Luke pickups

[M.A.K.S]

A hoy hoy!

I was thinking about replacing the 85 in the bridge with an 89 to make an already flexible guitar even more awesome.
Since my guitar is a 98, there are no quick connectors or anything in it, so I was wondering how hard it would be to change the pickups.

I'm no stranger to swapping out passive electronics, but this active "voodoo" stuff is scaring me a bit

Any input would be appreciated

 

[kimonostereo]

It's not too hard.

Open up the back plate and be sure to take a look at the PCB in there. Should be marked which one is the lead pickup If my memory serves me correct. Simply unsolder that and then replace the pickup.

The hard part is wiring up the push pull pot to split the 89.

It's kinda cramp in there though.

I didn't particularly care for the 89. There's another way to get the split coil sound using resistors somewhere on this forum.

 

[M.A.K.S]

Thanks for the reply!

Yeah, I kinda thought it wouldn't be too hard
So the issue is wiring up the push-pull pot?
Guess I'll have to look into how to do that then.

May I ask what exactly you didn't like about the 89 though? Did you ever compare it to the 85?

 

[metalmarty]

Two PDF's on wiring a 89:

http://www.emginc.com/content/wiringdiagrams/89_0230-0114A .pdf
http://www.emginc.com/content/wiringdiagrams/EMG-81TW-89.pdf

I remember something about needing to put the push-pull for the 89 in the Tone-pot position since the volumepot was PCB-mounted...

 

[beej]

There's another way to get the split coil sound using resistors somewhere on this forum.

Yeah, it's a trick a few guys have used to get a better quack sound in position #2 (bridge HB & middle).

Basically you solder a 22k resistor and a .033 cap (in series) from the bucker to the 2nd position of the switch.

On the Luke wiring diagram, the hot lead from the bucker goes from the circuit board to the 2nd switch position, where it's jumpered to the 1st position (so it's connected in both positions). Instead, you'd need to wire the bucker right to position 1, and then remove the jumper. In it's place, wire the cap and resistor to position 2. Then you'll get less bass and reduced volume from the bucker when in position 2.

 

[M.A.K.S]

Yeah, it's a trick a few guys have used to get a better quack sound in position #2 (bridge HB & middle).

Basically you solder a 22k resistor and a .033 cap (in series) from the bucker to the 2nd position of the switch.

On the Luke wiring diagram, the hot lead from the bucker goes from the circuit board to the 2nd switch position, where it's jumpered to the 1st position (so it's connected in both positions). Instead, you'd need to wire the bucker right to position 1, and then remove the jumper. In it's place, wire the cap and resistor to position 2. Then you'll get less bass and reduced volume from the bucker when in position 2.

Hmm, that does sound very interesting.. Think I'm going to have to try that one first, before swapping out the pickup
Gonna have to see if the local guitar shop has any caps and resistors in stock though.. Here's hoping that they do

 

[kimonostereo]

Thanks for the reply!

.....

May I ask what exactly you didn't like about the 89 though? Did you ever compare it to the 85?

Well supposedly the 89 is an 85 that you can split. It's not that I didn't like the 89 but it just wasn't the sound I was looking for. In my head, the 89 and the 85 didn't really sound the same to me.

My first active pickup was the EMG 81 back in 1985 and I've always loved it since.