Angry-Again Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 Hey Folks, I have a 1981 Gibson Sonex 180 Custom with the Factory coil tapped Dirty Fingers pickups in it and i'm having a tough time finding any kind of wiring diagram ANYWHERE. Gibson support told my tech friend that they didnt have a copy of it either. There was an older reply to a simular post I found here, but one link is broken and the second shows only the standard and 50's LP wiring, and niether have any viable reference to the factory coil tap. In further research online I can find many other diagrams for coil tapping using push/pull pots like the Jimmy Page etc, but I would like to have the Sonex wired back to original. I want it to sound like an 80's Sonex Custom should! Please, anyone who has a diagram, or a picture of the wiring under the pickguard with the coil tap toggle I would be forever in your gratitude if you could post it, PM or email me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angry-Again Posted March 10, 2011 Author Share Posted March 10, 2011 I finally found a repair shop to restore my Sonex. Just got it back! Here's the new pics. These guys did an incredible job! I am really impressed with the way it turned out. WOW it sounds great! No buzz with my hand off the bridge, or otherwise, and the response of the pickups when playing softly to hard is impressive. They are HOT! Impressive tone and sustain to say the least. It was set up perfectly, very low action, and its really a great sounding guitar that i'm proud to have to play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
photoweborama Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 Hey Folks, I have a 1981 Gibson Sonex 180 Custom with the Factory coil tapped Dirty Fingers pickups in it and i'm having a tough time finding any kind of wiring diagram ANYWHERE. Gibson support told my tech friend that they didnt have a copy of it either. There was an older reply to a simular post I found here, but one link is broken and the second shows only the standard and 50's LP wiring, and niether have any viable reference to the factory coil tap. In further research online I can find many other diagrams for coil tapping using push/pull pots like the Jimmy Page etc, but I would like to have the Sonex wired back to original. I want it to sound like an 80's Sonex Custom should! Please, anyone who has a diagram, or a picture of the wiring under the pickguard with the coil tap toggle I would be forever in your gratitude if you could post it, PM or email me. I wish I would have come on the forum sooner. I would have taken mine apart and photographed it for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DestructorsKillMusic1982 Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 After first reading your post I actually went home and attempted to unscrew the pickguard on my beloved rusty trusty 81 Sonex Deluxe beater (aka "Mad Max")to get some pics for you of the wiring, but those screws are rusted through and through and that pickguard is going anywhere anytime soon! Sorry I couldn't be of any help, glad it all worked out though, your Sonex looks terrific! (Waaay better than mine, which looks like a Gothic Series merged with a BFG before being thrown down a well for decades...still plays ok, but looks like hell) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angry-Again Posted March 25, 2011 Author Share Posted March 25, 2011 After first reading your post I actually went home and attempted to unscrew the pickguard on my beloved rusty trusty 81 Sonex Deluxe beater (aka "Mad Max")to get some pics for you of the wiring, but those screws are rusted through and through and that pickguard is going anywhere anytime soon! Sorry I couldn't be of any help, glad it all worked out though, your Sonex looks terrific! (Waaay better than mine, which looks like a Gothic Series merged with a BFG before being thrown down a well for decades...still plays ok, but looks like hell) Thanks for the props for trying to help. I'm really stuck on playing the Sonex at the moment since I got it back, Its heavy, but comfortable. I think these were super under rated guitars. I've played custom shop guitars that costed five times as much that wern't half as playable. I love the original zebra Dirty Fingers pickups, MAN! they are some HOT pickups! Finally a Guitar I dont want to change the pickups on! Glad mine came with them instead of the Sonex brand zebras. I've been playing it through a Sunn Concert Lead head with a 410s cab through a Boss Me30 Next step is going to be custom paint. Im thinking that 70's super metallic boat looking paint, maybe in a bright crushed orange. It's kinda cool to get the "whoa, I've heard of these, but never seen one" comments too. From what I've seen the custom is pretty rare vs the deluxe and standard models, and I have never seen an artists series except online. I want one of those next, but imagine the wiring on one of those LOL! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angry-Again Posted March 25, 2011 Author Share Posted March 25, 2011 After first reading your post I actually went home and attempted to unscrew the pickguard on my beloved rusty trusty 81 Sonex Deluxe beater (aka "Mad Max")to get some pics for you of the wiring, but those screws are rusted through and through and that pickguard is going anywhere anytime soon! Sorry I couldn't be of any help, glad it all worked out though, your Sonex looks terrific! (Waaay better than mine, which looks like a Gothic Series merged with a BFG before being thrown down a well for decades...still plays ok, but looks like hell) thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angry-Again Posted March 29, 2012 Author Share Posted March 29, 2012 I finally found a repair shop to restore my Sonex. Just got it back! Here's the new pics. These guys did an incredible job! I am really impressed with the way it turned out. WOW it sounds great! No buzz with my hand off the bridge, or otherwise, and the response of the pickups when playing softly to hard is impressive. They are HOT! Impressive tone and sustain to say the least. It was set up perfectly, very low action, and its really a great sounding guitar that i'm proud to have to play. When I originally posted the pics of this guitar, I forgot to mention the shop that restored it. Props to Paradise Guitars! Thanks for your hard work and attention to detail. Hope the pics they took help someone with thier wiring nightmare I went through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.