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#291184 - 30/12/11 06:35 PM
Re: Replacement pick-ups for cheapo Squier or mexican Strats.
[Re: Ape09090]
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Megi
Old Timer
Registered: 08/07/11
Posts: 1271
Loc: Lincolnshire
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Hi Ape, I didn't mention the pickups did I? I assume you are talking about the "signal return" wires coming from one end of each pickup coil - these do have to be connected to ground of course - so they will be heading to the back of the volume pot as well generally - this is the "star-earthing" principle, where all the grounding routes can be traced back to a single point, with no loops. Although depending on the circuit I'm using, it may not look quite like this at first glance - for example, the Strat SP circuit I did not so long ago uses a 5-way superswitch, and all the ground wires from the pickups connected to different lugs on the switch. But then there is still always a route by which the connection to the back of the volume pot is still made. I don't like to have a great ugly mass of wires soldered to the volume pot shell, so sometimes I will join several wires together before they reach the pot, then just run a single neat wire to the pot. I would cover the join point with heat-shrink tubing in that instance.
Not generally the case with Strat pickups, but some pickups can have a separate connection to the base and/or metal cover, in which case that will need to be connected to ground (you guessed it - back of the volume pot  ) as well, but usually I will combine this with the signal return from the pickup for reasons of simplicity. But sometimes due to the circuit being used, it has to be kept separate - e.g. the signal return may go first to a switch lug, while the case/base grounding wire goes straight to the pot shell.
One other useful thing I find is that if you have anything on another pot, like the cap on a tone pot, that need to go to ground, you can just connect it to the back of that pot, rather than have to use a longer wire to the volume pot - it just keeps things a bit tidier.
Hope all this is making some sort of sense - it works well for me, but I admit I only recently have learnt anything about guitar electronics, so I may be a bit difficult to follow! The basic idea is to eliminate unnecessary wires, use star earthing, and have no earth loops.
Edited by Megi (30/12/11 06:37 PM)
_________________________
Graham, jazz guitar nut!
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#291188 - 30/12/11 09:30 PM
Re: Replacement pick-ups for cheapo Squier or mexican Strats.
[Re: Ape09090]
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Ape09090
Old Timer
Registered: 01/12/11
Posts: 1188
Loc: South Wales
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Yes,
all done,tried a dry run with a lead plugged into the jack and tapped at the pups and all appears good,will re-string now or first thing and see what happens when I plug her in,fingers crossed.
Thanks to all who helped me there!
and...
Happy New Year!!!
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#291215 - 31/12/11 02:50 PM
Re: Replacement pick-ups for cheapo Squier or mexican Strats.
[Re: Ape09090]
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Ape09090
Old Timer
Registered: 01/12/11
Posts: 1188
Loc: South Wales
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Found and fixed the short problem.
I insulated the rear of the actual cavity with self-adhesive strips of copper foil and then applied small solder spots to any joints between those strips to ensure conductivity.
A wire coming from the bridge pup was coming into contact with one of those solder joints and shorting out the bridge circuit but with an inch or two of carefully applied insulating tape the problem appears to be solved.
The new set-up is working A-OK and the new Ironstone Platinum pups that are now in the neck and middle positions are sounding like very good quality pups especially considering the price I paid for them.
They're holding their own against the dual-rail Artic HB in the bridge a lot better than the stock Squier pups did and appear to have a much much better quality of tone to them,they have only just gone in though so I'll hold off saying any more until I've had a good few hours to appraise them better.
I may well remove the HB actually and go with the full set of Ironstones,I have a feeling that would do more justice to the instrument as a Strat copy than the set-up in there now using the hb.
The blend pot is working perfectly as well but again with the HB in the bridge being so much higher powered compared to the other two pups I don't think I'll get the most out of that set-up unless I fit the Ironstone in the bridge as well and have a better overall balance.
The TBX pot is working perfectly with the HB as it can be used 0 to 5 setting (250k pot) with the neck and middle pups and then 5 to 10 ( 1meg pot) setting for use with the HB which is what I'd envisaged for it so all good there.
The old pots in there were 500k by the way.
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#291449 - 05/01/12 07:50 PM
Re: Replacement pick-ups for cheapo Squier or mexican Strats.
[Re: Megi]
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Ape09090
Old Timer
Registered: 01/12/11
Posts: 1188
Loc: South Wales
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I like the Ironstones best played clean,they really show their own stuff played clean.
I've not really had a chance to give them a full workout as I came into possession of a different guitar this week as well but I will give them enough of a work-out to give you a good review in the next few days or so.
I actually bought something listed as a blend pot from e-bay solely because it came with a schematic for fitting it and the blender was the one-piece of the puzzle I was unsure of......so,I paid £9.50 for a 250k CTS pot with a lug clipped off and a diagram.
Going from there I took the pick-guard off un-soldered everything from the volume pot as that was the only thing that was staying in there and then introduced all the new elements one by one ,new pups into the pick-guard first,then 5 way switch then the 2 new pots.
I think the first solders were the new pups to the new 5-way switch but after that and using the diagram that came with the blender pot it was all pretty straightforward really. I was winding myself up before-hand that it was going to look like something from Nasa I guess but it's really a very simple set-up on a strat like guitar isn't it.
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#291450 - 05/01/12 08:02 PM
Re: Replacement pick-ups for cheapo Squier or mexican Strats.
[Re: Ape09090]
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Megi
Old Timer
Registered: 08/07/11
Posts: 1271
Loc: Lincolnshire
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Cheers for that info Andrew - I don't really blame you for paying for the "blender pot" on Ebay - sometimes you have to do things like that to find out what you need to know. I'm a bit disappointed that the guys at GN2 didn't come up with a wiring diagram for you though (they are usually pretty good). If you are anything like me, you will have learnt a lot just from doing all this to your guitar though.
Looking forward to the pickup review when you are able, they sound to be very good though from what you have already said, cheers!
_________________________
Graham, jazz guitar nut!
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#291451 - 05/01/12 08:32 PM
Re: Replacement pick-ups for cheapo Squier or mexican Strats.
[Re: Megi]
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Ape09090
Old Timer
Registered: 01/12/11
Posts: 1188
Loc: South Wales
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Please bear in mind that I play into my PC though and therefore my opinions may not reflect amp users experiences directly.
For sure ,I paid for that info and it's very un-likely I'll forget it.
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