Replacing Antique Pickups - question

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Craig McClure
Posts: 21
Joined: 3 Jul 2024 4:34 am
Location: Jasper, N. Georgia, USA

Replacing Antique Pickups - question

Post by Craig McClure »

Need to ask for opinions, RE the antique 1930's cast Aluminum Vega rescue project I'm working on. I'm going at it with the premise that it can only be all original once - until its not. Mine was a bare aluminum shell - until I talked a scrap dealer out of it. So I'm re-fleshing the good bones with what I can find & afford. I'm planning a good looking Ebony Fret board, but similar to the original - to personal preference. Not trying to fool anyone, i think I will have a pretty, playable instrument, that will be tastefully REBUILT.

I have found a pair of Single Coil pickups with adjustable allen head poles, that fit the body nicely. I have substituted the threaded poles, with longer ones to reach through the body & closer to the strings, The 2 pick ups (bridge & Center) can be wired Separately - OR - as a Humbucker.
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Image I saw hints that some early lap tops with 2 P.U's did this. I've no Idea IF the originals of these cast VEGAS did this - or not. I'm interested in vintage tone, & have followed suggestions - to use tapered solid shaft 250K dish bottom pots, with a 0.1 UF Orange drop capacitor, & planning on using heavier gauge wires - than new Asian harnesses..Many others know much more about this than me, & have bigger budgets. But I have done nothing to modify the body.

SO: what should I do about wiring pickups = separately or Together (Humbucker) ?? AND WHY ?? I will also love to see a wiring diagram for this type of Volumn & Tone Pots ? + do they turn clockwise from off to higher ?

Enclosing 2 descriptive pix of an ORIGINAL (mine is serial # 13) Thanks In Advance
Last edited by Craig McClure on 20 Sep 2024 6:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Stephen Cowell
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Joined: 6 Jan 2012 8:13 am
Location: Round Rock, Texas, USA

Post by Stephen Cowell »

If you can, I'd order the single-coils RWRP... why not get a humbucker out of it? Also, that 1uF sounds way, way huge... a 0.05 or 0.1 would be more what I'd think would work. Good luck! She's a beaut.
Too much junk to list... always getting more.
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