bobbass4k Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 (edited) This is problem is with a guitar so delete/boycott if you wish, but i trust you folks a hell of a lot more than some random guitar forum, and its more of a general wiring question anywho basically the 3 way selector selector switch on my cheapy prs copy guitar broke, but how it broke is it got yanked out of its socket when i knocked it, and it ripped all the wiring off, so i have a replacment switch, but no idea how to wire it. But i want to wire it back up and be able to use it as a killswitch, so i want one position to have both pickups, one to have the bridge pickup, and one to be a mute, it has 2 humbuckers btw. I'm not certain how to wire it up though, crappy camera phone pics follow: In case you can't see, the rightmost blue and red wires are coming from the guitar, for the pickups, not sure which is for which pickup, but i'm not really bothered which switch position is which. The blue wire has one plastic coated wire, and another none coated one, the red one doesn't. The leftmost red wire is wired to the tone pot. this is the switch, i assume the 3 central lugs are for the positions, and the extra lug is the ground I'd really appreciate any help with this, i'm confident with the actual soldering and everything, i'm just new to guitar tech stuff and i'd rather get it right than potentially screw it up trying to figure it out. cheers Edited January 28, 2009 by bobbass4k Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert43 Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 Hi you are right the middle 1 is common ie hot the either 2 are for the pickups ie bridge & neck the last 1 is ground. You wount be able to use it as a kill switch sorry. To do a kill switch you are going to have to install another switch [quote name='bobbass4k' post='393794' date='Jan 29 2009, 03:25 AM']This is problem is with a guitar so delete/boycott if you wish, but i trust you folks a hell of a lot more than some random guitar forum, and its more of a general wiring question anywho basically the 3 way selector selector switch on my cheapy prs copy guitar broke, but how it broke is it got yanked out of its socket when i knocked it, and it ripped all the wiring off, so i have a replacment switch, but no idea how to wire it. But i want to wire it back up and be able to use it as a killswitch, so i want one position to have both pickups, one to have the bridge pickup, and one to be a mute, it has 2 humbuckers btw. I'm not certain how to wire it up though, crappy camera phone pics follow: In case you can't see, the rightmost blue and red wires are coming from the guitar, for the pickups, not sure which is for which pickup, but i'm not really bothered which switch position is which. The blue wire has one plastic coated wire, and another none coated one, the red one doesn't. The leftmost red wire is wired to the tone pot. this is the switch, i assume the 3 central lugs are for the positions, and the extra lug is the ground I'd really appreciate any help with this, i'm confident with the actual soldering and everything, i'm just new to guitar tech stuff and i'd rather get it right than potentially screw it up trying to figure it out. cheers[/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert43 Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 By the way I forgot to say the 1 from the tone pot ( red) is the hot to the middle leg on the switch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbass4k Posted January 28, 2009 Author Share Posted January 28, 2009 Thanks for the help, would i be wrong in assuming the extra wire from the blue pickup wire goes to ground? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Heeley Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 (edited) Bare wires are nearly always to ground. So thats a no. You would not be wrong in assuming it goes to ground. While you're waiting to order a new switch, can you please get your bedroom tidied up? It's a disgrace. bloody guitar players Edited January 28, 2009 by Al Heeley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOD2 Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 [quote name='bobbass4k' post='394138' date='Jan 28 2009, 10:41 PM']Thanks for the help, would i be wrong in assuming the extra wire from the blue pickup wire goes to ground?[/quote] There should be an extra wire from BOTH pickup leads. The extra wire is the screen cable around the pickup wire and also forms the earth. So, yes the extra (bare) wire goes to ground but check the red pickup wire too as there should be the same bare shielding wire around that too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbass4k Posted January 28, 2009 Author Share Posted January 28, 2009 [quote name='Al Heeley' post='394139' date='Jan 28 2009, 10:42 PM']Bare wires are nearly always to ground. So thats a no. You would not be wrong in assuming it goes to ground. While you're waiting to order a new switch, can you please get your bedroom tidied up? It's a disgrace. bloody guitar players [/quote] Thanks, and i'm a bassist first, i only have the guitar to look cool and pick up girls , and today is a clean day, visible floor is a rare treat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbass4k Posted January 28, 2009 Author Share Posted January 28, 2009 [quote name='BOD2' post='394142' date='Jan 28 2009, 10:46 PM']There should be an extra wire from BOTH pickup leads. The extra wire is the screen cable around the pickup wire and also forms the earth. So, yes the extra (bare) wire goes to ground but check the red pickup wire too as there should be the same bare shielding wire around that too.[/quote] ahh yea, i stripped it off a bit more and there is some shielding wire there, looks like a lot of it got yanked off when the switch came out, cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOD2 Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 So that's - - red wire from tone pot to centre tag - insulated wires from pickups to each of the othetr two tags - bare wires from pickups to ground. It might be that extra tag on the switch is meant to be connected to ground (i.e. to a pot shell) and then you connect the bare wires from the pickups to that tag too. Keeps it all neater. I can't see any way you could do a "kill switch" though - sorry ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert43 Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 [quote name='Al Heeley' post='394139' date='Jan 29 2009, 09:42 AM']Bare wires are nearly always to ground. So thats a no. You would not be wrong in assuming it goes to ground. While you're waiting to order a new switch, can you please get your bedroom tidied up? It's a disgrace. bloody guitar players [/quote] Ha you should see my 15 year old guitar son room , I think there is wild animals living there, We have given up at the moment . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert43 Posted January 28, 2009 Share Posted January 28, 2009 (edited) [quote name='BOD2' post='394157' date='Jan 29 2009, 09:55 AM']So that's - - red wire from tone pot to centre tag - insulated wires from pickups to each of the othetr two tags - bare wires from pickups to ground. It might be that extra tag on the switch is meant to be connected to ground (i.e. to a pot shell) and then you connect the bare wires from the pickups to that tag too. Keeps it all neater. I can't see any way you could do a "kill switch" though - sorry ![/quote] the only way I can see a kill switch is with a extra switch or use a push pull switch say on the volume pot thats 1 way off a kill switch with no extra switch Edited January 28, 2009 by robert43 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbass4k Posted January 28, 2009 Author Share Posted January 28, 2009 [quote name='robert43' post='394191' date='Jan 28 2009, 11:24 PM']Ha you should see my 15 year old guitar son room , I think there is wild animals living there, We have given up at the moment . [/quote] ahh, the joys of being a student and living alone 8 months a year, see that big rubbish bag in the second photo? That all used to be on the floor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Heeley Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 [quote name='bobbass4k' post='394144' date='Jan 28 2009, 10:46 PM']i only have the guitar to look cool and pick up girls [/quote] Trade the guitar for a hoover, you might have more luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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