In desperate need of wiring diagram Mockingbird 2 hb's 1 vol and 1x 3 way toggle sw.

JudasVigilante

Hi, I recently purchased a Mockingbird type home built guitar from Ebay. Don't frown! the guitar plays like a dream and was dirt cheap. It came with a Lace Powered by lace pickup in the bridge pos and i've since added another in the neck. Prob is I want to rewire completely as I took it apart to wrap in auto/car vinyl. I'll add some pictures when complete.

I have been on the lace and symour duncan websoites for wiring diagrams and also googled mockingbird wiring diagrams to no avail. I haven't wired a a guitar in a couple of years and am lost. Some one please help.!!!

Many thanks in advance.

NB: I'm just looking simple straight forward wiring job, no phasing, paralell etc.

2 lace hb's, 1 vol pot, 1 x3 way toggle switch. 

ICBM

Pickup hots to the two outer terminals of the switch (each to the terminal in the same direction as the pickup).

Both inner terminals of the switch to the left terminal of the volume pot as you look at it with the terminals towards you.

Middle terminal of the volume pot to jack hot connection.

Right-hand terminal of the pot to the ground of the jack, and the casing of the pot.

Both pickup grounds and the bridge ground wire to the volume pot casing.

Does that make sense?

JudasVigilante

Yeah I think so. When I get home later I'll try and draw it out. Many thanks. Haven't been on here in ages. Going through messy breakup etc. Should of had this done about 9 months ago. Cheers ICBM.

JudasVigilante

@ICBM Your wiring explanation was spot but unfortunately I melted the plastic backing on the toggle switch that holds one of the + terminals, so only one pickup works. Am just about to order a new toggle switch now. Should be here in couple of days and a little rewiring and I should be sorted.

Another question for you or anyone: has anyone ever seen a neck truss rod that wasn't allen key, but rather just round at the end, It doesn't need adjusted but if it ever did, I'm not sure how to go about it. Although I don't know the guitars full history, I know it's a bit of a custom/diy biuld, though there is a cover to allow access to the rod, so it must be adjustable somehow. Shouldn't it?

ICBM

Is it a nut (outer hexagon shape) which has been damaged and rounded? Usually the outer end of these is smooth and round, but the inner end should be hexagonal. They're often made of brass, so they can get rounded if the wrong size tool is used.

JudasVigilante

No it's not brass, silver coloured and seemingly round (inner and outer) ?

JudasVigilante

@icbm and hollow too.

SteveRobinson

Sounds like it's an internal hex that's been rounded. You can use a stud extractor to remove it then measure it, buy and fit a replacement.

ICBM

Or you can hammer a slightly tapered cut-down Allen key - ie basically a straight hex shaft with a taper at the business end, start with the size larger than you need - into the nut, put a bit of back pressure on the neck to relieve the tension on the truss rod, and use a socket/ratchet handle to turn it.

I've never had that fail no matter how rounded the nut.

(You'll need a grinder to cut down and taper an Allen key, they're hardened.)

JudasVigilante

@icbm and @steverobinson great info guys. I have a grinder and loads of keys. The neck isn't set too bad but I'd like to have it that I could adjust if need be. My new toggle switch and a few other bits and bobs arrived this morning and guitar wiring is now finished. All working and sounding fine. Thanks for the wiring info @icbm. I guess you,re a wiring whizzkid/ guru. You helped me out before. Guess this wasn't the first and probably not the last! Lol I owe you a pint!

JudasVigilante

@ICBM Hi I got the guitar all set up nice and everything is fine or so I thought. I noticed to night while doing some recording with the guitar that when I'm plugged in whether through zoom g5 to orange amp or zoom g5 to multi track recorder that if i touch the toggle switch i get a high pitch noise. It does it on every toggle switch position. Is it maybe the ground wire to the bridge? Sorry to bother you @ICBM and thanks in advance. If anyone knows what the problem is, it's you! 

ICBM

It sounds like the frame of the switch isn't grounded and needs to be. There's usually a terminal on it - connect it to the back of the volume pot - if not, since it's in the same cavity as the pot you can put a piece of shielding tape on the cavity floor so both are fitted through it.

JudasVigilante

@icbm cheers I'll give it a go tonight and get back to you tomorrow. Many many thanks. Hope I'm not bothering you too much. I've been playing for 24 yrs but soldering and setting up just a year or so! Loving it, but a lot to learn.

ICBM

If you were bothering me too much I would have just ignored the question .

I've spent much of my working life fixing problems like this, mostly by working it out the hard way - it would be a shame not to pass that knowledge on when it can help someone else get there quicker .

JudasVigilante

No problem @ICBM Great attitude to have especially for us noobs who don't know a fraction of what you genius guys do.

I joined thefretboard about 3 yrs ago and was made very welcome by everyone. Haven't come across any nasty attitudes and everyone willing to comment or help etc. Guitar players and techs must be the nicest people on the planet! Have a great weekend. Just about to look at that now. I don't think there's a spare terminal on the toggle switch, just four, so I'll have to order some cavity shielding tape. Many thanks.

JudasVigilante

Hi @ICBM My shielding tape finally arrived and I ran a length along the cavity on the side that the vol and tone pots go through, problem is now, there's no output to the amp, guitar has gone dead / quiet completely. When I lift the 2 pots out from the cavity ie not touching the copper tape there's output to amp, put them in proper places and it goes dead. This is beyond me, I can follow a wiring diagram no problem, but not sure what's wrong. Sorry to bother you again mate.

ICBM

One of the pots has a blob of solder on the terminals that is hanging down and touching the shielding tape, and shorting it to ground.

If you don't want to re-solder them all, the easiest fix is to put a strip of masking tape under the terminals of each pot - just under the terminals, you still want the threaded bushing to contact the shielding foil. (Yes, I have done that too if re-soldering things looks like being a nuisance .)

JudasVigilante

Thanks a million @ICBM. I knew you'd come to my rescue! I'll let you know how I get on tomorrow.

JudasVigilante

Well @ICBM think I got it sorted. Tried numerous permutations off shielding on/off tape on/off etc and in the end I pulled the pickups out to do full rewire and found that there was 3 pick guard screws magnetically stuck to the back of one of the pickups. The pups had been in my tool box with other components before installation and I didn't even notice the screws. It's the only thing I can think of as all the wiring and your initial wiring explanation turned out 100%. Guitar is working fine, for the moment anyways. Touch wood it continues. Thanks for all your help. If it starts messing around again, I know who to call upon! LOL many many thanks.