Get your soldering iron out!

[8bit Barry]

I have just finished this Jimmy Page wiring diagram on my 78 Reborn.
http://guitarelectronics.zoovy.com/product/WDUHH3T2204 Since I picked up a Tokai Tele I ...y connections!! Well worth the effort.

 

[Paladin2019]

I recommend both pickups tapped and in series.

Sounds like a humbucker that listens to both extremes of the picking area.

All the switches pulled up makes a great "stone cold crazy" sound. 8)

 

[ArthurS]

Sounds very cool Barry! I'd check it out, but unfortunately my Timbuckers are 2-conductor and I can't bring myself to remove them... the guitar sounds way too good with them

 

[8bit Barry]

Paladin can you explain this a little further?

"f you wire the phase reversal on the bridge pickup insted of the neck, you can use the inner or outer bridge coil when tapped and they sond quite distinct from each other. The outer coil is more tele-like and the inner is strat-like."

I am a bit unsure what reverse phase is doing....

 

[Paladin2019]

When you pull the phase switch, the current flows through the appropriately wired pickup in the opposite direction. When used together, the pickups are electrically out of phase.

When you pull the coil tap, one coil is grounded. If you reverse the current through the tapped pickup, the coil that was grounded is live and the coil that was live is grounded. By reversing the current, you can select which coil is activated.

Selecting different coils on the bridge pickup makes for more significant differences in tone than at the neck.

Does that sound ok?

 

[8bit Barry]

Yes that description is fine. I have just played for about 3 hours tonight, I got a description of the combinations from this 'Deaf Eddie' site I found.
http://www.deaf-eddie.net/pushpull/jp_setup.html

The combinations you can get are really great, my favourites being

Middle Position - both pickups coil tapped
Neck Position - In series with bridge, out of phase.

You can spend ages getting some truely fantastic combos.

One question I have is that the volumes still sound muffled and toneless as you turn them down, something I hoped would improve after getting the original 250k pots out of there. Why is this and can I get round it? I was amazed at the way my Breezy almost acts like an eq as you turn the volume down, retaining the brightness but getting thinner the more you back the volume off. How can I get round this drop in tone? [/url]

 

[ian]

Arthur ? how do you like the Timbuckers? Pretty rare pups, and raved about over on the LPF (well I guess you know that lol). Did they replace the standard Gotoh pups ? how would you describe the tonal difference with the Tims?

Ian.

 

[Paladin2019]

One question I have is that the volumes still sound muffled and toneless as you turn them down, something I hoped would improve after getting the original 250k pots out of there. Why is this and can I get round it? [/url]

It's a classic problem with an easy fix. However, you'll have to get out the soldering iron again.

Basically, you take a small capacitor and resistor and wire them in parallel with each other across the two active (non-earthed) lugs of your volume pots. It's that simple.

The cap takes off the top of the treble range and allows it to bypass the pot. The higher the cap value, the greater the bypassed range.

Cap values used range from 100pF to 1000pF. Lower values don't affect the sound with the volume on 10, but they retain only enough treble to be useable as you roll off. Higher values bypass so much treble that they can result in increased brightness with the volume on 10; but the rolled off tone sounds much, much better. It's a compromise based on how much you want to use your guitar volumes and how much extra brightness you can cope with. The resistor alters the pot taper to compensate for the new controllable range and is usually 100-150k in value.

These parts aren't exactly expensive, so get some crocodile clips and experiment.

My preference is for 500pF caps and 130k resistors. I use the volumes a lot and I find this balance acceptable. The LPF recommend using silver-mica capacitors for improved tone, but I can't comment on their relative effectiveness.

 

[ArthurS]

Arthur ? how do you like the Timbuckers? Pretty rare pups, and raved about over on the LPF (well I guess you know that lol). Did they replace the standard Gotoh pups ? how would you describe the tonal difference with the Tims?

Ian.

Hi Ian- They're excellent! The character of the Gotohs and Tims is sort of similar, but the Tims are just all-round much better. I hadn't expected such a huge difference, to be honest. I just bought them because I had the chance and I felt I couldn't pass up (I'd been on the list for a year or so). I'm not that good at describing them but I'll just say the people over at the LPF are not exaggerating when describing them

I can say that the bridge pickup is fatter and feels hotter than the Gotoh (even though the impedance is lower). It's also clearer and has better definition than the stock pickup. The neck Tim sounds woodier and also more detailed and clear than the Gotoh. On the whole, the guitar sounds much more mature and 'expensive' with the Timbuckers installed.

I'd highly recommend them if you're looking for a vintage PAF-sound.

 

[ian]

Thanks Arthur ? ha,? you said ?not much good at describing them?, but that was an excellent description. Yeah, I know they?re good lol :lol: .

Actually I will need some pups, because I just ordered a guitar body from Brian Poe in the US, although that will be a Tele ? ie DIY project to make a guitar tailored to my own preferences. That will probably get Bardens or Lollars. Don?t know if it?ll work, I?ve never made/assembled a guitar before :-? .

Ian.

 

[ArthurS]

Thanks Arthur ? ha,? you said ?not much good at describing them?, but that was an excellent description. Yeah, I know they?re good lol :lol: .

Actually I will need some pups, because I just ordered a guitar body from Brian Poe in the US, although that will be a Tele ? ie DIY project to make a guitar tailored to my own preferences. That will probably get Bardens or Lollars. Don?t know if it?ll work, I?ve never made/assembled a guitar before :-? .

Ian.

Glad to hear the description was helpful

I've heard good things about both Lollars and Bardens, by the way. What do you mean by 'don't know if it'll work'? Installing the pickups shouldn't be a problem, it isn't hard at all. Just get a 40W-ish soldering iron, take your time and find some information on how to solder on the Internet and then take it one step at a time

Oh and you DO know you'll also need a neck, right? :lol:

 

[ian]

Hi Arthur ? A neck? I need a neck ? ****, I hadn?t thought of that !

Ha,? yeah I?ve soldered lots of circuits & things in the past, so that should be OK. Just didn?t want to tempt fate by assuming it would all be easy. Main worry is getting the correct fit/angle for the neck & getting a good finish on everything ? intending an early Broadcaster copy with worn/relic butterscotch finish ... could end up looking a right mess lol :-? !

Ian.

 

[little-odgie]

All I'm getting is an "Error 404" page from the link Barry posted about the Page mod ... is there anybody out there ..?

 

[ian]

Odgie - Barry left the forum for some reason, something upset him, but seems nobody really knows what happened. But when he left he deleted all his old posts, that probably removed any links too.

Barry, if you?re out there ? why not come back? Just be a benefit all round. :-?

Ian.

 

[Paladin2019]

Odgie - Barry left the forum for some reason, something upset him, but seems nobody really knows what happened. But when he left he deleted all his old posts, that probably removed any links too.

Barry, if you?re out there ? why not come back? Just be a benefit all round. :-?

Ian.

I think he was talking about 8bit barry rather than londonbarry. :wink:

Here's the corrected url: http://guitarelectronics.zoovy.com/product/WDUHH3T2204

 

[ian]

OK, thanks Paladin ... knew I should have checked that .

Ian.

 

[little-odgie]

many thanks .. I just might give it a go in my Goldtop ... I have P90 sized dimarzio h/buckers and that config would allow for combinations ... hmmm