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Question Cutlass SSS Bridge Pup

G

guitardan

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 29, 2011
Messages
141
Location
S.E. Michigan
I've got a 2017 Cutlass SSS / SSS routed.
Love the guitar, but every now and again I wish I had gotten the HSS for extra beef for bridge soloing.

Has anyone had good results from adding a single sized H pup in the bridge?
Any affects or things I need to know about the silent circuit when adding an H?

Thanks!

Dan
 
guitardan said:
I've got a 2017 Cutlass SSS / SSS routed.
Love the guitar, but every now and again I wish I had gotten the HSS for extra beef for bridge soloing.

Has anyone had good results from adding a single sized H pup in the bridge?
Any affects or things I need to know about the silent circuit when adding an H?

Thanks!

Dan
Click to expand...

I haven’t messed with the pickups (if it ain’t broke....) however, I bought a twin HSS to match my SSS and haven’t regretted a second of it. The pickups match very well.
 
jmmp said:
I haven’t messed with the pickups (if it ain’t broke....) however, I bought a twin HSS to match my SSS and haven’t regretted a second of it. The pickups match very well.
Click to expand...

Welp, a new guitar is not in the budget, but upgrades are certainly doable...

I did get the wiring diagrams from EBMM for both guitars and there's a pretty simple addition to the switch w/ the HB in the bridge so you can split it in the 2 position.

Had a chance to play an HSS at Sweetwater to confirm that's what I want / need.
 
guitardan said:
I've got a 2017 Cutlass SSS / SSS routed.
Love the guitar, but every now and again I wish I had gotten the HSS for extra beef for bridge soloing.

Has anyone had good results from adding a single sized H pup in the bridge?
Any affects or things I need to know about the silent circuit when adding an H?

Thanks!

Dan
Click to expand...

Hey Dan

I've found myself in the same boat. I have a spare pickguard loaded with a JB Jr Bridge PU (as part of the SD Everything Axe set) waiting to go in. The only thing holding me up is that every time I'me ready to swap out the PUPS I strike gold with the stock PUPS and put it off! When I do change them out I'll let you know how it sounds. I felt the separate fully wired pickguard might be a better way to beef it up without changing any of the stock wiring on the original. Not the cheapest solution but there is something unique about the stock setup that I dont want to lose.
 
guitardan said:
Welp, a new guitar is not in the budget, but upgrades are certainly doable...

I did get the wiring diagrams from EBMM for both guitars and there's a pretty simple addition to the switch w/ the HB in the bridge so you can split it in the 2 position.

Had a chance to play an HSS at Sweetwater to confirm that's what I want / need.
Click to expand...

Hi Dan
Would you mind sharing that wiring diagram with me? Can PM you my email. Got my heart set on an HSS but would like to have that option
Cheers
 
Conky said:
Hey Dan

I've found myself in the same boat. I have a spare pickguard loaded with a JB Jr Bridge PU (as part of the SD Everything Axe set) waiting to go in. The only thing holding me up is that every time I'me ready to swap out the PUPS I strike gold with the stock PUPS and put it off! When I do change them out I'll let you know how it sounds. I felt the separate fully wired pickguard might be a better way to beef it up without changing any of the stock wiring on the original. Not the cheapest solution but there is something unique about the stock setup that I dont want to lose.
Click to expand...

Understood, I have a spare loaded DiMarzio Area PG, I have considered testing out in the Cutlass. And I have felt the same way about the stock sound, it works great for most of my applications, but it would cover 100% if it had an HB in the bridge.
 
FYI - I experimented w/ installing a DiMarzio Injector in the bridge, and the results were not favorable. Sounded thin and out of phase, alone and in the 2 position. Guessing it has to do w/ the Cutlass circuitry. I'll keep it the way it is for now, possible swap out the entire set bypassing the Cutlass electronics.
 
guitardan said:
FYI - I experimented w/ installing a DiMarzio Injector in the bridge, and the results were not favorable. Sounded thin and out of phase, alone and in the 2 position.
Click to expand...

If it sounded out of phase on it's own you got the wiring wrong. Did you get the colour codes correct? I'm struggling to remember but the Injectors are same color code to the Area pickups which are NOT standard DiMarzio color code?

Edit: Just pulled out the instructions from an old box... Red to hot, black and white connected, and green to ground. If posn 2 is still out of phase, swap red and green.

Edit 2: DiMarzio noiseless single coils pickups (Area, Virtual Vintage, etc.) are wired reverse phase compared to standard DiMarzio humbuckers, so swap red and green connections if phase issues arise.
 
Last edited:
Yes, I got the color code correct. It came w/ the diagram. Looking at the Cutlass wiring diagrams. There is an added resistor, plus a jumper installed on the switch on the HSS vs SSS. I'm pretty sure the switch wiring is for coil tapping the HB in the 2 position. Perhaps the resistor is for an HB in the silent circuit??? Anyway, I decided to keep it the way it is for now cause I have other HH and HSS guitars.
 
The stock HSS wiring the humbucker is not coil tapped in position 2, and the resistor is so the single coils see 250kΩ pots while the humbucker sees the nomimal pot values of 500kΩ. Looking at the only photo I have of my switch, I don't see a jumper. Can you mail me the HSS diagram, I don't have one.

[email protected]

Thank you!
 
DrKev said:
The stock HSS wiring the humbucker is not coil tapped in position 2, and the resistor is so the single coils see 250kΩ pots while the humbucker sees the nomimal pot values of 500kΩ. Looking at the only photo I have of my switch, I don't see a jumper. Can you mail me the HSS diagram, I don't have one.

[email protected]

Thank you!
Click to expand...

Very interesting about that resistor and the pots!

Do you know the technical details of the pickups? What value etc.?? The single coils look a little different than most strat type single coils and the pots are not full sized pots. Some day I might try a whole different pick guard assembly with stacked humbuckers and no battery but for now I'm really liking my stock HSS Cutlass.
 
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