Reversing selector and pickup leads?

[MCT]

Hi everyone,

Quick question- while swapping in some pickups, I lost track of which lead belonged to the pickup, and which belonged to the selector switch. If I accidentally reversed them (ie- put the pickup lead in the middle volume lug, and the selector switch lead in the first/leftmost lug), what would happen? Or, put another way, how would I know I mixed them up?

Thanks!

 

[CB91710]

If you reverse both, then you end up with independent volume control - In the middle selector position, lowering one pot will only lower that one pickup.
If you reversed only one, then the one not reversed would lower the volume on both pickups.

Not hard to find though... open the switch cavity and give the lead a tug, or even better, use an ohmmeter.

 

[MCT]

If you reverse both, then you end up with independent volume control - In the middle selector position, lowering one pot will only lower that one pickup.
If you reversed only one, then the one not reversed would lower the volume on both pickups.

Not hard to find though... open the switch cavity and give the lead a tug, or even better, use an ohmmeter.

Good point about the ohmmeter. I’ll definitely check, but I‘m curious about this, conceptually.

Would there be any tonal differences? Loss of treble? Does having it wired in ‘50s style instead of modern style make a difference?

 

[CB91710]

Potential noise.
With independent wiring, you are grounding the pickup, rather than the amp input, so when the volume is rolled off, you are presenting a 500k load to the amp rather than a 0-ohm load.

Tonally, there is really no electrical difference, other than the interaction with the tone control. I'm not sure how a 50s tone circuit would interact with independent volume.

 

[MCT]

Potential noise.
With independent wiring, you are grounding the pickup, rather than the amp input, so when the volume is rolled off, you are presenting a 500k load to the amp rather than a 0-ohm load.

Tonally, there is really no electrical difference, other than the interaction with the tone control. I'm not sure how a 50s tone circuit would interact with independent volume.

I think it’s starting to make sense to me now, thanks. I’ll just run it in middle position and turn each volume knob- if one stays on even when the other is at zero, I guess I’ll know I goofed.

 

[Roxy13]

I label them all with a piece of masking tape so this doesn't happen to me. I call the switch NS and BS for neck switch and bridge switch. And the pickups NP and BP.

 

[MATTM]

I label them all with a piece of masking tape so this doesn't happen to me. I call the switch NS and BS for neck switch and bridge switch. And the pickups NP and BP.

Yep. Same here

 

[Roxy13]

Yep. Same here

When I wire a new switch with braided wire I put labels on all the leads before I wrap the ground wire around them because they can all move and then be hard to figure out which one was connected where.

 

[MCT]

I normally do too, but I was rushing and forgot to...like an idiot.

 

[MATTM]

I normally do too, but I was rushing and forgot to...like an idiot.

Been there, done that too lol

 

[MCT]

Turns out, I HAD reversed them. I kinda suspected this, because the wiring sounded like modem wiring instead of ‘50s. Rather than switching the leads, I just re-soldered the cap in with the selector lead in L1, and all’s right with the world again.

 

[Justin_Case]

Colored Sharpies and photos every time on braided wires.

Actually photos for everything now - I suffer from CRS - Can't Remeber Shite!

 

[CB91710]

Colored Sharpies and photos every time on braided wires.

Actually photos for everything now - I suffer from CRS - Can't Remeber Shite!

Gotta love the 21st century.

Would have taken for freaking ever to complete a mod if I had to wait for pictures to come back at Fotomat
"Thank you, tomorrow after 5"

 

[Justin_Case]

What's a Fotomat ???

Now get off my LAWN!!!

 

[CB91710]

What's a Fotomat ???

Now get off my LAWN!!!

For the Millennials (and probably most Gen-X)

 

[Justin_Case]

I'll see your Fotomat and raise you 1 Black and White Polaroid

And this song is now almost able to vote too

a

 

[CB91710]

I'll see your Fotomat and raise you 1 Black and White Polaroid

And this song is now almost able to vote too

View attachment 463703

a

My first camera....

 

[Justin_Case]

 

[ARandall]

I remember those. The flashes were one time use, so if you shot in low light a lot you had to keep buying replacements.

 

[CB91710]

I remember those. The flashes were one time use, so if you shot in low light a lot you had to keep buying replacements.

And deleting the crappy pictures meant a trip to the shredder