EMG Installation Help: 3 Way Switch Wiring

[aznspadez]

Hello everyone,

I intend on installing a solderless EMG 81/85 set on my Import Jackson JS32. However, upon opening up the controls, I noticed something rather odd. I looked up the wiring schematics and found out that the "green" wires are the "hot" wires. The odd part is that the output wire is routed around and soldered to the ground wire.

I'm quite lost as to what to do. I know I can melt the solder on the bridge and neck pots but how would I separate the ground and output wires while keeping them for the EMG hub?

Please Help!

[aznspadez]

Here are links to the images of the back:

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images...oggleback.jpg/
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images...cksonback.jpg/

[decadence5423]

The colors are meaningless really. Every manufacturer does them differently. Even Duncan Designed vs Seymour Duncan pickups have two colors swapped. You have rip everything out and start all over. And with this guitar, I literally mean everything.

Just to make sure, and don't take offense if you already know this, but I'm pretty sure the JS32 has passive pickups. This means you need to change the pots and the input jack as well. EMGs need lower value pots and a stereo jack instead of mono so that the battery doesn't drain when it's not plugged in. Passive pickups generally have 250k - 500k pots, while active EMGs generally use 25k.

[aznspadez]

Thanks for the quick reply!

Would this mean that I would have to rip the toggle switch out as well? As you've stated, and no offense taken, the pups are passive and I know that the pots need to be changed. But would this necessarily mean that the toggle switch must be changed as well?

[decadence5423]

The switch is fine. You just need to swap out the pots and jack.

[aznspadez]

Thanks for clearing that up. The thing that is confusing me is that the output wire is soldered with the ground wire on the other end of the switch. I posted pictures above to give you guys an idea but I'm quite frankly stumped. Do I separate them or do I use that connection (Output and Ground) and remove the soldered connection on the volume pot?

[SausageofPower]

Just me, but I'd snag EMG's solderless pots and switch. Makes things infinitely easier.

[aznspadez]

Hey dude, thanks for the response. I do have the solderless kit and the solderless hub. However, according to the youtube vid EMG founder Rob Turner made (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_F8h4...ure=plpp_video), I can take out the "hot" wires from the pots and connect them to the green connectors on the hub. My problem is the output wire being soldered to the ground and thus routed to the volume pot.

[decadence5423]

I don't understand why you're dwelling on the existing wiring. The change from passive to active is drastic and you just need to solder everything apart because the pots and input jack need to be changed. You can use the existing 3 way switch, but you shouldn't be leaving anything soldered to it before you start installing the EMGs. Your passive system likely has extra grounds you aren't going to use. For example there is probably a ground wire underneath your bridge pickup. You aren't going to use that anymore.

Just start fresh and stop worrying about it

[aznspadez]

Thanks for all your help decadence5423. It's not a matter of the existing wiring with the pots and input jack. The problem I am having is that I need a output wire to be placed into the new solderless hub. The output wire is soldered to the ground wire on the toggle switch. I intend on keeping the 3 way switch but the current wires, which will be removed from the current volume pot, are needed to be placed in the hub. Maybe I'm just confusing myself but if I am to strictly use EMG's supplied wires, how am I supposed to connect the pups to the toggle switch?

[decadence5423]

Didn't realize until now you're using the solderless kit. The issue here is that the pickups are wired to the switch. In the video sausage posted the Gibson has 2 volumes so the pickups aren't wired to the switch. You need to solder wires to the switch to connect to the hub. If you don't want to do that you could try using the solderless kit to wire one pot as volume for bridge and the other as volume to the neck and just not wire the switch. So you would turn the neck pickup all the way down and the bridge all the way up for distortion, and do the reverse for clean tones. The issue here is is potentiometers don't actually turn 'off' per say so you may or may not get some noise from the other pickup. But it's solderless and easy to test.

[aznspadez]

You're absolutely right that I have to connect the ends of the "hot" wires on the old pots to the connection block. But I also have to connect the output wire to the block as well. Problem I have is that the output wire is soldered (during manufacturing I assume) to the ground wire. This combination is then soldered and routed to the old volume pot. I'm wondering if I may need to isolate the output wire from the ground wire or do I use the combination and connect it to the connection block. Thanks for the help decadence. I really do appreciate it.

[xenophobe]

THE GROUND IS NOT NEEDED for the EMGS.

Cut the ground, tape it to the side of the inside of the pocket with electrical tape or something so if someone wants to take the emgs out later they'll still have access to it. Put it out of the way and completely forget about it.

The only components you will be reusing is the the toggle or blade switch. The 3 way toggle is much more straightforward to wire than the 5 way.

Make sure you have the right diagram showing the configuration you want. Install the new pots, install the new input jack, and then wire as per the diagram. It's really easier than you think. You're either over thinking it or confused by old wiring. Forget about the ground.