New Humbucker install - wiring surprise. Help required!!!

steven.marks

Hi

I'm after a little help.  I've just opened the back of my Washburn X50Pro with a view to replacing the Custom Custom/59 combo with something a little cleaner.  When I removed the cover the wiring was not as expected and I wonder if one of tFB experts might be able to advise.

I have another X50(a year newer) with two humbuckers that I upgraded myself and followed the SD diagrams.  I have 2 humbuckers/1 volume/1 tone(push pull) and 3 way blade.

As you can see from the below, original X50 follows the SD wiring diagram.  The red and whites both going to the tone/coil split whilst the green and earth to the back of the volume.

However, my recent Washburn X50 acquisition doesn't.  In the 2nd image, the green and black are going to the push pull whilst white seems to be getting grounded and the red goes to the switch. Can anyone explain why there are differences and if I should just simply follow the existing wiring(i believe it is original due to the lack of solder everywhere).

Is it possible that when I've redone the pickups in the top I've made an error? If I have then I should change the red one(top) to match the amber one(bottom) Any help appreciated.  Have I given enough info?

ICBM

It’s wired so the two coils in each pickup are in the opposite order, so splitting them will leave the other coils operating.

Either scheme will work, depending on which coils you want to leave on.

Funkfingers

Green/black as the series connection and coil split is fine. Just backwards. 

One benefit is that the inner stud coils remain operational in split mode.

IMO, reversing the order of conductor interconnection on one coil only makes sense to achieve hum-cancellation with the other pickup when both are coil split.

With DiMarzio twelve allen screw polepieces, it is possible to mount the neck pickup rotated by 180°. 

With conventional filister screw and stud polepieces, it may be necessary to reverse the bar magnet. e.g. Fender Big Apple Stratocaster.

steven.marks

ICBM said:

It’s wired so the two coils in each pickup are in the opposite order, so splitting them will leave the other coils operating.

Either scheme will work, depending on which coils you want to leave on.

I should have mentioned that, they operationally both seemed to work and the only difference was the coils that were split out.  I had a custom custom in the bridge of each and they sounded different and I was concerned I'd bodged the wiring!  Thanks!

steven.marks

Funkfingers said:

Green/black as the series connection and coil split is fine. Just backwards. 

One benefit is that the inner stud coils remain operational in split mode.

IMO, reversing the order of conductor interconnection on one coil only makes sense to achieve hum-cancellation with the other pickup when both are coil split.

With DiMarzio twelve allen screw polepieces, it is possible to mount the neck pickup rotated by 180°. 

With conventional filister screw and stud polepieces, it may be necessary to reverse the bar magnet. e.g. Fender Big Apple Stratocaster.

Thanks @Funkfingers , would you suggest I wire the amber as per the red ie the red and white to the coil split pot?  Is there a discernable difference between splitting the humbucker to the sound or simply for hum cancelling.  It seems that the factory did it that way back in the day.

Funkfingers

On a twenty four fret guitar such as yours, the inner coils are about the same distance apart as the neck and centre single coil pickups on a regular Stratocaster. Thus, theoretically, splitting to the inner coils stands some chance of creating a passable imitation of the Stratocaster lever selector switch position 2 and 4 sounds.

If you like the sounds of the red guitar, alter the amber guitar to match.

The only downside is that your white conductors are shorter than the others. You may want to trim the red conductors to match.