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This is the pick guard from my last project, The Skateboard Guitar. It will soon be going on the Fabric Stencil Guitar.
For this project, I am converting a two humbucker guitar with one volume and one tone into one that has a volume for each pickup and no tone control.
This is my favorite setup for guitar wiring because:
1. I rarely use the tone knob on any guitar.
2. I like to keep one volume on zero so the toggle switch becomes an on/off, and can also be used for stuttering, killswitch-type effects.
3. I like to keep the neck pickup at a lower volume for cleaner sound coming through my tube amp, and the bridge pickup on ten for more output at the flick of a switch.
The guitar in this case is a Jagmaster, but this would also work on many other 2 pickup/2 knob guitars that have a 3 way toggle switch.
The whole process took about an hour.
Tools Used:
-40 Watt pencil type soldering iron (maybe overkill, but works fast, and I'm not worried about frying any capacitors for this one).
-Needle nose pliers.
-Wire cutters
-Soldering probe tool thing (has paid for itself a thousand times)
-Delsoldering braid
-Razor blade (for stripping the ends of wires)
-Alligator clip extra pair of hands thing (also paid for itself many times over)
-Lead free rosin core solder
-Electrical tape
-Wet rag (to wipe soldering iron tip)
For this project, I am converting a two humbucker guitar with one volume and one tone into one that has a volume for each pickup and no tone control.
This is my favorite setup for guitar wiring because:
1. I rarely use the tone knob on any guitar.
2. I like to keep one volume on zero so the toggle switch becomes an on/off, and can also be used for stuttering, killswitch-type effects.
3. I like to keep the neck pickup at a lower volume for cleaner sound coming through my tube amp, and the bridge pickup on ten for more output at the flick of a switch.
The guitar in this case is a Jagmaster, but this would also work on many other 2 pickup/2 knob guitars that have a 3 way toggle switch.
The whole process took about an hour.
Tools Used:
-40 Watt pencil type soldering iron (maybe overkill, but works fast, and I'm not worried about frying any capacitors for this one).
-Needle nose pliers.
-Wire cutters
-Soldering probe tool thing (has paid for itself a thousand times)
-Delsoldering braid
-Razor blade (for stripping the ends of wires)
-Alligator clip extra pair of hands thing (also paid for itself many times over)
-Lead free rosin core solder
-Electrical tape
-Wet rag (to wipe soldering iron tip)
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Signing UpStep 1Make Diagram
I drew up a diagram before doing anything. I could have used a schematic from the Seymour Duncan website, but I've done this so many times, and even when you do have the schematic, it can help to draw it yourself to make the layout of wires better.
The way I think about a volume pot is: signal goes in one side, comes out the middle tab, other side is grounded. Reverse the order of the input and the ground, and the knob turns the opposite way.
With this kind of three way switch it's easy too look and see what's connected. Just make sure it's not upside down.
The picture I drew below leaves out the wire that grounds the whole thing to the bridge itself. It also doesn't show that I bend the grounded tab on each pot up so that it and any wire connected to it are soldered to the casing.
The way I think about a volume pot is: signal goes in one side, comes out the middle tab, other side is grounded. Reverse the order of the input and the ground, and the knob turns the opposite way.
With this kind of three way switch it's easy too look and see what's connected. Just make sure it's not upside down.
The picture I drew below leaves out the wire that grounds the whole thing to the bridge itself. It also doesn't show that I bend the grounded tab on each pot up so that it and any wire connected to it are soldered to the casing.
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Here is the wiring diagram for a les paul
Step by step, you could 1)Disconnect everything except the wire that goes from the output jack to the switch. 2) Solder black wire from pickup to one side of the switch. 3)solder a wire to the ground tab of the switch, this will go to the output jacks ground. 4)solder green and silver wire from pickup, ground wire from bridge, and ground wire from switch to ground of output jack. 5) cross your fingers and plug it in.
There might even be a way to do it without soldering. you could: 1)cut the wire that goes from the neck pickup volume to the switch. 2) remove the knobs and the nuts that secure the pots. 3)make sure everything is on 10, pull the pots out of their holes, with wires still connected, tape all that stuff up and leave it inside the control cavity. ta da!
My opinion regarding your question: The exact same pickup will sound very different depending on what position it is in. It will sound more treble-y in the bridge position, and there will be an output difference too, I think. It really is hard to tell unless you have 2 identical guitars with different pickups, or can play one through an amp you are familiar with, then change the pickups and play it again on the same settings. That is kind of a pain. If I were you, I would be tempted to use the Bill Lawrence just because it is cool and rare and a smaller company. Then again, I might assume the Duncan to be hotter, if it is a copy of the XXL.
You could also try to measure the resistance in Ohms of each pickup, and then assume that the one with more resistance is hotter and rock that one. That is probably what I would do.
When it comes to tone, there are so many variables, and people have so many opinions. Remember to trust your own ear before anything anyone else says.