3 wire pickup

Joe Delaronde · Post by **Joe Delaronde** » 11 Sep 2000 4:39 pm

Got a Sho-Bud 3 wire pickup. White & Black are 20K hms, and red & black are 12K hms. If I don't use the red wire is it OK to tape the end and coil it up under the pickup?

Is there an advantage to twisting the wires around themselves before soldering them to the jack? IE: Lessen noise, etc.?

Should I run a ground wire from the jack to the bridge?
Thanks....Joe

Joe Delaronde · Post by **Joe Delaronde** » 12 Sep 2000 3:57 pm

Bump to top.

Keith Hilton · Post by **Keith Hilton** » 12 Sep 2000 4:38 pm

Joe, I probably should not even be posting on this subject, because I really don't know that much about the old Sho-Bud Pickups. I don't see anyone trying to help you, so I'll try. Usually a 3rd wire coming out of a pickup would indicate a split coil tap. This could be wired to a switch where you could get different pickup sounds, hence split coil or half coil. The full coil would not be as bright as the half coil. You could hook this to a 3 way double pole switch. If you only wanted to use the full coil, just hook the ends up. Keep in mind this is strictly a guess on my part. In power supply coils, the center tap is usually the ground. In pickups it just changes the sound.

------------------
[This message was edited by Keith Hilton on 12 September 2000 at 05:38 PM.]

Eddie Lane · Post by **Eddie Lane** » 12 Sep 2000 5:12 pm

Keith is right. The old ShoBub guitars used these double coil pickups. You can just use one of the taps like you are talking about and tape the other leg but you will be missing some of the old vintage sound. I would go with a three way switch and use both legs.

Joe Delaronde · Post by **Joe Delaronde** » 12 Sep 2000 7:05 pm

Thanks Ed & Keith,
Should the wires be twisted around each other and should a ground wire be connected to the bridge????
Joe[This message was edited by Joe Delaronde on 12 September 2000 at 08:06 PM.]

Kevin Mincke · Post by **Kevin Mincke** » 12 Sep 2000 8:45 pm

Joe, I think Sho~Bud had the 3 wires " woven or "braided" together if you will, this done only to keep a clean/neat appearence. It should not affect the sound....only the bare ends and what you connect them to.

Bob Metzger · Post by **Bob Metzger** » 14 Sep 2000 12:41 am

Also, White to the Red is 8K ohms and, while you're at it, who is to stop you from connecting Red to 'hot' and White and Black to ground? These two 'alternate' sounds probably weren't envisioned by the designer and they're not as mainstream as the two that 99% of everybody uses, but they work and sound ok for some stuff. I think on one of my older Sho-Buds that I don't have anymore, I had all 4 of these sounds on a rotary switch. The 20K sound will be the loudest, followed by the 12K sound, followed by the.... well, you get the idea!
Steel players never get all those knobs and switches that guitar players are so fond of!

Bob[This message was edited by Bob Metzger on 14 September 2000 at 01:46 AM.]