Hi beej - thanks for the prompt reply. I like the sound of the Superstrat-style wiring & it's what I'm used to - particularly attractive if it does away the need for a battery!! I'll still have to wire in the new jack socket & replace the battery-box (in case I do need a battery at some stage) - but then I'll be ready to Superstrat it. I'll be needing some direction re wiring though - keeping in mind its upside-down! Thanks for your help.
- Thread starter GrooveMerchant
- Start date
DrKev
Moderator
What beej said is definitely the simplest. If you forgo splitting the humbucker and you don't need the silent circuit. I also prefer that because there is no volume drop from half a humbucker in parallel with the singles. I wired mine for full HB + neck in position 3 rather than middle and I love it. See the thread linked below for a video (from when I was a much younger man) with sound samples.
If you decide you do want to split the humbucker, we can easily help you out. Feel free to DM me.
For reference the silent circuit is pretty easy and connects like this...
Red: +9V power
Black: ground
Blue: connect to ground of neck or bridge single coil
Violet: connect to ground of middle pickup
Yellow: wired to ground to defeat the silent circuit.
forums.ernieball.com
Note that the switch used by MM changed in 2011 and the wiring diagram is a little different. I have both versions if you need them.
K.
If you decide you do want to split the humbucker, we can easily help you out. Feel free to DM me.
For reference the silent circuit is pretty easy and connects like this...
Red: +9V power
Black: ground
Blue: connect to ground of neck or bridge single coil
Violet: connect to ground of middle pickup
Yellow: wired to ground to defeat the silent circuit.
Silhouette Special re-wired! (video inside)
After more than a year of idle threats, I finally re-wired my Silhouette Special and even made a little vid to show off the new tones. The changes are in posns 2 and 3, which now have the full humbucker in parallel with the middle and neck single coils (with silent circuit), rather than just one...
forums.ernieball.com
Note that the switch used by MM changed in 2011 and the wiring diagram is a little different. I have both versions if you need them.
K.
Hi again beej - would you be able to send me a wiring diagram for the traditional Superstrat-style switching (B, B&M, M, M&N, N) as mentioned in your post? Many thanks
Further to previous ... today I installed the new battery box - all good. I was then wiring up the new Switchcraft socket when it all turned pear shaped.
The black ground wires from the bridge/control cavity and the Molex ground wire would not allow solder (notice that word has an "L" in it) to stick to it - due to the amount of corrosion & age caused by the leaking battery. I even trimmed it back & cleaned them with sandpaper - still no go. Then I thought - cut back the earth wires until I get nice shiny metal & then add some new wire for length ...but nope - all damaged - all the way to the molex connector.
So, given that I don't need a battery & the Silent Circuit for the new Area 67 pickups - I could just run a new ground & the output from the Volume pot to the input socket & call it done!?? Yes/No ?? As well as the other grounds from the bridge/control cavity of course. Comments/suggestions?
Oh and regarding the molex connector - where would I get a replacement - should I need one?
Many thanks
The black ground wires from the bridge/control cavity and the Molex ground wire would not allow solder (notice that word has an "L" in it
) to stick to it - due to the amount of corrosion & age caused by the leaking battery. I even trimmed it back & cleaned them with sandpaper - still no go. Then I thought - cut back the earth wires until I get nice shiny metal & then add some new wire for length ...but nope - all damaged - all the way to the molex connector.So, given that I don't need a battery & the Silent Circuit for the new Area 67 pickups - I could just run a new ground & the output from the Volume pot to the input socket & call it done!?? Yes/No ?? As well as the other grounds from the bridge/control cavity of course. Comments/suggestions?
Oh and regarding the molex connector - where would I get a replacement - should I need one?
Many thanks
C
Cool - thanks DrKev. I can probably just use a Mono Switchcraft jack socket as well? Hopefully I'll hear from beej soon with the switch wiring diagram.YES!
Molex connector from electronic suppliers (Mouser or similar). Anyone got the part number handy? @beej ?
beej
Moderator
It's been a while since I ordered them, but I had these part numbers listed from Mouser (MM may sell these as well if you ask):
Receptacle- 538-03-06-1032
Female contacts- 538-02-06-1103 or 538-02-06-1132
Plug- 538-03-06-2032
Male contacts- 538-02-06-2103 or 538-02-06-2132
The original idea with this guitar was to swap pickguards easily, hence the quick disconnects. But you don't really need them- it's easier to just wire the pickguard to the guitar/jack directly.
beej
Moderator
I'm travelling this week so this is a bit of a hack.
Here's the wiring diagram from a Silhouette Special SSS Piezo. You can ignore anything related to the piezo (the bit at the bottom). Basically you want to reproduce the connections highlighted in yellow and remove the ones highlighted in red:
Wire the grounds (Green for the humbucker) directly to ground. And wire the Black & White wires from the humbucker together to join the two coils. (Ditto the Areas, since you'll want to wire them in series humbucking mode.)
The Silent Circuit is handy, so I'd keep that. Just remove the wires and tape them up, or take it out entirely and store it somewhere.
Oh- there is a chance the switch is different then yours- I think there were two revisions of this (Kev?). But hopefully this gives you the idea and you see the symmetry of how they're wired.
Hope that helps.
Here's the wiring diagram from a Silhouette Special SSS Piezo. You can ignore anything related to the piezo (the bit at the bottom). Basically you want to reproduce the connections highlighted in yellow and remove the ones highlighted in red:
Wire the grounds (Green for the humbucker) directly to ground. And wire the Black & White wires from the humbucker together to join the two coils. (Ditto the Areas, since you'll want to wire them in series humbucking mode.)
The Silent Circuit is handy, so I'd keep that. Just remove the wires and tape them up, or take it out entirely and store it somewhere.
Oh- there is a chance the switch is different then yours- I think there were two revisions of this (Kev?). But hopefully this gives you the idea and you see the symmetry of how they're wired.
Hope that helps.
DrKev
Moderator
Rev C (2011) uses the terminal arrangement (that we see above in yellow) on both halves of the switch. That's all. If working with an older switch just use the poles that have the yellow terminal arrangement (where all 5 terminals are together COM || 5 4 3 2 1 ). Remove everything else. It's that easy.
Last thought - DiMarzio have some pickups with flipped polarity compared to others. I think the virtual vintage (which includes the Area pickups) are the ones. The single coils will be in phase with each other but if position 2 is out of phase, easiest to invert the humbucker leads: green to hot, red to ground.
K
Thanks for all that DrKev & beej. All a bit confusing given that my guitar is 1996 - pre-revisions A,B, or C. Adding to the confusion is that mine is left-handed, so it's back the front & inside-out ...very hard to get your head around - I'm assuming that what you have sent me so far does not take that into account? I have the wiring diagram for Rev B which @nervous sent me ...but it looks different to what I'm looking at in front of me.
Ok, I'll start by removing anything to do with the Silent Circuit from the switch, then trace where each of the pickups connect on the switch & wire the new Area 67's in the same spot.
Thanks for all your help guys.
beej
Moderator
Good luck. If you’re stuck, send some pictures. Also good to document things as you go.
DrKev
Moderator
Do you have a photo of the 5-way switch? (BTW, if you are going standard superstrat and no coil splitting, a basic 5-way strat switch would do the job).
Hi,
The factory soldering on the switch & pots was done with solid core wire & inserted in the holes & bent around then soldered ...a nightmare to get off!
Re the wiring & sounds - I had to do as you suggested @DrKev & reversed the green & red on the Bridge Humbucker - that fixed the phase issue.
Positions 1, 2, 3 & 5 all sound great. However positions 4 - Neck & Middle sounds quite bright - not sure if that's normal with these Area 67's as I never used them before. I'm wondering if there are polarity issues & maybe I should swap the green & red leads on each of them as well?
Thoughts?
Hi @DrKev & @beej - Jobs mostly done now. Attached is a photo of the switch. Wiring it was problematic
The factory soldering on the switch & pots was done with solid core wire & inserted in the holes & bent around then soldered ...a nightmare to get off!
Re the wiring & sounds - I had to do as you suggested @DrKev & reversed the green & red on the Bridge Humbucker - that fixed the phase issue.
Positions 1, 2, 3 & 5 all sound great. However positions 4 - Neck & Middle sounds quite bright - not sure if that's normal with these Area 67's as I never used them before. I'm wondering if there are polarity issues & maybe I should swap the green & red leads on each of them as well?
Thoughts?
nervous
Well-known member
These are the Mouser Electronics P/N and pricing from an order I placed late 2024. I may still have some in a drawer if anyone needs them.
DrKev
Moderator
Yeah. the whole "must have military spec mechanical support" thing is nonsense. A good solder joint will break after the wire does. A simple 90º bend keeps them in place while you solder. But it's OK to tack solder jumpers on these kinds of switches too. They will never come undone.
The single coils will be correctly in phase with each other. If they were out of phase it would immediately obvious - thin and weak. Brightness is what the 67s do best, lowering the middle pickup may temper it a little too. You're good to go! Well done!
How do they sound to you? I never tried two 67s. Remember, you can raise them a little closer to the strings than standard single if you need to so experiment.
Hmm ...the jury is still out re the position 4 sound. Seems way too bright & a volume drop from the neck or middle on their own. Dead quiet though.
Just had another play & height adjustment ...nup - somethings definitely wrong. I notice on the Dimarzio website for the Area 67 HSS wiring diagram - they put the red wires to ground on the Area 67's & the green to the switch - then the opposite on the HB.
Seek link: https://d2emr0qhzqfj88.cloudfront.n...agram, 5 Way Switch, One Volume, One Tone.pdf
I'm going to swap them tomorrow & check.
Thanks
Vito Porkleone
Well-known member
OP, I have the DiMarzio Area loaded pickguard in my Strat (61 in bridge, 67 middle, and 50's in neck). The 67 is a little brighter than the others, but is a good mix on mine - the OEM pickups were pretty muddy, so it's a welcome change. I would imagine that 2 67's together would be brighter than you are used to. If it were me, I'd roll with it and just back the tone off. YMMV. Hope the wire swap works for you. I think the Area pickups are pretty great.
On my old setup, I never used the back pickup alone - too harsh/brittle. With the 61, I run my tone control about 8, and it's perfect.
On my old setup, I never used the back pickup alone - too harsh/brittle. With the 61, I run my tone control about 8, and it's perfect.
DrKev
Moderator
But the point is that two singles are wired the same as each other, and the humbucker opposite, as your is too. So red-green or green-red doesn't matter here, only what they are relative to each other.Hmm ...the jury is still out re the position 4 sound. Seems way too bright & a volume drop from the neck or middle on their own. Dead quiet though.
Just had another play & height adjustment ...nup - somethings definitely wrong. I notice on the Dimarzio website for the Area 67 HSS wiring diagram - they put the red wires to ground on the Area 67's & the green to the switch - then the opposite on the HB.
Seek link: https://d2emr0qhzqfj88.cloudfront.net/s3fs-public/2022-07/DiMarzio HSS Humbucker-Single-Single Stacked Wiring Diagram, 5 Way Switch, One Volume, One Tone.pdf
I'm going to swap them tomorrow & check.
Thanks
A little volume drop in position 4 is normal (pickups in parallel always have less output, most people just don't notice it).
Let us know how you get on when you switch 'em.
