thecornman
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Post by thecornman on Apr 26, 2008 8:48:25 GMT -5
Hi new guy here with a question I hope someone can help me with? First off I have wired a lot of different pickups in my guitars and have some understanding on how to do it. What I have never done though is wire a single conductor pickup in a guitar. I picked up a Duncan '59 that has one wire that is braided and I am not sure of the proper way of installing it? When I tried hooking the one wire up to the hot switch on one off my guitars it would not work. So I am wondering what the proper way of installing one of these is? Do I have to get rid of the metal braid on it? Do I have to ground it off somewhere? If any of you can help me I would be very happy.
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Post by ashcatlt on Apr 26, 2008 9:07:25 GMT -5
Welcome to the board.
A single conductor pickup is an antenna. It won't pick up the sound of the strings worth anything, but it will do a fine job of capturing all the RF noise in your vicinity.
But then, really, most pickups are just one conductor wound a great number of times around a magnetic core. A wire is generally attached to each end of this conductor in order to extend it to the rest of the circuit where we need it.
It's important that is actually be a circuit, though. As in, like a circle. Without any break. By wiring just the internal conductor of your cable with braided shield you've broken the circle.
The quick and easy answer: the braid is the other end of the conductor.
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Post by offhand35 on Apr 26, 2008 10:16:47 GMT -5
I just installed a S/D 59 model Blues set in my Epiphone Explorer [see my recent thread: "Question re: the Safety Capacitor...." The shielding braid IS the 2nd conductor and should go to the signal ground. There is a tiny signal conductor inside. Unweave a short length of the braid by teasing it with a pointy tool, like a dental pick, and you will find the signal wire inside. When I installed mine, I had just shielded all the body cavities with copper foil. What I did to prevent the exposed pickup cable shielding from grounding on the body cavity shielding, was to cut it short to fit in the cavity, solder the center and cable shield to the appropiate wires on a length of insulated coax shielded cable and ran this through the body to the contol cavity. Before mounting the pickup, I wrapped what exposed cable shielding that was left with electrical tape so that would not touch the copper lining. An alternative to all this work, would be to simply wrap all of the pickup cable with electrical tape to run it into body cavity.....hmmm...I might have done it this way if I had thought of it at the time, it would have saved cutting the pickup cable short, and adding an unnecessary solder joint.....
Hope this helps you!
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thecornman
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Post by thecornman on Apr 26, 2008 10:17:52 GMT -5
Thanks for the info ashcatlt. I am still confused on how to wire this thing though? Do I need to ground the braid cover somewhere?
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thecornman
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Post by thecornman on Apr 26, 2008 10:22:55 GMT -5
I just installed a S/D 59 model Blues set in my Epiphone Explorer [see my recent thread: "Question re: the Safety Capacitor...." The shielding braid IS the 2nd conductor and shoud go to the signal ground. There is a tiny signal conductor inside. Unweave a short lenth of the braid by teasing it with a pointy tool, like a dental pick, and you will find the signal wire inside. When I installed mine, I had just shielded all the body cavities with copper foil. What I did to prevent the exposed pickup cable shielding from grounding on the body cavity shielding, was to cut it short to fit in the cavity, solder the center and cable shield to the appropiate wires on a length of insulated coax shielded cable and ran this through the body to the contol cavity. Before mounting the pickup, I wrapped what exposed cable shielding that was left with electrical tape so that would not touch the copper lining. An alternative to all this work, would be to simply wrap all of the pickup cable with electrical tape to run it into body cavity.....hmmm...I might have done it this way if I had thought of it at the time, it would have saved cutting the pickup cable short, and adding an unnecessary solder joint..... Hope this helps you! Thanks for the response. So are you just saying all I have to do is wrap electrical tape around the wire and connect the end to my hot switch?
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Post by offhand35 on Apr 26, 2008 10:37:44 GMT -5
The exterior braid is the ground wire for the 59 Model pickup. The center conductor is the "hot" signal wire to go to the switch.
If your guitar is a solid body and is not metal foil shielded, you don't have to add insulation to the grounding braid. The electical tape insulation that I spoke of would prevent the braid from intermittantly grounding to the entire foil shield as it traveled to the control area, and adding noise.
However, everyone here will recommend that you also do the shielding to your guitar unless it is a hollow body.
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Post by offhand35 on Apr 26, 2008 10:48:00 GMT -5
The Seymour Duncan shielded cable is actually 2 conductor, with the outside shield braid as the ground, the center is the hot, signal cable. It looks like this:
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thecornman
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Post by thecornman on Apr 26, 2008 11:01:55 GMT -5
The exterior braid is the ground wire for the 59 Model pickup. The center conductor is the "hot" signal wire to go to the switch. If your guitar is a solid body and is not metal foil shielded, you don't have to add insulation to the grounding braid. The electical tape insulation that I spoke of would prevent the braid from intermittantly grounding to the entire foil shield as it traveled to the control area, and adding noise. However, everyone here will recommend that you also do the shielding to your guitar unless it is a hollow body. Thanks again. I think I get it now. The guitar I am planning on putting it in is a old Godin G-Series I just picked up last week that is set up like a Strat. I have already put shielding foil on the pickguard and installed a Dimarzio Area'58 and Area'61 in the neck and middle. So if I understand right I should attach the wire to the hot on the switch then ground the metal braid to the volume pot and put electrical tape on the rest?
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Post by offhand35 on Apr 26, 2008 12:06:47 GMT -5
That is correct. Your Godin looks good. I like the master volume/tone controls on the strat style. It just makes [tone]life less complicated!
Let us know how it all turns out for you. I especially want to hear how you like the 59 Model pickup at the bridge. On my Explorer, I feel that it is one of the smoothest ;ie; not harsh, bridge pickups I have ever heard!
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thecornman
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Post by thecornman on Apr 26, 2008 13:31:53 GMT -5
That is correct. Your Godin looks good. I like the master volume/tone controls on the strat style. It just makes [tone]life less complicated! Thanks I am digging it so far. Let us know how it all turns out for you. I especially want to hear how you like the 59 Model pickup at the bridge. On my Explorer, I feel that it is one of the smoothest ;ie; not harsh, bridge pickups I have ever heard! I will when I get a chance to put it in. Maybe tomorrow depending on how hungover I am. Going out to watch a local young lady rip it up on guitar with my wife tonight. Thanks again for your help I really appreciate it.
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Post by ashcatlt on Apr 27, 2008 10:40:00 GMT -5
I wanted to mention that the foil you put on the pickguard likely won't help much by itself, for two reasons:
1) Doesn't sound like you actually bothered to ground out the foil. It needs to have some place to send the noise it collects.
2) It only protects the cavity from one direction. These RFI waves are flying at it from every which way. On top of that, the closest major source of RFI (you) is generally situated behind the guitar itself.
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Post by pete12345 on Apr 27, 2008 12:28:57 GMT -5
If the ground wires connect to the back of a pot, and the pot touches the pickguard shielding, then the shielding will be grounded Adding foil in the cavities will help though Pete
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thecornman
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Post by thecornman on Apr 30, 2008 21:35:30 GMT -5
Well I got it done the other night and everything worked out great. I also sheilded the rest of the cavity well I was at it. The Duncan '59 sounds great in the bridge and works really well with the Dimarzio Area '58 and '61 in the neck and middle. I can get anything from blues to funk and rock out of this combo and am very pleased. It is also nice to have gotten ride of the extra noise that I had before. Thanks again to those that helped.
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