jack and switchcraft I guess. Thanks

[jonesy]

Your output jack has a hot lug that goes to the tip + and another lug that connects to the inner sleeve that is ground-

If you are using the vintage braided wire the outside shield is ground and the inner lead is hot. Solder braided to ground lug and inner lead to hot lug on output jack

[gadgetfreak]

Thanks Jonesy,, I just read in my directions under vintage wiring that they provided a seperate wire coming off the switch with black tape marking it and it says to wire the tip and the outer braid to the pot they have marked, Then they said to just use wire marked with white and connect just tip to output jack,, seem's wierd to me not having something on that other lug, does that make sense?? I understand what you said, I'm just trying to explain what I just read in my directions. Thanks again, let me know if that doesn't make sense

[jonesy]

Output jack has to have hot from switch and ground to back of pots. Not sure what type of switch wiring you have, you could always contact whoever you bought it from if you are note sure how to install it

[gadgetfreak]

I have the switch in and all the wire's fished, I am putting in the assembly now, have to soldered the pup's and couple other thing's and will see how she sound's.

For the hell of it I am wiring in the original epiphone pup's to see how they sound with a real wiring harness, I'm using all bournes 500k pots, vitaim T caps etc.. If I don't like the pups after this it will be because I don't like the pickups and not because of cheap korean electronics.

THis epi was made in Korea in late 90's, plus top great neck, worth me doing all of this. Thanks again