ES-333 Back Panel Wires: Which are for pickups?

[bluewaterpig]

As I said in my other post, I'm swapping pickups in my 333. I took the back panel off and it looks intimidating. Is this picture detailed enough for somebody to point out which wires I'll have to remove?

 

The picture is attached......

 

 

Also, can I leave the old wires in there like he does in this video?

 

 

If so, can I do that with a pickup that has 4 conductors?

[bluewaterpig]

C'mon guys, it's the Gibson forum and nobody can help me with this?

[djroge1]

You could try tugging on the pickup wires from the pickup end and see which ones pull. That's what I would do.

[bluewaterpig]

You could try tugging on the pickup wires from the pickup end and see which ones pull. That's what I would do.

 

Yes I know that. I'm talking about if I used the method in that video.

 

How would I go about connecting a 4 conductor pickup to the 2 conductors that are going to be in the pickup cavity? Again, I'm not talking about soldering the 4 leads to the controls as that would just be a solder job...

[badbluesplayer]

You can do it like the video shows. But since there is an access panel right there, you can rewire it pretty easily, as long as you can fish the new wires back through the pickup cavity to the controls. It shouldn't be hard. And you can install four conductor pickups. You just hook up two of the new wires where the old ones went, and hook the other two wires to each other.

 

To remove the old pickup wires:

 

In the photo, the volume controls are the ones without the little red disk shaped capacitors on them. The upper right control - the one with all the shielded wires soldered to it - is the rhythm volume control. The upper left one is the treble volume control. There's three contacts on each volume control. The hot pickup lead should be the one soldered to one of the outer contacts. There will also be a jumper wire going to the tone control soldered to that same contact. The switch should be wired to the center contact. Pull on the pickup wires from the pickup end to verify which one goes where.

 

Unsolder the hot pickup leads from the outside lugs of the volume controls. Also unsolder the wires that go to the tone controls at the same time - you'll resolder them back with the new pickup leads. Then unsolder the braided shielding from the top of the volume pots and remove the pickup wires.

 

To resolder the new pickups in there:

 

Not sure what brand of pickups you're putting back in there, but if they're four wire, you'll have to figure out which wires to hook back up and which wires to hook to each other. If you are installing Gibson four conductor pickups, you'll solder the black wire and the shielding to ground (the top of the pot), and you'll solder the red wire to the outside lug of the volume pot where the old hot lead was, along with the jumper going to the tone control. You'll hook the green and white wires to each other, solder them and put some tape over the connection so the bare wires don't touch anything. See upper left corner of page 3 of this.

 

If you're installing Seymour Duncans or another brand, the wire colors are different. What kind of pickups are you installing?

[bluewaterpig]

Change of plans...

 

Looks like I'll be able to install a regular 2 conductor pickup in both spots. I'm thinking this will make things much easier.

 

I'd like to use the method seen in that video where all you do is cut the old pickup wire and use that instead of fishing wires through the body and soldering to the pots.

 

Since I'm just going to be using a 2 conductor pickup, what do I do? Do I just connect the new wires to the existing wires that will be cut in the pickup cavity?

[damian]

Be very very very very careful..........Breathe out, breath in, breathe out.......and...do...not..................

 

 

 

" Don't cut the blue wire !!!!!!!!!!!!!" aaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!

 

............

[damian]

WAIT WAIT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WAIT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

" Don't cut the Red wire " !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAHHHHHHHHHH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :blink: :unsure:

[badbluesplayer]

Change of plans...

 

Looks like I'll be able to install a regular 2 conductor pickup in both spots. I'm thinking this will make things much easier.

 

I'd like to use the method seen in that video where all you do is cut the old pickup wire and use that instead of fishing wires through the body and soldering to the pots.

 

Since I'm just going to be using a 2 conductor pickup, what do I do? Do I just connect the new wires to the existing wires that will be cut in the pickup cavity?

 

Yup. When you connect the wires, you'll have to unravel the shielding on the two wires and pull it back a little ways and then solder the two pieces of shielding together and then solder the two hot leads together. You'll need a pretty hot soldering iron to get the two pieces of shielding hot enough to solder.

 

You can still use four conductor pickups - just solder the new green and whites together and solder the new black wire and new shielding together and to the shielding of the old wire and hook up the new red wire to the old black wire. If you're not sure what wires to hook where, take a picture and post it and I'll help.

[damian]

Thaks for the help as well........it's a good reminder on how to do it right.......