why 5 PU wires on molex connector 2012 std

[HIghAndDry]

Yeah, sorry about that mix up.

I've seen the connector before but I don't know the name of it unfortunately. You find them in computers a lot. Now I'm really curious about it. I have yet to see anyone ID them on a 2012 though. Gibson uses the same Micro-Fit on the two plug pickups on the older PCB boards but with 5 circuits, they need to shrink the connector to fit it in the same amount of space.

I'll take some more pics and measurements and see if I can come up with anything.

Yeah I have seen them on computers too. hopefully someone can id them. thanks for all

 

[HIghAndDry]

Ok, I think the connectors are actually Molex Pico-Spox 1.50mm BUT I'm not 100% certain. You'll want to double check that. Its a standard wire-to-board connector, I'm sure of. I recommend pulling the pickup and taking it to an electronic parts supply store and have them match it. I'll probably end up doing this since I want to swap mine out as well.

I just got off the phone with Gibson and their 'recommendation' is to hard wire them. What a stupid response.

Wow! really helpful Gibson!! I must admit the thought has crossed my mind to pull the whole circuit board out and wire it old school way. new pots etc. If I want coil splitting etc I could use push pull pots but for now it would be a lot easier to find that connector

 

[jeffy]

Wow! really helpful Gibson!! I must admit the thought has crossed my mind to pull the whole circuit board out and wire it old school way. new pots etc. If I want coil splitting etc I could use push pull pots but for now it would be a lot easier to find that connector

I think what he was recommending was to have someone solder the bare wires to the existing pins. Seems like a dumb idea though. They don't want to sell a product of another company if they don't sell it themselves. I can see why they won't tell but really. It's got to be less then $1 in parts.

If anything you could just try to match the terminals to the pins and connect them without a connector. They're really small though.

Worst case would be to cut the terminals off right at the end and then solder the new wires to the terminals. (I think it would be a real PITA to try to straighten out the crimp.

 

[HIghAndDry]

I could just splice the wires now that I think of it. Cut the pickup wire while leaving the connector on and splice the other pickup wires to it via soldering and heat shrink. that is probably what I will do if I don't find the connector

 

[jeffy]

I could just splice the wires now that I think of it. Cut the pickup wire while leaving the connector on and splice the other pickup wires to it via soldering and heat shrink. that is probably what I will do if I don't find the connector

You'd end up with short wires on the BB's though. Not like you'd be swapping back and forth often but it longer wires would make it easier to sell if you were considering that.

The connector looks to be either 1.5mm or 1.8mm pitch. You can buy crimp on female terminals for those and then use needle nose pliers and push the terminals onto the pins without the actually connector, if worse came to worst.

If you still wanted to cut the wires, I'd cut them off as close to the terminal as possible and solder the new wires into those terminals.

The plugs aren't hard to find though. You just have to do some walking. I'm not sure if I'll be able to check out any stores till the weekend. I've still got to upload some pics and measurements and ask some friends.

 

[jeffy]

Posting some better pics of the connector.

 

[jeffy]

Some (electronic) friends seem to think it's a PicoBlade.

Molex Connector Part Number - 51021-0500
Molex Connector Part Number - 50058-8100
or
Molex Connector Part Number - 50079-8100

Not sure on the wire gauge. One's for 26-28AWG while the other is for 28-32AWG. Judging by the ground, it looks to be 26 AWG, but that's just an educated guess. It doesn't look that thin.

50058-8100 Molex | Mouser
50079-8100 Molex | Mouser

This is for the housing:

51021-0500 Molex | Mouser

Now I'm not 100% but it looks good from my measurements. Looks like you'll pay more for shipping then for the items. Still less then $10. I might have to see if I can find them locally.

 

[HIghAndDry]

Some (electronic) friends seem to think it's a PicoBlade.

Molex Connector Part Number - 51021-0500
Molex Connector Part Number - 50058-8100
or
Molex Connector Part Number - 50079-8100

Not sure on the wire gauge. One's for 26-28AWG while the other is for 28-32AWG. Judging by the ground, it looks to be 26 AWG, but that's just an educated guess. It doesn't look that thin.

50058-8100 Molex | Mouser
50079-8100 Molex | Mouser

This is for the housing:

51021-0500 Molex | Mouser

Now I'm not 100% but it looks good from my measurements. Looks like you'll pay more for shipping then for the items. Still less then $10. I might have to see if I can find them locally.

Yes I wonder if I can find mine locally. probably but I'm not sure where. I'm in mpls/st. paul area.
Thanks so much. They would make it way easier. come ot hink of it EMG now uses connectors similar to that on their pickups but not sure if they are the same. They attach on the pickup itself.

 

[jeffy]

Yes I wonder if I can find mine locally. probably but I'm not sure where. I'm in mpls/st. paul area.
Thanks so much. They would make it way easier. come ot hink of it EMG now uses connectors similar to that on their pickups but not sure if they are the same. They attach on the pickup itself.

Well, I ordered some to see if they fit. I'm not sure how long standard shipping is but I ordered 4 sets and it was $12. I'll report back when they arrive.

 

[HIghAndDry]

Well, I ordered some to see if they fit. I'm not sure how long standard shipping is but I ordered 4 sets and it was $12. I'll report back when they arrive.

Great. Will be anxious to hear. thanks for doing the research. I really appreciate it!!

 

[jeffy]

Great. Will be anxious to hear. thanks for doing the research. I really appreciate it!!

No problem, I've been interested in it as well and needed a push.

I'm still on the fence with what pickups I want though. I want Zebra's for sure which narrows down my choices from the big mfgs. I'll have to check the Vendors and see if they have anything I like.

 

[jeffy]

Here's an update. Mouser emailed my saying the order shipped. It's being sent UPS so it's going to take 5 days at least.

I also got an email back from Molex. They seem to think it's 51021-0500 as well. So we'll see next week. All signs look good though.

 

[HIghAndDry]

No problem, I've been interested in it as well and needed a push.

I'm still on the fence with what pickups I want though. I want Zebra's for sure which narrows down my choices from the big mfgs. I'll have to check the Vendors and see if they have anything I like.

Yeah I just want to see how some different pickups sound in there. I wish Gibson had put 57 classics in the 2012 std instead of the burstbuckers. when I bought it I was A/B ing with a trad plus. I liked the sound of the 57s that were in that better but I liked the neck and other things on the 2012 std. I even remarked to the salesman that the 2012 was a lot brighter and he right away said it was those burstbuckers. So that was my first tip off on those. I have seen many posts on this forum that say the same. My tone zone that I am going to put in has cream coils. I think Page had one like that in one of his. although there is another post I think on the main forum about Page's no 1 and no 2 guitars. If I am not mistaked it says he had one (bridge) that had white coils for a while. I don't know. by the way. I use this LP in a ZEP trbute band

 

[jeffy]

Yeah I just want to see how some different pickups sound in there. I wish Gibson had put 57 classics in the 2012 std instead of the burstbuckers. when I bought it I was A/B ing with a trad plus. I liked the sound of the 57s that were in that better but I liked the neck and other things on the 2012 std. I even remarked to the salesman that the 2012 was a lot brighter and he right away said it was those burstbuckers. So that was my first tip off on those. I have seen many posts on this forum that say the same. My tone zone that I am going to put in has cream coils. I think Page had one like that in one of his. although there is another post I think on the main forum about Page's no 1 and no 2 guitars. If I am not mistaked it says he had one (bridge) that had white coils for a while. I don't know. by the way. I use this LP in a ZEP trbute band

Yeah, that's how I felt as well with the 2012. I'd like a PAF clone of some sort. I also want to give the guitar a personal touch that will make it different and mine. Not sure if I want to go the Antiquity JB/Jazz or something like the Waterbrane, LO from ReWind, etc... I'm currently leaning towards the Forum Vendors.

 

[jeffy]

OK, my order from Mouser Electronics arrived. Here's a quick pic. I pulled the pins from the original and plugged the pickup into the new connector and seated it. I'd say that's a match. Keep in mind, the pins are tiny though. Very tiny. So you might want to get a few extras incase they sort of disappear while you're handling them.

This is what I ordered:

• 50079-8100 Molex | Mouser
• 51021-0500 Molex | Mouser

If I read it right, the pickup leads are 26AWG so you could go with either connector.

 

[HIghAndDry]

OK, my order from Mouser Electronics arrived. Here's a quick pic. I pulled the pins from the original and plugged the pickup into the new connector and seated it. I'd say that's a match. Keep in mind, the pins are tiny though. Very tiny. So you might want to get a few extras incase they sort of disappear while you're handling them.

This is what I ordered:

• 50079-8100 Molex | Mouser
• 51021-0500 Molex | Mouser

If I read it right, the pickup leads are 26AWG so you could go with either connector.

Ok I am a little confused. sorry!! so when you say the pins what exactly are you referring to. Is there a pin that each pickup wire goes onto? Or do you tin the wires and put them right into the connector?

 

[jeffy]

Ok I am a little confused. sorry!! so when you say the pins what exactly are you referring to. Is there a pin that each pickup wire goes onto? Or do you tin the wires and put them right into the connector?

Pins as in pin terminals. The terminals are really tiny. The leads (wires) are crimped into the terminals and the terminals snap into the connectors.

I think I'm going to tin the leads then solder them to the terminals. Not sure about crimping them. If you just solder them, you'll be able to remove them without having to cut the wires. Makes it easier in case you decide to move them to a hand-wired setup or sell them.

 

[HIghAndDry]

Pins as in pin terminals. The terminals are really tiny. The leads (wires) are crimped into the terminals and the terminals snap into the connectors.

I think I'm going to tin the leads then solder them to the terminals. Not sure about crimping them. If you just solder them, you'll be able to remove them without having to cut the wires. Makes it easier in case you decide to move them to a hand-wired setup or sell them.

I am sorry. I still don't know what you mean by pins. the pins on the circuit board that the connector plugs into or inside the connector?

 

[jeffy]

I am sorry. I still don't know what you mean by pins. the pins on the circuit board that the connector plugs into or inside the connector?

The wires from the pickup attach to these, female terminals;

They snap into this, the connector housing;

The part that attached to the PC Board is called the Header and looks like this;

You do not need to touch the header on the PCB. You're building a new connector onto the new pickup. The connectors do not come as kits so you have to buy the individual parts separately.

 

[HIghAndDry]

The wires from the pickup attach to these, female terminals;

They snap into this, the connector housing;

The part that attached to the PC Board is called the Header and looks like this;

You do not need to touch the header on the PCB. You're building a new connector onto the new pickup. The connectors do not come as kits so you have to buy the individual parts separately.

Ok thanks a lot. so you ordered the first two parts. I didn't think you needed to touch the part on the pc board. That is the only thing i saw as having "pins"