installing SD 'lil59 into Musicman Silo Special - help please

JMP220478

Ive removed scratchplate from above - easy molex connector +1 
Stock pickups - custom dimarzio with red n black leads -1. ( not sure which is which)
switch - expected std 5 way -1 ( super switch ? ) 

so as I havent a clue how to navigate switch n wiring   ive removed stock bridge pu and left a portion of existing wire on the super switch - so i know where to connect and to avoid my crap soldering screwing up switch or shorting something out . 

So i have lil59 with red n white leads connected together n taped off . 

Leaving me with a black lead and green lead / earth wire combo to connect ... 

so my learned collesgues - what do i do next ? 

Ps - just for ref simple swap out - not attempting 
to use single coli options / phase reversal etc on the 'lil59 

JMP220478

Original pickup config 

Winny_Pooh

Their superswitch is different to the stock diagrams online (PITA when I was wiring my AL). I could figure it out in person but be damned if I could explain.

JMP220478

Highlighted - trailing leads from original bridge pickup 

JMP220478

Winny_Pooh said:

Their superswitch is different to the stock diagrams online (PITA when I was wiring my AL). I could figure it out in person but be damned if I could explain.

For ref - Im not after any coil splitting on the lil59 - just replacing the dinarzio with 59 .

was your  AL  sss or hh ? 

Winny_Pooh

Try green to the old red and black to black. 

JMP220478

Winny_Pooh said:

Try green to the old red and black to black. 

Earth wire to old red too?

Winny_Pooh

Oops, SD pup. Black to the old red and green & earth to back of a pot. 

ICBM

Black to old red, green to old black, bare to back of pot.

I think that should be in phase. If not, swap green and black.

JMP220478

@Winny_Pooh ;
@ICBM ;
many thanks gents - will give it a go early am 

JMP220478

Sorted -  lil59 installed - pu in series - works well ; not hum cancelling in position 4 but will fix that with next restring .. 
medium output pickup which balances well with stock dimarzios - would not consider dropping a coil out in this guitar .
+2 for molex connector - can remove the pick guard and work on it away from the guitar. 
+3 for support from forumites @Winny_Pooh ;
and @ICBM ;

ICBM

JMP220478 said:

Sorted -  lil59 installed - pu in series - works well ; not hum cancelling in position 4 but will fix that with next restring

The reason it's not hum-cancelling is because you're combining a pickup with no hum with one with hum. Two single coils can be if they're RWRP because the hum is opposite in both so they cancel.

The only way to get it is if you auto-split the humbucker to the right coil in the in-between position, which will need a spare contact available on the 5-way switch.

paulnb57

@JMP220478 Glad you like it!...

JMP220478

@ICBM - in my ignorance I thought i could 
just reverse the existing connections ( what would be outcome of that btw? )  - tbh Im not bothered as the out of phase settings on any strat style guitar are not some where i spend a lot of time :-) 

im well impressed with lil59 so far - rehearsal tomorrow and looking fwd to a decent volume try out - thanks again . 

ICBM

JMP220478 said:

@ICBM - in my ignorance I thought i could 
just reverse the existing connections ( what would be outcome of that btw? )  - tbh Im not bothered as the out of phase settings on any strat style guitar are not some where i spend a lot of time :-) 

Reversing the connections will give you out-of-phase (assuming it's in-phase now) with the same amount of hum.

You're hearing the hum from the middle pickup. To cancel it, you need another single coil which is producing the opposite hum - ie RWRP with respect to it.

Richardj

There shouldn't be any hum at all as the Silo Specials have the battery powered silent coil (the little can vest to the volume pot). Have you checked the battery or if this is working?

ICBM

Richardj said:

There shouldn't be any hum at all as the Silo Specials have the battery powered silent coil (the little can vest to the volume pot). Have you checked the battery or if this is working?

Is that engaged all the time, or only in the 1, 3 and 5 positions? ie using the normal RWRP pairs to cancel the hum in 2 and 4. Or is the middle pickup standard and the silent coil in all 5 positions?

Richardj

I was under the impression that it was always active to keep the guitar quiet. Don't know if the custom Dimarzios are RWRP in the middle. 

JMP220478

I'll change battery today n check - but i understood its only in play with 1-3-5 positions ; I reached out to EBMM  but their support is s bit hit n miss - despite asking for SSS config inc age of guitar - ive had later HSS n SSS with a piezo diagrams and as the super switch is complex to wiring learner then im not easily able to decipher easily .