Pickguard wiring help

I bought a used G&L S-500 Tribute, that was supposed to have texas special in the middle and neck position. Turns out it didnt, anyway I bought new pickups and I'm not sure it was wired correctly.

I found a schematic on Seymour Duncans website that is for 3 single coils, one volume, two tone. My problem is my guitar has the switch to add the bridge pickup. I also have a schematic but its all Greek to me lol

also my 5 way switch has the tabs all inline, not staggered like the SD schematic

Any help would be appreciated! Thanks!!

This might work, you could possibly wire the switch like a reg. Strat (per the Seymour Duncan) and do without the bridge switch, although it should still work in the circuit. I guess they do that trick to get n&b AND all three as well.

oh awesome that diagram does help with the 5 way, thank you!

here is a diagram for what the switch does

Is any of it wired up right now?

Do you want to stay with the Treble & Bass cut controls (rather than the standard Strat 2 Treble cuts)?

Do you like that switching setup with the toggle flipped? With that G & L tone setup, you could do an easy change to get the more typical 7-way switching Fender uses.

Is any of it wired up right now?

Do you want to stay with the Treble & Bass cut controls (rather than the standard Strat 2 Treble cuts)?

Do you like that switching setup with the toggle flipped? With that G & L tone setup, you could do an easy change to get the more typical 7-way switching Fender uses.

The original pickups are wired up, but I cant seem to tell any difference when the toggle is flipped, could just be me though.

I would like to stay with the treble and bass yes.

What is the more typical 7 way?

Thank you for helping I really want to get this wired up!!!

Eric

I have one of my Strats with the regular Strat-O-Tone and then a mini toggle for adding the neck. On my other one, I installed a push/pull tone switch to do the "neck on"-------- 7 way.

Take a paper clip and tap pups as you go through the switch positions to verify what's going on.

What is the more typical 7 way?


When you flip the switch, only 2 of the positions change (total of 7 possibilities).

The way they wired it in that schematic, you get a lot of duplicate positions. I try to avoid that, if possible.


Let me work on a drawing for you. I don't know if we have an import switch in our library of parts. I'll see what I can do.

When you flip the switch, only 2 of the positions change (total of 7 possibilities).

The way they wired it in that schematic, you get a lot of duplicate positions. I try to avoid that, if possible.


Let me work on a drawing for you. I don't know if we have an import switch in our library of parts. I'll see what I can do.

thanks so much, I appreciate you taking the time to do that!

Eric

Here's what I've got. It wouldn't hurt to have some people double check my work here to make sure I got it all correct.


http://dl.dropbox.com/u/7440801/Guitar%20Wiring/Strat%20G-L.jpg

You could use a SPST toggle switch, but their schematic shows a SPDT, so that's what I put in.

With the toggle switch up, if you would rather have this:

1. Bridge
2. Middle & Bridge (Parallel)
3. Middle
4. All 3 Pickups (Parallel)
5. Neck & Bridge

It would only take moving 2 wires to make that change.

You could use a SPST toggle switch, but their schematic shows a SPDT, so that's what I put in.

With the toggle switch up, if you would rather have this:

1. Bridge
2. Middle & Bridge (Parallel)
3. Middle
4. All 3 Pickups (Parallel)
5. Neck & Bridge

It would only take moving 2 wires to make that change.


my toggle has 6 pins, those combos are great!! would it help if I uploaded a photo of the current pickguard? thanks again!!

Sure, let's see what you've got.

Are you OK with the switching setup I put in the drawing?

Sure, let's see what you've got.

Are you OK with the switching setup I put in the drawing?

yes thats great!!

hope this helps

It's hard to see it all, but it looks pretty close to their schematic.

What colors of wires do each of the pickups have?

Do the 2 tone pots only have 2 terminals/lugs on them?

Does the cap on the treble tone pot (the middle pot) have one leg connected to the case of that pot?

Oh, and are there only 2 wires connected to that toggle switch?

Oh, and are there only 2 wires connected to that toggle switch?

the wires on the new pups are as follows white/black neck, yellow/black middle, red/black bridge

yes the cap has one leg attached

all the pots have 3 prongs, but only 2 are used

yes only 2, however the is a black wire soldered to the "case" of it on the side, and it is unattached but looks like it may have gone to 5 way, not sure, but this may be why it didnt work

The black wire soldered to the case of the toggle should be connected to ground. It won't affect the switching if it's disconnected. It was probably soldered together with the ground wire for the 5-way.

Tell me more about how the pickups wires are actually connected. I don't see a yellow wire coming from the pickups.

And that white wire with the shrink tubing on it. What wires are being connected there?

The black wire soldered to the case of the toggle should be connected to ground. It won't affect the switching if it's disconnected. It was probably soldered together with the ground wire for the 5-way.

Tell me more about how the pickups wires are actually connected. I don't see a yellow wire coming from the pickups.

And that white wire with the shrink tubing on it. What wires are being connected there?

here are the current pups, the colors I explained are the new ones I want to put in, sorry if I got confused :)

the white wire with the shrink tubing is going to the 3rd tab of the 5 way

So, there's not another wire spliced in there with that wire? Is there another wire connected to the 3rd tab of the 5-way?

Have you tried what sjtalon suggested & tap a paper clip or small screwdriver on the pole pieces of the pickups to see which ones are actually on in the 5 positions?

So, there's not another wire spliced in there with that wire? Is there another wire connected to the 3rd tab of the 5-way?



Have you tried what sjtalon suggested & tap a paper clip or small screwdriver on the pole pieces of the pickups to see which ones are actually on in the 5 positions?


yes, the white wire to the neck pickup

yes with the switch off or towards the bridge, the settings are like a normal 5 way
when toggles on. or towards the neck. the 5 way neck setting (or 1 position) its just neck, 2 is neck+middle, 3 is neck+middle as well, 4 is all 3, 5 is neck+bridge

The way that is wired now, turning that toggle switch on would give you those combinations. So, if flipping the switch makes no change, either the switch is bad (stuck in that position internally) or maybe there's something like a solder bridge across the terminals of the switch.

this may help, as awful looking as it is lol

The way that is wired now, turning that toggle switch on would give you those combinations. So, if flipping the switch makes no change, either the switch is bad (stuck in that position internally) or maybe there's something like a solder bridge across the terminals of the switch.

flipping the switch towards bridge gives you the standard 5 way setup

neck
neck, middle
middle
middle, bridge
bridge

also there is only one wire going to the input jack

and on the bass cut pot, the unused tab is broken off.

Should I just replace all the pots and caps? is do where is a good place to get them and what is the best brands?

sorry for all the questions, I'm a total noob to the wiring stuff

flipping the switch towards bridge gives you the standard 5 way setup

neck
neck, middle
middle
middle, bridge
bridge

Sorry, I misunderstood. I thought you were saying the switch didn't change anything.

So, you're guitar is wired like this:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/7440801/Guitar%20Wiring/Strat%20G-L2.jpg

also there is only one wire going to the input jack


If there were only 1 wire to the output jack, it wouldn't work. On your drawing, you show the middle terminal of the volume pot tied to ground. If you look closely at that wire to the output jack, you'll see that it is a coaxial wire. It has a braided shield wire that is soldered to the the back of the volume pot & a white wire inside that connected to the middle terminal of the volume pot.


and on the bass cut pot, the unused tab is broken off. That's OK. It's not used.

Should I just replace all the pots and caps? is do where is a good place to get them and what is the best brands?

Do they work? Are they scratchy? If they work OK, leave 'em in there.


It sounds like all you want to do is swap out the pickups. Is that correct?

If you want to change that toggle switch to just be a 7-way, that's an easy change you can make.

It sounds like all you want to do is swap out the pickups. Is that correct?

If you want to change that toggle switch to just be a 7-way, that's an easy change you can make.

Yes thats all I need to do is swap out the pickups, the pots are fine. I would like the 7 way as well. thanks again!

Then all you need to do is make this change to what you've got:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/7440801/Guitar%20Wiring/Strat%20G-L3.jpg

Then all you need to do is make this change to what you've got:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/7440801/Guitar%20Wiring/Strat%20G-L3.jpg

awesome man!, thank you so much!!

you took alot of time helping me out, so I'd like to repay the favor and send you one of my leather pickguards if you'd like one that is. Just let me know if you want antique tan or black, and if its a normal tele or esquire etc.

You can PM me your address.

THANKS AGAIN!!

Eric