H150GT wiring upgrade

[Gianluca]

Hi All ?

Came back to this after some time.
I posted about it some time ago but looks like my content about my H150 Gold Top is not available anymore or I wasn't able to find it.

Recap:
On my H150GT, the previous owner installed Bareknuckles The Mule set (the original HRWs are in the case).
The Bareknuckles have four wires: black, white, green, red and bare.

I wrote to the PU makers and asked if I could rewire the pots and PUs so to have split coils on each PU and out of phase B/N, all using push-push POTs.

They kindly replied with two practical schematics graphs available at the following links:

• Coils Split
• Out of Phase

So I bought three push-push POTs and a regular one.

I plan to keep the original CAPs (if they are original).

When I was younger I used to build my pedals, but that's long gone, I know how to solder but I never went more than wiring my jack cables.

What I'd like to achieve is a split coil and a OOP configuration.
I am not sure though how to combine the two schematics the staff at BK emailed me.

Looking at them I should go with:

• OOP on the Bridge Volume
• split coils on both Tone Volumes

I think the previous owner didn't do the best job ever, you can see the switch cable being almost burned, and the soldering looks a bit rough IMO.

All suggestions are greatly welcome, or maybe better a schematics to share, I think if I give myself a predefined workflow it's better.

Some questions at this stage:

• the non-push/push POT I have it's a 550k when the ones installed are 500K but I think that should be fine?
• are there any better wiring solutions that could give a more interesting tone, like for example series/parallel?
• buying another push-push POT for the Neck Volume, could I achieve some extra layout to switch in to?

thank you All

PS
I made myself the cardbaord template

[kbp810]

Good ol' Seymour Duncan wiring diagrams have you covered:

 

 

Or here if you want to look at other possible wiring options:

https://www.seymourduncan.com/resources/pickup/wiring-diagrams

[Steiner]

Nice catch KBP810.

[bobmeyrick]

15 hours ago, Gianluca said:

Some questions at this stage:

• the non-push/push POT I have it's a 550k when the ones installed are 500K but I think that should be fine?
• are there any better wiring solutions that could give a more interesting tone, like for example series/parallel?
• buying another push-push POT for the Neck Volume, could I achieve some extra layout to switch in to?

What's 50k between friends? I doubt anyone can really hear much of a difference between a 550k and 500k pot.

KBP810's suggestion is the "Jimmy Page" wiring, with a blade switch rather than the usual toggle. There's another version of it here.

Having the series/parallel oprion when both pickups are on is an interesting option - when both pickups are selected they are normally in parallel. When I fitted the Joe Bardens to my Paulman Custom Tele, I used the 5-way superswitch which gives both-pickups-in-series option. There's a volume boost, but it's not a sound I use much. It might be worth checking out videos demonstrating the tones, like this one...

 

[Gianluca]

Thank you kbp810 and bobmeyrick ?

Seymour Duncan JP wiring using the toggle switch wiring is here
SD colour code chart and Bareknuckle colour code chart are provided online

On the Internet there's a plethora of solutions and diagrams and schematics (I was indeed subscribed to JonesyBlues' YT chan)
I've found Premier Guitar's interesting mentioning the "dead zone" too

So I've ordered another Alpha 500k DPDT push-push as the others (US specs)

I have some PVC coated copper wire for cabling the POTs - does anyone know/think if using the tinned copper wire would be better?
On a Seymour Duncan wiring pic, I liked those PCB-like connector terminals for connecting the PUs to the POTs - I'm looking for something similar. 

[Gianluca]

SD says they sell the connector with their Triple Shot Mounting Rings 

 

found another number of solutions too

[bobmeyrick]

I don't think the connector is sold separately - it's an integral part of the Triple Shot connecting to the switches on the ring. I've used the Triple Shot rings with P-Rails. The idea there is that the wires from the pickup are soldered to the terminals on the pcb, which is then stuck to the underside of the pickup. With space in the pickup cavity being very limited, I found it necessary to shorten the cable from the pickup quite considerably. However, the Triple Shots are ideally suited to P-Rails, and much more convenient than using push-pull pots. You have the options of

• coils in series (full humbucker)
• P90 coil
• rail coil
• coils in parallel

Triple Shots can be used with other humbuckers, in which case P90 coil becomes the outer coil, rail coil becomes the inner coil.

[Gianluca]

33 minutes ago, bobmeyrick said:

I don't think the connector is sold separately

indeed it's only sold as the inline picture above
 

there are a number of solutions, but I think to use a JST for the jack plug and screw terminal connectors for "plugging" the PUs and the selector cables,
only consideration that comes to mind is if the signal is better preserved with a soldering connection (maybe it is)

From Seymour Douncan's diagrams I see they use .047 CAPs but I'll leave the .022 I have

[Gianluca]

received the other Alpha DPDT POT, un-wired the H150
recovered the CAPs and tubed the terminals (not shrinked)

I'm following the wiring shown on this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PS7YvCmop8Y

the Alpha are good because they're small enough but I think a possible better solution for such a wiring are something like this: 

maybe allowing for less contortionism ?

 

that's how my prewiring is looking like as of now, need some more wires though

I know, my soldering-fu is weak but it's been a long time

I think gounding the circuit will be last thing

I'm not comfortable with the idea of driving the solder iron through the wires in the controls cavity, I'll try to do the last solderings before mounting the POTs back in place ? ...it should be possible

 

[Gianluca]

ok, so a first installation test results in:

- the Neck Vol switch mutes everything when engaged
- a "ground" noise kicks in when rolling halfway any of the two N/B Vol POTs
- general Volume lowered

the rest is working and it's very interesting

I need to make a better template, something that could be used on the sides too so like a box,
use better wires for wiring the POTs like thinner wires
I used a terminal connector that helped "plugging" the new wiring in place and I think the idea is not bad (and adopted buy others too clearly)

and to get better at soldering ?

[kbp810]

Double check that all your ground connections are good; and that you're hooked up to the bridge ground wire. 

I like using hi-temp pvc jacketed wire; comes in handy working in tight spots. Don't have to be quite as deliberate with the soldering iron as to not risk torching the insulation off a wire. 

Example: https://www.tubedepot.com/products/20-ga-high-temperature-pvc-wire

[Gianluca]

thought the same abou the ground, I think the terminal connector I used is not ideal, but definitely ground needs to be better understood and wired

thanks for that link, very useful, I'll check that