Whether it's your first Bonnaroo or you’re a music festival veteran, we welcome you to Inforoo.
Here you'll find info about artists, rumors, camping tips, and the infamous Roo Clues. Have a look around then create an account and join in the fun. See you at Bonnaroo!!
ok, so I tried asking this on some other boards only to get a couple of arrogant responses from guitar-snobs. Hopefully someone around here will have the knowledge to answer these questions.
I recently bought a pawn shop special Gold Top knock-off and decided on completely replacing the shoddy wiring, pickups (with a DiMarzio PAF Pro and a Super 3, if anyone was interested) and all the other electronics. I've installed new pickups before, but this will be the first time I'm totally overhauling a guitar. I'm familiar with how pots work and how the wiring is supposed to be done, but there's just a couple of things I need to clear up before I start soldering things.
Firstly, a question about the switch I am installing. Most diagrams I have seen show four terminals like this - www.seymourduncan.com/images/support/schematics/2h_2v_2t_3w.jpg . The switch I have has five terminals. Are the two output terminals simply supposed to be connected and then wired to the output jack?
Secondly, the output jack I have has three terminals on it and from what I understand, that allows it to output a stereo signal, if wired to do so. Again, if I understand what I've read, to properly wire a stereo connection, instead of wiring the two ouput terminals on the switch together, I would wire switch ouput #1 to jack terminal #1 and #2 to #2.
I made a couple of quick diagrams to show what I'm trying to explain.
Can someone tell me if I have this right? If not, what needs to be different?
Also, I am planning on using 22 gauge wire, unless anyone around here can give me a good reason to use something else. Should this work for all of the connections or is there a need for anything else?
Anyway, thanks in advance to anyone who can help out.
Over my head...but Dr Claw can probably tell ya....the stereo looks right to me but you confused me with the switch thing....is the SWITCH a five way or does it have five terminals or both? Cause usually the diagram you posted is for a three position switch...more like a tele switch....which would make sense for a two humbucker config....neck/bridge/both. Five way switches are usually for three single coils....neck/bridge and one single coil in between like a strat configuration so that you can have five different configurations of sound....but I can't really tell what you are trying to do from what you are describing. But then I just let my local guitar shop guys do all my set up for me! ;D
Yeah, I guess I should have mentioned that it is a 3 way switch. Two input terminals, two output and a ground.
Ahh....sorry...I should have picked that up....like I say...all the electronic/welding/soldering stuff...a bit over my head. I don't mess with the wiring and such on my own guitars...I KNOW how it's done in general but I still stick to just hooking the crap up out of the box by directions - LOL! And leave the really intricate stuff to the guys at The Fret Shop...Hee! Dr Claw builds his own guitars from scratch tho so maybe he can help ya out....he keeps trying to get me to try that crap and I'm just too chicken I'll mess something up REALLY BAD! LMAO! Good luck tho!! I'll just stick to programming my pedals and modelers....if it comes with a computer chip I can handle it! LOL!
if you have a cheap guitar kicking around, I'd say it's worth taking it apart and putting it back together, most of it is all pretty simple. I've found that once you're fairly familiar with the inner workings of your guitar, that knowledge can be very valuable if something goes wrong with it. Anything that is totally over my head I'll get a pro to do, but it's nice being able to have a fixed instrument within a few hours. At some point I'd like to build my own guitar, but I need to work on my woodworking skills a bit first.
The more of this stuff I do, the more I think I should have gone into electronics instead of graphic design. I don't care what the horizontal part of the letter T is, I wanna build a guitar!
Well....I can't draw.....or design...or do electronics....or anything like that...BUT I CAN dance....and write...and am a pretty decent computer whiz....LOL! NONE of which helps much with guitars! LMAO!! OH well.....it's all about the PASSION right??? Hee! ;D Yeah....I'll eventually get brave and try some of that shiz out...that's just the curious part of me...right now the only "spare" guitar I have is an acoustic so I'll have to hit the pawn shops and get a cheap electric to gut and start rebuilding from the ground up...my electric right now...while "cheap" is a decent guitar that I don't want to ruin...it cost me ~$150 but is worth MUCH more because of the shape it's in and the tone and quality of it and the fact that they don't make them anymore and that it's an American made "tele" style and a peavey that you can't get in an American made anymore without paying about 3-4x what I paid for mine....
alright, well I am pleased to report that the new electronics are in and that thing fucking screams now. No more buzzing or humming, the intonation is perfect, the tone is sweet. It's like playing a brand new guitar, only one much better than the hunk of crap that thing started as.
I've had this nameless electric sitting in my room for over a year. The previous owner lived in Atlantic City, so the sea-air damaged it somehow. But you've inspired me to give it a shot and take it apart myself, at least for the experience. It'd be a bonus if I could actually decypher the problem
I was gonna say that. There is also the fact that i suck on electric.
No no NO! You CANNOT be a guitar GOD on acoustic and suck on electric Mojo!! Puleeze! If nothing else do what I do and cheat ;D...set the electric to drop D and play nothing but power chords...use pedals like hell... and no one will EVER know the diff!
LMAO! Good luck tho!! I'll just stick to programming my pedals and modelers....if it comes with a computer chip I can handle it! LOL! 
