Help rewiring Hohner G3T

[hemingway]

I'm in a mess.

I have an old Hohner G3T I've had since the late 80s, but I've never liked the pickups. So I thought I'd replace the middle and neck single coils with a couple of tele neck pickups I had lying around.

If you've ever looked inside one of these guitars you'll know how little space there is to work in there.

So, although I tried to replicate the wiring of the original pickups . . . no sound. And another wire came loose from somewhere else and I don't know where it goes.

I've found a couple of G3T wiring diagrams online but they don't bear any relation to what's inside the guitar - and I've never been good at translating wiring diagrams into the spaghetti that's in front of me anyway.

On top of this, I don't "get" the whole wiring theory thing, so I find wiring a struggle, but I've always got there in the end. Until now.

This one has beaten me.

So if anyone has a decent wiring diagram or can guide me through it - or better still if anyone in London wants to rewire my guitar, I'd be really grateful.

If not, I suppose I'll be taking it to someone who knows what they're doing and hoping they don't charge a fortune to fix an old beater.

 

[Jimclarke100]

The diagram I found is this one:



So it doesn't look like any standard fender/Gibson style wiring diagram - is the guitar active?

Ignoring the 'bucker and the tone controls, the single coils look to go via the volume straight through to the jack so they should work....

 

[62 Jazzmaster]

Is it Hohner's Steinberger-style guitar?
Here's the same diagram, but larger size:

the pickup switching looks straightforward until it gets to the push/pull Tone knob with the black Hohner VBS-1 component.

The settings are On/Off for the pickups with the choice of dropping one of the humbucker's coils for a brighter tone.

 

[hemingway]

thanks guys - yes, it's the Steinberger copy. I found these, too. But I'm still struggling. I think I'm just going to have to admit defeat and take it to someone who knows what they're doing. There is so little space to work in there I can't work it out.

 

[Tatercaster]

It appears to be active. Does the guitar have a 9V battery box?

 

[Asmith]

I'm in a mess.

I have an old Hohner G3T I've had since the late 80s, but I've never liked the pickups. So I thought I'd replace the middle and neck single coils with a couple of tele neck pickups I had lying around.

If you've ever looked inside one of these guitars you'll know how little space there is to work in there.

So, although I tried to replicate the wiring of the original pickups . . . no sound. And another wire came loose from somewhere else and I don't know where it goes.

I've found a couple of G3T wiring diagrams online but they don't bear any relation to what's inside the guitar - and I've never been good at translating wiring diagrams into the spaghetti that's in front of me anyway.

On top of this, I don't "get" the whole wiring theory thing, so I find wiring a struggle, but I've always got there in the end. Until now.

This one has beaten me.

So if anyone has a decent wiring diagram or can guide me through it - or better still if anyone in London wants to rewire my guitar, I'd be really grateful.

If not, I suppose I'll be taking it to someone who knows what they're doing and hoping they don't charge a fortune to fix an old beater.

Maybe you'd be better off ripping out all the electronics and starting from scratch with some pups you like?

 

[telemnemonics]

The frustrating thing is that it's probably something simple, compounded by the split HB wiring, which maybe you don't even like(?)
If you do bring it to a tech (or even if you give it another shot) it might be worth replacing the bridge pup too and eliminating the split coil pot, which would make it easier for you to change pickups in the future if you still don't like the new setup.
Starting from scratch always seems easier than unbuggering some buggered wiring!

I've always wanted one of those Hohners, though I travel less these days and don't really need it as much, they're just cool and one of the iconic guitars in my view.
Steinberger more than Hohner I suppose, but the Hohner is wood and more of a regular folks guitar.

 

[telemnemonics]

Maybe you'd be better off ripping out all the electronics and starting from scratch with some pups you like?

Ha! You beat me to it while I was googling to see how easily a three or five way Strat switch could be installed...

 

[Asmith]

Ha! You beat me to it while I was googling to see how easily a three or five way Strat switch could be installed...

Or use 3 switches, it's actually simpler. I'll draw up a quick diagram.

 

[Asmith]

I'd use this for your current control layout. The red wire goes to the jack tip and the green goes to the jack sleeve. You can add a push pull if you still want to do something with that.

3 switch wiring by ashleyjsmith1996, on Flickr

 

[Tatercaster]

Perhaps that VBS-1 is a transformer? With the 500k pots you could bypass the VBS-1 and go straight from the on/off switch to the volume control.

 

[Tatercaster]

Ya'll beat me to it.

 

[Tatercaster]

Looking at it again, I should have known it wasn't active electronics. Duh.

 

[hemingway]

Looking at it again, I should have known it wasn't active electronics. Duh.

No, it's not active.

I am seriously considering ripping everything out and starting again with a strat kit and no coil split.

When I finally get this sorted I'll post an update. Thanks everyone.

 

[Asmith]

No, it's not active.

I am seriously considering ripping everything out and starting again with a strat kit and no coil split.

When I finally get this sorted I'll post an update. Thanks everyone.

I wouldn't bother with the strat kit, I think retro fitting a strat switch would be a lot of effort and might not fit if the control if there isnt enough depth.

 

[Tatercaster]

I'd load it with a Duncan JB or a copy there of, and Hot Rails in the neck and middle. Wire with the mini toggles for all 7 combinations. Use the push/pull switch for coil split on the bridge, ground the white/red wires when the switch is active. That would select the bridge humbucker's coil farthest away from the bridge for a Tele-esque bridge pickup tone.

 

[lupowitz]

I'd load it with a Duncan JB or a copy there of, and Hot Rails in the neck and middle. Wire with the mini toggles for all 7 combinations. Use the push/pull switch for coil split on the bridge, ground the white/red wires when the switch is active. That would select the bridge humbucker's coil farthest away from the bridge for a Tele-esque bridge pickup tone.

There was a version, the Steinberger GR came with the config you suggest, but with a Custom Custom instead of the JB, and two Hot Rails. Ned thougth the it complimentad the maple body instrument better, than the JB that could prove a tad harsh.
The G3-T is made of maple too.
I have one too, but am no help, since mine sports and active SA in the neck posi, and a 60 in the bridge, the config they used on the GM-5.

 

[edspyhill01]

I have a Hohner G3T that does the bridge HB pickup split with a 3-position switch (HB, single coil, off). It does not have a push / pull switch in the tone control the newer models have. It looks completely factory so it may be a very early version.

I plan to install Guitar Fetish single coil sizr rail HBs in the neck (vintage wound) and middle (Modern wound) positions, but no plans to replace the bridge pickup. The new pickups, switches and vol/tone pots with push/pull switches, have been sitting in a box for a year.

Anyone recognize this Hohner G3T version I have? (I sent an email to Hohner asking for information but got no response.)

Thanks,

Ed

 

[Timol]

I have a G3T with similar wiring (I attached a hand sketch). I would like to have an accurate wiring/component diagram for reasons similar to your own, so please post if you get anything useful.
Tim

 

[Timol]

I have a G3T with similar wiring (I attached a hand sketch). I would like to have an accurate wiring/component diagram for reasons similar to your own, so please post if you get anything useful.
Tim

View attachment 346080

Any comments/corrections to this diagram would also be appreciated. -T