Anyone familiar with active EMG wiring? Please help!!

[markr04]

Hi all! I bought a sweet new Ibanez SA220EX and, as usual for me, ripped the pickups out immediately. I bought a set of EMG-25 (limited edition, chromed EMG-81s really). The guitar has a 5-way, 8-lug Strat-like (blade?) switch in it, one volume, one tone.

I can't coil-tap the EMGs anyway, so I ordered a 3-way Strat-like (blade?) to replace the 5-way. This has 8 lugs too... I'm so confused!!

I had no problem putting a set of EMG 85&81 in my Jackson, but it uses the common 3-way toggle like a Les Paul.

Here is everything I have to work with. I've also included a diagram for the original switch (but with the original coil-tapped pickups too). If you have any ideas, please help!

Thanks so much!!!

Mark


switches:


seems to be the closest to my config:


toggle-type (what I used on my Jackson):


For what it's worth, here is the wiring diagram showing the original switch (but coil-tapped). Note that the photo I took above shows the other side of the switch than here:

[Paul Marossy]

If your other pickup was a 5-way, and the new one is a 3-way, you'll have to jumper some of the connections on the switch to get the pickups connected the same way a the 5-way switch.

The other thing you can do is, if possible, look at the insides of the two switches and see if they switch the same way - they may and they may not.

[markr04]

Thanks for the reply, Paul. I didn't make these clear:

1) The new EMG active pickups, aside from the 9v wire, have the standard 2-in-1 wire + braided shield type outputs. The old Ibanez pickups have 4 or 5 wires.

2) I bought a 3-way to replace the 5-way switch because I can't use the other two settings and don't know how to wire it anyway.

It really just comes down to:
How do I wire a normal pickup to the switch on the left? The switch has 3 positions but 8 lugs. It's my guess that some lugs are not used and are only there because they're using the same casing for their 5-way switch.

Hmmm... maybe AllParts can help. Calling them now. Getting someone at EMG is a joke, BTW.

[Paul Marossy]

That's odd, the Ibanez pickups I have dealt with have 2 wires and shielding. Usually, it's DIMarzio or some other pickup that has 5 wires...

If the old pickups had 4 wires plus the shielding, then they must have been wired similar to how DiMarzio wires their pickups - it gives you more options. It appears that Ibanez wired them up as humbuckers that could be switched so they act like single coils.

Anyhow, don't let the two extra wires throw you off. Just wire it up like you would with regular ol' humbucker pickups.

[vanhansen]

I see mark's issue.  The fun part is that the EMG's have 2 conductor, with the outside braid being the ground.  With a LP style switch, using 2 volumes, the pickups go to the volume pots and those volume pots then go to the switch from the wiper.  Easily done.  With one volume, you have to hook the pickups up to the switch then the switch to the volume pot.  Sure, OK, but then where to do you solder the outside to?  The back of the volume pot.

With four conductor pickups or even newer 2 conductor (no outside braid) pickups, this isn't an issue since all the necessary wires are separated.  You just solder hot to the switch and ground to ground.

On the EMG Site, I found this:
http://www.emgpickups.com/downloads/wiringdiagrams/ZWset.pdf

Yeah, it's the ZW set but go to page 4 of the PDF file and look at diagram 4. 1 volume, 1 tone with switch.  The switch is blade style.

This site has loads of wiring diagrams too:

http://guitarelectronics.zoovy.com/category/wiringresources.22pickupdiagrams/

Wiring a 3-way blade style switch with 2 humbuckers is really easy though.  You can look at these wiring schematics from Seymour Duncan.  Yeah, it's for single coils, 1 but being the single coils have two wires, it's the closest I can find quickly.  You can see how the 3-way blade switch is wired.

http://www.seymourduncan.com/website/support/schematics/S_2singlecoils_1vol_1switc.html

http://www.seymourduncan.com/website/support/schematics/S_2singles1vol1tone1switch.html

[markr04]

Thanks Paul and Erik! I called AllParts because the switches in every diagram I've seen are different than mine. The lugs on my switch are inline, where the others are staggered.

Now that I know how to wire this switch, I can make some sense out of the staggered-lug type. But it's always in hindsight, right!

AllParts was wonderful to me. I was connected to a guy named Mike who was very helpful and knew the switch well. AllParts gets a check+ from me.

In case anyone else should have this problem, here it is:

[Paul Marossy]

Cool, glad to hear it.  

[vanhansen]

Excellent.  Nice to know they have good service.  I've gotten parts from them before.

[markr04]

Excellent.  Nice to know they have good service.  I've gotten parts from them before.

Not to knock any other state: but it's Texas, man. It's the Texas way.

Eeek! Don't flame me!  :oops:

Mark

[vanhansen]

I live in Texas too so I totally agree.