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Johnny, thanks for update! I did so many swaps I lost track! but I do have good news: Gibson provided the schematic! Epiphone Lee Malia RD Custom Wiring Diagram I wired my guitar back to the factory spec (white to white leads) and can summarize my wiring issue now to this: non-functional dummy coil with 60 cycle hum- connecting the Neck PU shield wire to ground introduces hum into the signal equivalent to the bridge humbucker in coil split (typical 60 hz hum) functional dummy coil with grounding issue - disconnecting the Neck PU shield wire from ground drastically lowers the audio signal (in between humbucker quiet and single coil noise) but creates the grounding hiss issue resolved by touching strings/bridge The functional dummy coil wiring is much much prefered and it sound great when playing - but the grounding issue is creating another type of noise issue to work on. Any suggestions on the grounding for this? Johnny - whats your take on the white to white sounding good but with the Neck PU shield grounding/hum issue? DIA-LEE MALIA RD CUSTOM-r3_compressed (1).pdf

Still having an issue after having a few techs look into it. The dummy coil and p90 hot wires (white) are wired together, the dummy coil ground is soldered to the volume pot, and the p90 ground is soldered to volume pot lug #3. I'm thinking about rewiring it myself but I don't want to get in over my head and screw it up. I've built a few guitar pedals but haven't worked on guitar wiring before. I did come across two examples of why I feel this may be a defect in the factory wiring; I have a similar thread posted to TheGearPage and a user posted a tech advised the fix included wiring the P90 hot to the Dummy Coil ground: https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?posts/28531187/ I've found a post on Seymour Duncan forums involving wiring a dummy coil with a P90: https://www.seymourduncan.com/forum/showthread.php?291812-Pickup-Wiring-quot-Gods-quot-need-your-help-re-Wiring-a-P90-Dummy-Coil-in-Series (Pat 1) https://www.seymourduncan.com/forum/showthread.php?292335-PART-2-gt-Pickup-Wiring-quot-Gods-quot-gt-help-please-re-Wiring-a-2P-DPDT-for-P90-Dummy-Coil (Part 2). The OP posted a diagram in Part 2 with the black to white connection. Do yall think Epiphone would release a wiring diagram or schematic if I asked?

Back to the drawing board.... I was using a Line 6 Helix on a few different settings and concluded it was fixed in my previous post (turning dummy coil around) but it's not the case! I played the RD just now through some hi gain settings on a Sunn Beta Lead and an OR15. The hum of the P90 neck is audible to the same extent of the bridge humbucker when coil split; there's almost no difference between the two. Using anytype of OD with the humbucker is fine but using the p90 neck is the exact same unusable hum as the humbucker split. Any advice on troubleshooting would be appreciated! Also, if anyone is familiar with this guitar or the Explorer, did the dummy coil cause hum cancellation for the bridge when split? thank you.

Did some messing around and I believe I found a fix or at least a drastic improvement. Turning the dummy coil around, as in making what was facing towards the front/string side face towards the rear/control cavity sound, really decreased the hum. For reference, the dummy coil is located in a cavity in the rear side of the guitar and is positioned in similar mounting and direction as the P90. Could someone who is more experienced than myself advise if this could be a potential fix or perhaps the theory behind how this worked? Thanks!

Thanks man. I messaged the OP for information or possible control cavity picture. Appears he and Megafrog have been inactive for quite a bit however. I'm determined to figure this one out!

I have a feeling there is a wiring issue. I wish I could find a schematic or reference pictures for how to double check! The hum goes from silent with the bridge pickup, to hum city in the middle position, to chernobyl melt down with the neck p90. I'd like to add that I typically like to play high gain amplifiers and the P90 hum is going to be amplified; I get it.... it's part of the package for having a P90. When turning the gain down to a clean sound the hum is still present and amplified partially in the middle and highly in the p90 position. Love this guitar so going to troubleshoot it all the way through!

I'd like to update that I received a Lee Malia RD that I'm happy with but the issue still stands; it appears the dummy coil is non-functional. Can anyone chime in about their experiences or possible solutions? I do have a soldering iron and wouldn't mind trying a DIY fix! Thank you!

I spent a few weeks deliberating a purchase of the Lee Malia RD Artisan and eventually made the purchase. It's one I've come to regret somewhat; I've had two returns of the guitar. Has anyone had a positive experience or opinions they can share on the Les Paul, Explorer, or RD models? The first RD came with barely functional tuners but the primary concern was a very high hum neck p90. The guitar is advertised as having a dummy coil so I felt sort of slighted when it was noisier than any of my other guitars when I A/B'd with the same amp settings. Epiphone directed me for a warranty repair to a local respect luthier; the luthier directed me to return the guitar in agreement the dummy coil was non-functional. Other issues were very scratchy frets and a pretty bad route job of the pickguard under the neck pickup with jagged edges and shards remaining from the cut. This guitar was returned and replacement sent. I don't feel I was too picky - I could of worked with the minor flaws but didn't want to attempt my own troubleshooting of the non-functional dummy coil and void the warranty. The replacement guitar came with a tuner snapped in half (plastic shaft) and the same high hum situation. I've referenced another post on the forum and some had advised it came with a functional hum killing dummy coil or of further repairs that made it work. I'll be sending this one back in but now I'm nervous about receiving a 3rd and it's sort of killing the vibe and not sure I'm looking forward to the guitar anymore. Can anyone chime in on the Artisan series and the dummy coil? I know the Les Paul is without but maybe other issues were experienced. I also want to say this is my first import guitar and I really came to the conclusion to purchase with an open mind. I still have it but just getting bummed out, really (was) looking forward to rocking with this one. Thanks!