Help with wiring DiMarzio 4 conductor 2xHB series on Gibson style switch

noisepolluter

Hi all,

I’m replacing a Petrucci switch with a normal Gibson style 3 way (1 volume 1 tone). Will be wiring 2 DiMarzios in series.

From what I gather on DiMarzio 4 conductor wiring, it needs to be as follows: 

Green + bare: splice together and solder to back of vol pot.

Red = hot wire: solder to input tags of 3 way switch. Output of switch then goes to volume pot?

Black + white - solder together and tape. And do what, exactly? Are they connected to anything else (ground point, other pickup etc) or just fully isolated? 

Ta!

Funkfingers

For your circuit, the black/white conductors of each humbucker should only be connected to each other.

TBH, in your position, I would leave the stock selector switch in place. Simply disconnect both black/white conductor pairs from the selector switch. Insulate the soldered joints between them.

ICBM

noisepolluter said:

I’m replacing a Petrucci switch with a normal Gibson style 3 way (1 volume 1 tone). Will be wiring 2 DiMarzios in series.

From what I gather on DiMarzio 4 conductor wiring, it needs to be as follows: 

Green + bare: splice together and solder to back of vol pot.

Red = hot wire: solder to input tags of 3 way switch. Output of switch then goes to volume pot?

Black + white - solder together and tape. And do what, exactly? Are they connected to anything else (ground point, other pickup etc) or just fully isolated?

All exactly as you've worked it out. Black and white on each pickup are connected together but not to anything else.

noisepolluter

Funkfingers said:

For your circuit, the black/white conductors of each humbucker should only be connected to each other.

TBH, in your position, I would leave the stock selector switch in place. Simply disconnect both black/white conductor pairs from the selector switch. Insulate the soldered joints between them.

Hmm, I’ll have a look. The switch has been a bit intermittent with one of the bridge coils so maybe it’s just a bad connection I can fix at the same time as wiring for series. Thanks!

ICBM said:

noisepolluter said:

I’m replacing a Petrucci switch with a normal Gibson style 3 way (1 volume 1 tone). Will be wiring 2 DiMarzios in series.

From what I gather on DiMarzio 4 conductor wiring, it needs to be as follows: 

Green + bare: splice together and solder to back of vol pot.

Red = hot wire: solder to input tags of 3 way switch. Output of switch then goes to volume pot?

Black + white - solder together and tape. And do what, exactly? Are they connected to anything else (ground point, other pickup etc) or just fully isolated?

All exactly as you've worked it out. Black and white on each pickup are connected together but not to anything else.

Thanks also! This may now be my backup plan.

Funkfingers

Should have asked earlier. Are you modifying a USA EBMM JP model or upgrading an Indonesian-made S-By-MM one? (The latter has Asian pickups.)

In either case, the control cavity depth probably will not accommodate a straight Switchcraft sprung leaf selector switch. You will need the right-angled type or one of the short generic Asian versions. 

noisepolluter said:

The switch has been a bit intermittent with one of the bridge coils so maybe it’s just a bad connection I can fix

The proper switch for the JP circuit is made by C&K, either in the USA or the UK. My experience has always been that these withstand abuse better than their Japanese or other equivalents.

noisepolluter

Funkfingers said:

Should have asked earlier. Are you modifying a USA EBMM JP model or upgrading an Indonesian-made S-By-MM one? (The latter has Asian pickups.)

In either case, the control cavity depth probably will not accommodate a straight Switchcraft sprung leaf selector switch. You will need the right-angled type or one of the short generic Asian versions. 

Neither - I should have been a bit clearer originally sorry, it’s Petrucci style switching on a Maverick F1 (outer single coils in middle position)

noisepolluter

Now successfully wired in parallel! Thanks again folks.