JB JR wiring questions

[clutch71]

OK. I pulled the trigger for a JB Jr for my 86 Squire strat. Here's the wiring diagram I used.

http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=1h_2s_1v_2t_5w

I followed the diagram to a T. The tone of the guitar is very thin and there is a noticible volume drop in the bridge pickup compared to the two stock pickups. Sounds like a turd actually. What the hell did I do wrong? I fthought I followed the stupid diagram.

My 5 way switch is not a switch craft like pictured above. It's the original Squire switch w/ 8 poles inline. I know there is not tone control for the bridge in this configuration so it's just a matter of connecting the bridge pick up to the pole. With the Hot Rail I had the white wire on the 5 way switch pole and the black wire went to the volume pot. Same when I put the original single coil back in, prior to installing the JB Jr.

If any mistakes were made most were not by me. The person that wired the hot rail up years ago used excess solder for the wires that connect to the volume pot. I was able to clean up some of the excess but in the process managed to spread a lot of it around on the volume pot itself. I figured i'd mention this. I don't think it's a problem as the neck and middle single sound the same.

I shot an e-mail off to SD but would like your thoughts as I wait.

Thanks in advance!

 

[clutch71]

No one? Well I wired the white wire to the 5 way and black wire to the volume pot and this solved it. It's OK for a strat as it kind of maintains the strat tone with a hotter sound similar to a humbucker but it does not sound like a full size JB. The hum I could not stand from the stock single bridge is completely gone.

One thing I learned in all of this is that the bridge pick up is not wired for a tone control. I attempted to do this with the stock switch and failed. I'm going to pick up a switch craft and wire in a tone for the bridge jumpered off the middle pup.

Currently the bridge pickup sounds like a blanket is thrown over it.

 

[grindliner]

try reheating your solder connections to make sure you don't have a cold joint, most likely would be where grounded to the pot, as it can take a minute or two to heat the whole casing

when wiring the jb junior with two wire middle and neck pups, you have to switch the green and black wires.


Red and white taped together
Black and bare wires to ground instead of green and bare as diagram shows
Green to switch instead of black as shown in the diagram

 

[clutch71]

Here's another question...When there is no tone control wired to a bridge pick up is the tone at 0 or 10?

Just curious.

I will say this about the JB JR's ...If you like a full size JB (I was just playing along to some Mastodon tuned to DGCFAD with my Epi Custom w/ an .11-52 set, I was near album perfect tone wise!) don't expect the JB JR to sound like it. It's close but still has that strat vibe. The wood maybe? 250k pot?

 

[grindliner]

Here's another question...When there is no tone control wired to a bridge pick up is the tone at 0 or 10"quote]

Dude! Are you Nigel Tufnel?

I seriously laughed my *** off when I read that question

 

[clutch71]

I see the humor but I'm beginning to think that if no tone control is wired that the pick will sound flat. Makes the amp sound like there is a blanket thrown over it.

I guess in theory since it is not wired to a tone pot and thus a tone cap it sounds this way.

 

[grindliner]

Mr. Van Halen doesn't use a tone control!

My Tele is the only guitar I have ever adjusted a tone control on, I drop it a bit to about just to warm it up a bit, all other guitars are dimed.

I dont think you'd need it with the pickup you're using. Try it.

 

[carlsoti]

A pick-up without a tone control is like it's on 11. even with a tone control on 10, it pulls on the circuit a bit.

 

[clutch71]

try reheating your solder connections to make sure you don't have a cold joint, most likely would be where grounded to the pot, as it can take a minute or two to heat the whole casing

when wiring the jb junior with two wire middle and neck pups, you have to switch the green and black wires.


Red and white taped together
Black and bare wires to ground instead of green and bare as diagram shows
Green to switch instead of black as shown in the diagram

That was the fix. I however didn't find it. I left it sit in the case for about a month. I took it in for a set up last week. I asked the guy to check the wiring and I only had half of the pup running and it was out of phase with the other two. Man did I feel like a dolt. I think my days as my own guitar tech are over. Well unless I do all the wiring from scratch!

I got the guitar back and no it doesn't sound like a full size but boy is it close. I'm so glad I had it worked on by a professional, had the switch craft installed, and the tone controlled wired to the bridge. The guitar is back as one of my favorites!