• Ernie Ball
  • MusicMan
  • Sterling by MusicMan

jptortor

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 16, 2008
Messages
257
Location
Rochester, New York, United States
Hi everybody!

So I find myself using all the pickup configurations on the Silhouette except for the split bridge paired with the middle... I wondered if its possible to wire it so you use the full bridge humbucker with the middle ala a morse model... So I'd have:

Neck hum
Split neck with middle
middle
middle and full bridge
Bridge hum

Is this doable?

Jason
 

peterd79

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 27, 2005
Messages
2,881
Location
NOR*CAL
i was thinking the same thing this morning when i was trying to decide which silo to play this morning at church... ended up going with my 20th...

but i would imagine it would just be as simple as a toggle switch and have the switch throw that pickup off and on... but i haven't really thought it out too much yet as it's still fresh in my mind...

i think ultimately being able to throw the single coil on at anytime might be more helpful so you can have it on with either the bridge or with the neck...
 

threeminutesboy

Well-known member
Joined
May 11, 2003
Messages
6,907
Location
France
Hi everybody!

So I find myself using all the pickup configurations on the Silhouette except for the split bridge paired with the middle... I wondered if its possible to wire it so you use the full bridge humbucker with the middle ala a morse model... So I'd have:

Neck hum
Split neck with middle
middle
middle and full bridge
Bridge hum

Is this doable?

Jason

of course this is doable :d and btw, this is the Luke wiring ;)
 

beej

Moderator
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Messages
12,419
Location
Toronto, Canada
Yes, you can do that. If you're handy with a soldering iron then email Customer Service, they can shoot you out a schematic. The change is pretty straightforward. (Feel free to buzz me if you need help.)

Btw, the downside is that you're going to get hum from the single coil since that combination won't be humbucking anymore. So with some gain you'll pick up noise.

The way Morse uses it is interesting- he dials the single right down, then when combined with the bridge it reduces the overall output so he can play cleaner.
 

peterd79

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 27, 2005
Messages
2,881
Location
NOR*CAL
would i need the morse wiring or the luke wiring...

as someone mentioned it was more of a luke wireup than a morse...
 

Roubster

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 20, 2005
Messages
2,639
Location
Crooklyn, NY
I think the LUKE is wired up exactly like this, but not sure how that looks like with the EMGs compared to the passives. I have my humbucker and middle single wired up this way on my Silo Special. But then again, I have a DiMarzio hum canceling pup in the mid slot, so there are no issues there. I love my Silo Special to death now! I still reach for it before the 20th Silo most of the time...but thats because I need to do some final mods to the 20th :).
 

beej

Moderator
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Messages
12,419
Location
Toronto, Canada
The wiring would be different to both the Morse and the Luke. (The Silhouette splits the neck 'bucker in position 4.)

Best bet is to start with the Silhouette wiring diagram. You'll need to unsolder the bridge HB white & black leads from the wiring harness and run a small jumper wire. So minor surgery.
 

dojo

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 3, 2006
Messages
102
Location
Kansas
Just unsolder the the bridge pup black and white wire from the 5 way then solder them together and tape them.
 

beej

Moderator
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Messages
12,419
Location
Toronto, Canada
Just unsolder the the bridge pup black and white wire from the 5 way then solder them together and tape them.
That'll give you no bridge p'up in position 2. You'll also need to run a jumper from the red wire in switch position 1 to switch position 2.
 

dojo

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 3, 2006
Messages
102
Location
Kansas
That'll give you no bridge p'up in position 2. You'll also need to run a jumper from the red wire in switch position 1 to switch position 2.

Still have full bridge in 2 position. The black and white wires are coiltap only.
 

beej

Moderator
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Messages
12,419
Location
Toronto, Canada
My bad- you're totally right. I was looking at the Silhouette Special wiring diagram which is a little more involved. Just assumed it was similar.
 

dojo

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 3, 2006
Messages
102
Location
Kansas
My bad- you're totally right. I was looking at the Silhouette Special wiring diagram which is a little more involved. Just assumed it was similar.

The same mod works on the Silhouette Special too.
 

beej

Moderator
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Messages
12,419
Location
Toronto, Canada
The same mod works on the Silhouette Special too.
No, on the Silhouette Special HSS, if you disconnect the white & black wire from switch position #2, you're only going to have the middle pickup active. It's a different wiring scheme b/c that pickup splits to use different coils for positions #2 and #3.
 

dojo

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 3, 2006
Messages
102
Location
Kansas
No, on the Silhouette Special HSS, if you disconnect the white & black wire from switch position #2, you're only going to have the middle pickup active. It's a different wiring scheme b/c that pickup splits to use different coils for positions #2 and #3.

Sorry, but that is not the case. I have disconnected the bridge pup coiltap wires on a few Silo Specs and it works fine. ( I do reconnect when I sell them though.) Remember those wires are just coiltapping the pickup. They have nothing to do with getting a signal or the pickups position on the switch.
 

beej

Moderator
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Messages
12,419
Location
Toronto, Canada
I'm looking at the schematic and I've done it before.

But there's no point in hijacking this any further, so I'll shoot you a PM.
 
Top Bottom