Firebird Wiring help needed

[Taylorplayer]

Hello - I'd like to do a favor for a friend. Someone tried to wire his guitar (a 3 pickup firebird copy) and they've messed it up badly. I am going to start clean and replace the electronics and wiring on it. I has multiple splices and awful looking solder joints. Right now it hums like crazy - I'm thinking ground problem?

 

I'm going to use 4 new 500k pots, a new switch, new jack, and good wire. He wants it wired so that there are 3 separate volume and one master tone control.

 

Can anyone point me to a good diagram to use? How about a kit that I could purchase with all the parts needed? Also, I've read that a standard switchcraft switch shouldn't be used - that Gibson used a special one for 3 pickup Les Pauls, etc. If so, what paet would I order to obtain the right one?

 

Any info / advice will be much appreciated!

 

Chaplain Will

 

PS - (sorry guys about the "copy" part - I didn't buy it).

[Guest Farnsbarns]

When you say copy, do you mean fake or just a non Gibson brand?

 

Also, you posted in the Les Paul section. You might want to reconsider that to put the thread in front of people who know the guitar. That said, it's all very simple.

[Taylorplayer]

When you say copy, do you mean fake or just a non Gibson brand?

 

Also, you posted in the Les Paul section. You might want to reconsider that to put the thread in front of people who know the guitar. That said, it's all very simple.

 

I mean non-Gibson.

 

If I've posted in the wrong section, then my mistake - my apologies.

 

Any advice on my original question would still be much appreciated.

[Guest Farnsbarns]

I mean non-Gibson.

 

If I've posted in the wrong section, then my mistake - my apologies.

 

Any advice on my original question would still be much appreciated.

 

I didnt mean it like that. No complaint, just that you miggt find more knowledge in another section.

 

Anyway, there's loads of ways to skin this cat. How do you want the switching to work? 5 way? Three way? Oop?

 

If it were me I think I'd go 5 way.. Bridge, bridge and middle, middle, middle and neck, neck, with the middle and neck having an oop switch.

 

Then I'd run different cap values so it's pup to volume pot with the tone bleed on the end of that to ground, then from the volume pots to the switch and the switch to the jack.

 

Of course, you could eliminate the switch entirely with 3 volume controls but if you did that you'd want to consider inserting the tone cap sraight from the pup rather than after it's gone through the volume pot (modern vs 50s) so to speak.

 

If you Google 3 pickup wiring and go to images there are loads of diagrams of different approaches.