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1972 ES-345: Confirming Wiring Configuration


gruven_t

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Hi, I just recently purchased a 1972 ES-345. I'm trying to confirm if the wiring has been modified to eliminate the need to purchase the special cable to play with.

 

When I plug a standard mono cable into the guitar, then into my Fender Blues Jr, I can use the three-way switch and hear both pickups fine. When I plug a stereo Y cable into the guitar, and each of the mono ends into separate amps, then switch between pickups, it continues playing through both amps. I'd have thought it would only play through the selected pickup into the designated amp, but his is not the case.

 

Just wondering if this is how the guitar is supposed to play, where I might find the schematic, and what I should look for inside the guitar to confirm it's been modified?

 

Much appreciated!

 

-Tom

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That was quick! Thank you, L5Larry! I'll check this out when I get home this evening.

 

I'm wondering if anyone can provide an explanation on what the ES-345 is supposed to send when a mono cable is plugged into it? Should I be able to hear both pick ups coming through my amp?

 

Thanks in advance. I'm still learning about the mechanics of this beautiful looking and sounding guitar!

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I have a mid-70's stock ES-345 and here is how mine works. I know we have had these discussions on many occasions.

 

When I plug a mono guitar cord into the guitar, my neck pick-up is the only one that works.

 

If I pull it out a bit and make contact with the bridge pick-up contact, if the toggle is up, the neck pick up works. If the toggle switch is down, the bridge pick up works. If I put the toggle in the middle both pick ups work, but they have a "quack" type sound.

 

When I use my stereo "Y" cord, with the stereo jack coming out into a "Y" with two mono cables plugged into two different amps, the guitar sounds like a normal guitar.

 

If I plug the two mono cables into an amp with two separate channels, (I've had two Super Reverbs) it sounds like a normal guitar.

 

That is the best I can explain it. If your using a mono cable and both pick ups work, yours may have been modified, I know mine doesn't, and it has never been worked on, I purchased it new from the store.

 

Hope that helps you.

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Hi Ken, ...and thank you. This is exactly the explanation I was looking for. Given that, I'm thinking mine may have been modified as it sounds normal using a mono cable into a single amp (my Blues Jr.), while using a Y cable plugged into two amps, switching pickups doesn't result in switching amps. YOu say there's more about this topic posted? I'd love to find more of them....

 

Maybe you can tell me what the popular "quick fix" to convert Stereo to mono. Soldering the plug, maybe?

 

Thanks again.

 

-Tom

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If you have a stereo (not modified) ES-345, you can use a stereo plug on the guitar side. You solder the two "hot" leads to the "hot" wire of the mono instrument cable. You can then just use this like a non-stereo guitar.

 

Caveat:

If you find your guitar looses volume when you switch from one pickup to the middle position (both pickups on) then your pickups are out-of-phase. I believe it was out-of-phase to accommodate using one amp that has two independent channel inputs. The channels were built 180 degrees out-of-phase with each other. (This is not one channel with two inputs side by side.)

 

Modifying your pickup to be in-phase, the volume of a single pickup and the volume of both pickups in the middle position will be at the same level.

 

I have changed my pickups to be in-phase, since I now only use one amp. This is a fairly easy modification, requiring disassemby of one of the pickup and rotating the magnet.

 

Here's a YouTube video illustrating how to change the phase of a pickup... Pickup phase mod

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