First full-rewire starting

DirtySteve said:
Thanks, man. They don't give much of a description do they, I'll be interested in your review of them.

I've been trying different pickups lately trying to find a set for my LP that really impress me (in that guitar) and so far I haven't found what I'm looking for. I'm about ready to sell the fucker and call it a day. I've tried so many pickups and none of them have been "it". I may just have a dud, but I'm having a hard time accepting that.
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Well, I'm a little embarrassed to say that I bought the pickups solely on the marketing: Hellraiser Pinhead pickups. I have a thing for all things Pinhead. However, I spoke to someone else who has Voodoo pickups and they were super happy with them.
 
The madman sent me the completed pics. On their way to me. :D

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I got to this a little late. Dunno if its useful to you but a push pull on volume for a direct bypass out is really nice esp when there are no numbers on the knobs. You likely play wiyh volume usually wide open so it may be useless.
If playing a quieter passage and needing a different tone, I sometimes use both PU together but at lower volume. When song kicks in amd out, you have to switch to bridge, turn it up, play, then set it all back. Painful! Pull up on knob and signal bypasses all controls and runs bridge only directly to output. Push in it goes back. I use my 2 volumes amd toggle for a kill switch.
Even works better with multi channel amps. I put it on 5 guitars! My Goldtop came wired that way.
Cheers Ghosty
 
Finished up with guitar rewire #1. The Schecter received the Dave Mustaine Livewires and accompanying pots and input jack. I didn't wait for the wire spools I just ordered from AmplifiedParts.com so I grabbed some scrap wire from the bin at work. Maybe should have waited since the gauge was a bit much. I think it's 20ga.

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I tried to keep the wiring as clean as possible, so I made the cables as short as I could comfortably. The only thing I didn't cut down were the pickup leads. Those I pulled back into the pickup cavity to keep the wiring cavity as clean as possible.

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I twisted the pickup hot leads together and then the ground and hot lead to the 1/4" jack were the lone wires. I did not use shielded cables and I hope it doesn't bite me in the rear end later. As of the first hour of testing, I get zero hum and buzz from the home setup and I usually do.

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All finished except the missing pickup trim plate screws I just noticed I forgot to put in. :D Pots are top to bottom: Volume Bridge, Volume Neck, Tone.

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The Dean VMNT gets it's start tonight. I'm still waiting on the pickups but I can start the prep at least. Tonight I wired up all the connections except for the two pickups which can drop in easily. AmplifiedParts.com sent me the new input jack with open Tip/Ring/Sleeve so I can get the LED on the kill switch to work. Also came with the two spools of 22ga wire I ordered.

The input plate gets the treatment first since the cable path is by far the longest in the guitar.

Red/Black twisted wire will be the Tip and Sleeve/Ground signal, and the lone Black will be the Ring connection for the LED kill switch. When the 1/4" mono slips in, the sleeve and ring short together and completes the 9V circuit to the LED:

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Cable path comes up into the bridge pickup cavity and then down the other side to the Control Cavity:

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The CTS pots and 3-way switch were pulled out and then wired together. After that assembly was basically completed I had to put them in the cavity to wire up the rest. Ground from the bridge and then the signal wires from the input jack.

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The last bit was soldering together the 9VDC+ to the LED switch, and the Ring connection from the input jack to the 9VDC-. All done and cleaned up:

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Next stop, new pickups. I tested the Red LED and it works perfectly. I'll save that for the final reveal though.
 
...pickups showed up a day early. WHAT?!?!

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I had to scrounge up some pickup screws since these didn't come with them. Not so bad, but I had to make a run to the hardware store. I found some allen heads to compliment the pole pieces of these behemoths.

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Installed and wired up, I spent some time to make sure the pickup heights were okay. Played for about :45 before I realized I should probably finish up the install and put things back together completely. Super articulate and powerful. Heavy heavy pickups. They have a nice solid mid-range honk and a tight bottom end. Very clear all the way up and down the fretboard.

And then to top it all off, the kill switch wired up and working awesome.

unplugged:

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...and after I plug the cable in the jack:

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In all it's glory:

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I'll be doing a glamour photo shoot soon enough. I have some cool ideas in my head I want to try.
 
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