Electric guitar wiring. Pickups: Series and Parallel Wiring 6-String Passive Humbucker Wiring Diagram

We've covered connecting one single coil pickup directly. This time we will delve deeper into the concept of guitar wiring.

Chop off the sound!

Let's say we don't want to be satisfied with what has already been achieved, and the simplest next step is to add "". This is a simple switch that leaves the sound as it is in one position, and removes the sound completely in the other. You might be thinking that we can just add a mini-switch to the white wire (“signal”) to cut off the output from the camera, like in the picture below:

However, when we use this example of turning off the "signal", we get the same noise as when the cable was disconnected from the guitar. In this case, the two contacts are not in equal voltages.
Instead, we have to set the switch so that it still turns off the stripper, but also completes the circuit:

This time, in the "on" switch position, the "signal" wire is connected to the sensor output. In the off position, it is connected directly to ground (while the output from the camera is not connected to anything).
We now have a "kill switch" that really cuts off the sound!

Turn up the sound

"Kill switch" is nice, but even more useful is the volume control. The volume control uses a potentiometer that hides under the volume knob on the guitar. This is how it looks:

As you can see, he has three contacts. The two outermost ones are connected by a resistive strip, and the middle one is connected to the contact that moves along the strip when the knob is turned. If we connect “signal” to the left contact and “ground” to the right contact, then by moving the middle contact we can control the output of the “signal” - full output, completely to “ground”, or somewhere in between. By connecting this middle pin to the jack, as in the picture below, we will connect the volume control to the circuit.

In this diagram, you can see that I have connected in series a ground wire to the right pin and to the back of the volume control. This is how we ground the metal parts of the guitar. It so happened that the back of the potentiometer is used as a ground for all other wires in need of grounding. There are pros, cons, and exceptions, but a discussion of that is beyond the scope of this article.

Lower the tone

The last thing we were going to look at in this article was adding a tone knob. The tone control works differently than the volume control. It uses a potentiometer and capacitor together to de-saturate the high frequencies in the signal to ground. By placing the RF capacitor on the “signal”, we connect the high frequencies to “ground” using a potentiometer. That is, now, by rotating the potentiometer knob, we add HF to the ground, thereby obtaining their reduction at the output.
To connect the tone knob to the circuit, we connect the input of the volume potentiometer (our "signal" from the pickup) to the tone potentiometer at one end of the resistive strip. Then we put a capacitor between the floating connection pin and ground (use the back of the potentiometer for ground). The other pin on the potentiometer is not used because we are using the potentiometer as a variable resistor and not as a voltage divider. Twisting the knob toward zero allows more signal to reach the capacitor, where the high frequencies are filtered and retracted through ground. This is how it looks:

That's all I was going to explain in this part. We now have a guitar circuit with one shot, volume and tone controls. This is the circuit used in the prototype.

The wiring diagrams show schematically the actual wiring.

The wiring diagram in Figure 2 shows how the wiring works, while Figure 3 shows the actual wiring in the guitar and can be more useful when soldering the elements.

So far, I've considered the sensor in isolation from everything else. As soon as you connect the sensor to something, an electrical circuit is formed that changes the characteristics of the sensor. The simplest form of electrical circuit is a sensor directly connected to the output socket (1) and the amplifier, which controls the volume and tone. In this electrical circuit, the sound of the pickup is determined only by the resistance of the cord, the resistance of the amplifier input and, above all, by the capacitance of the guitar cable.

The circuit with the volume potentiometer (2,3) is another example of a simple electrical circuit that suits a large number of guitarists, who are frightened by the abundance of all switches, sensors and their many combinations with their complexity and distracts from playing. The volume potentiometer on the guitar allows the performer to adjust the volume of the sound without constantly running to the amp. In addition, it also serves to match the output of the guitar with the input of the amplifier, which is very sensitive to various kinds of deviations. When the movable contact of the potentiometer is turned at full volume, towards the petal to which the signal wire of the sensor is soldered, the electric current does not flow through the resistance track of the potentiometer and therefore passes without attenuation. When the movable contact of the potentiometer is moved to the opposite petal, which is connected to the common wire, the signal weakens, and, in the end, disappears.

The volume potentiometer also affects the sound of the sensor. Usually, single coils use 220k or 250k potentiometers, and 470k or 500k humbuckers, but this is also a matter of taste. Volume potentiometers are not free from unpleasant side effects, although the movable contact of the potentiometer is connected (through the resistance of the potentiometer) with the common wire, some of the high frequencies are cut off. This is a typical feature of electric guitars - turning on the volume potentiometer makes the sound become more muffled, due to the fact that the resistance of the potentiometer affects the height of the resonance peak, which makes the sound bright, in addition to the inductance of the pickup and the capacitance of the cable.

This high cut problem becomes even more acute when the potentiometer is not connected correctly (4). As the volume decreases, the coil is more and more grounded until ultimately it is fully shorted to ground. I think there is no need to explain what happens to the resonance peak.

Output jacks

The standard jack used in electric guitars is 6.35mm (1/4 "). Since this type of jack is also used as an input jack in an amplifier, both plugs on the ends of a standard guitar cable are the same so it doesn't matter which one is plugged into the guitar, but what kind of amplifier.

Mono jacks have two contacts (1), one of which is connected to the body, the other to the contact tab. When the plug is inserted into the socket, its specially shaped tip makes contact with the contact tab of the socket, while the other part makes contact with the body (2). This is clearly visible on open nests. On insulated, plastic sockets, the contact located closer to the input is common. Some sockets also have additional contacts that can be used as a switch (4). They are activated when the plug is inserted. The stereo jacks and stereo plugs have an additional third pin (3).

Potentiometer types:

(5) Standard potentiometer

(6) Stereo potentiometer: two moving contacts on two resistance tracks move simultaneously with one slide.

(7) Slider (longitudinal potentiometer): the movable contact moves in a straight line along the resistance track. This type is not used on electric guitars.

(8) Fixing nuts

(9) Potentiometer with a thinner slide.

Circuitry rules

Common wire is the most common element in electrical circuits. The electrical diagram allows you to depict schematically, for ease of reading, the connection of wires and elements, Elements and in particular the common wire (11) are depicted by symbols, and conductors - by lines. This ground mapping is especially useful for complex electrical circuits, otherwise the intricacy of common conductors will greatly clutter the circuit. In real wiring, all common contacts must be soldered to each other and to the common contact of the socket.

The connection of conductors in the electrical diagram is represented as a bold point (12).

Two wires crossing each other without connection are often represented by two intersecting lines without a point (13), and in American circuits as in figure (14).

Potentiometers

The volume of the guitar sound (Volume) is manually adjusted using a variable resistor with three leads called a potentiometer. The two extreme leads are connected to the resistance track, and the middle one with a moving contact, which moves with a slider along the resistance track, thus changing the resistance. Linear potentiometers change resistance evenly: for example, when the moving contact is in the middle position, the resistance is equal to half the total resistance of the potentiometer. Audio potentiometers, or logarithmic potentiometers, are a special type of potentiometer in which the change in resistance occurs exponentially. This type of potentiometer is often used for volume and tone control because it gives the impression of a gradual change in volume or tone. Of course, linear potentiometers can also be used, in the end it's a matter of taste. Linear potentiometers are usually labeled B, and logarithmic potentiometers are A (audio). Thus, the 250kV potentiometer is linear and the 250kA potentiometer is logarithmic.

The representation of a resistor or potentiometer in an electrical circuit is different. In Germany, the DIN resistor symbol is a small rectangle; the potentiometer is represented by an arrow across the rectangle (DIN - German Industrial Standard). The American style is more visual, but also more difficult to draw. This book uses a hybrid view.

Capacitors

Capacitors form an obstacle to the direct passage of direct electric current, but allow alternating current to flow freely. A capacitor consists of two plates separated by a dielectric layer and placed so close together that the alternation of load currents - such as alternating current - causes them to influence each other. The resistance of the capacitor is low at high frequencies and high at low frequencies. In other words, the capacitor allows more high frequencies to pass through than low frequencies. Capacitors are circuit components that can be used as a frequency filter. The higher the rating, the lower the frequencies that the capacitor passes. Low-rated capacitors can be mica or ceramic. Capacitance is measured in picofarads (pF, pF), nanofarads (nF, nF) or microfarads (μF, mF,? F). 1nF = 1000pF, and 1000nF = 1uF (i.e. 0.001uF = 1nF = 1000pF). Unfortunately, the capacitance written on a capacitor is too often misunderstood. On most of them, you will find only numbers at all, and the sign of a unit of capacity will be completely absent. The value of such capacitors can presumably be determined based on their size. In principle, this is not difficult with common sense. The number "1000" written on the small capacitor is likely to mean 1000pF (= 1nF). "1E3" will also be 1000pF. Finally, ".001" is shorthand for 0.001uF, or 1nF. In addition, some multimeters allow you to measure capacitance.

Another marking is three digits written on the capacitor, the first two of them denote the capacitance in picofarads (pF), and the third digit is the number of zeros: "503" - 50 pF + three zeros = 50000pF = 50nF = 0.050μF

Switches

Switches are devices that open and close an electrical circuit by mechanical means. They can also be used to change the direction of the signal flow. Switches are classified according to the number of pins and positions. The simplest type of switches is ON-OF Switch (SPST = two outputs, two positions: on / off, implemented as a toggle switch or button). Figure (1) - designation on the circuit breaker diagram.

ON-ON Switch (SPDT = three pins, two positions: on-on (2), the middle contact is alternately connected to one of the other two, so the signal can be routed in one of two ways.

ON-OF-ON Switch (on-off-on) three outputs, three positions (3), in the middle position, no contacts are closed. This switch allows two capacitors to be connected in parallel with the sensor.

An ON-ON-ON Switch is a special type of switch that operates as shown in Figure 4. Three pins, three positions. In the middle position, all leads are closed.

A multi-pin switch allows multiple contacts to be closed at the same time. Thus, the DPDT switch (5) works like two SPDT switches (2) placed side by side and activated at the same time, or three SPDT switches with three outputs activated at the same time.

If you do not know how a particular switch works, check it with an ohmmeter.

High frequency cut caused by volume potentiometer can be reduced by using a capacitor (1). A suitable container is selected experimentally. Typical capacitance is 0.01μF. Since the current always takes the path of least resistance, the higher signal frequencies will pass through the capacitor without loss. This is the best way to eliminate the potentiometer RF loss problem. For humbuckers connected to a 500k potentiometer, it is best to use a 0.001μF capacitor and a 150k resistor connected in parallel (2), and a parallel connected sensor, loaded with a resistance of about 300k in this connection, produces sound balanced over the entire adjustment range. With singles and potentiometers with a resistance of 250k, a 0.0025uF capacitor and a 220k resistor are used, which allow you to transmit the timbre of sound without changing at low volume. (I would not recommend using the described loudness chains (Fig. 1 and 2), practice shows that when actively playing with the volume control, they interfere very much)

Capacitors for tone control. (3)

The lower resistance of the potentiometer compared to the capacitor means that some of the high frequencies of the guitar signal go to the ground, not reaching the output. Most musicians turn the tone potentiometers to a minimum so that the high frequencies are cut less, not allowing the sound to become dull. It is recommended to use a logarithmic potentiometer as a tone control (despite the recommendations of the author, the overwhelming majority of manufacturers put linear potentiometers on the tone - maybe they just did not read the article ;-)). To adjust the tone, capacitors with capacities of 0.047uF or 0.05uF (47nF and 50nF, respectively) are usually used for singles and 0.02uF (20nF) for humbuckers, but of course you can experiment with different capacities.

If your tone control is a potentiometer with a built-in switch (ON-ON button), you can switch between two capacitors of different capacities (4).

More timbre options can be obtained by using a circular switch (biscuit) with capacitors of different capacities soldered to it and connected in parallel to the sensor (5). This method allows you to change the resonant frequency of the transducer, obtaining a greater variety of sounds. Experimenting with capacitors of different capacities between 0.0005uF (0.5nF or 500pF) and 0.010mF (10nF) will let you know the differences in timbres. A larger capacitor connected in parallel will cut off more HF and make the sound lower in frequency than a smaller capacitor. If the rotary switch makes a clicking noise when switching, connect a 10M resistor across each capacitor. You can buy pre-made rotary switches with built-in capacitors (6) for most pickups and guitars from German guitar electronics expert Helmut Lemme.

Further experiments may consist in connecting a resistor to a capacitor in series (6-8k) or in parallel (100-150k). This resistor should cut resonance peaks that are too high and make the sound warmer.

Humbucker consists of two identical coils, which are usually connected in series, the beginning of the windings are connected to each other (the so-called midpoint), and the ends form leads. One of these leads is often connected to a metal base plate (1), thus providing a shield for the sensor. In this case, you need to know exactly which of the humbucker pins is connected to the screen. Usually two leads are sufficient, but more sound options can be obtained if the shield is connected to a separate third lead (2). The maximum amount of freedom for commutation of coils in a humbucker is given by five pins (3) (four wires from the coils (two ends, two ends) plus a ground wire).

You can also turn the humbucker into a single coil by separating the coils with the switch (4). This will give the typical sound of a single, but of course the noise canceling effect will be lost.

Instead of using a switch, an opening potentiometer (5) can be connected in parallel to one of the coils. To do it, open the potentiometer and use a knife to cut a resistance track closer to one of the terminals. In this case, at the beginning of such a potentiometer, the sensor will work as a pure humbucker. Then, by turning the potentiometer slider, the movable contact will reconnect with the other pin, and by the end the humbucker will smoothly enter single-coil mode.

Connecting two humbucker coils in parallel will create new tone variations while maintaining the noise canceling effect. This is possible by means of a DPDT (Double Position, Double) switch (6). This parallel link will produce a brighter sound, but less output.

Singles

Manufacturer	Beginning (first conclusion)	End (second conclusion)	Pole / Winding
			N / clockwise
			S / clockwise
			S / clockwise
			N / clockwise
			S / clockwise
			S / counterclockwise
			S / clockwise
			N / clockwise

Sensor wire manufacturers and colors

Humbuckers

Manufacturer	Corrected polarity	Fixed polarity
	Start End Green - Green - Green - Green -	Start End Red + Green - Red + Brown Red + Red +

When two singles with their magnetic poles in opposite directions are used simultaneously, both sensors can be connected in parallel or in series, like a humbucker. Why such a connection is not used for pickups on the Jazz Bass like the ones shown above is a mystery to me. Both sensors have the same pole of the magnets, which is very difficult to change because the coils are wound directly on the magnets.

For sensors that have flat magnets located under the coil, the polarity of the magnetic field can be easily reversed by changing the orientation of the magnets.

Pinout humbucker coils

If you do not have a circuit and no assumptions about which coils and which wires are coming out of the humbucker, you have two ways to determine this commutation: the first is to try to disassemble the sensor (I am opposed to this way, since the sensor can be easily damaged during disassembly) , the second is to use an ohmmeter to measure resistance, so that logical conclusions can be drawn from this. Switch the meter to resistance measurement mode, set the mode switch to 20 kΩ and measure the resistance on any two wires. If they are not connected, they are wires from different coils. Continue measuring the resistances alternately on the other wires in relation to one of the first two, until the multimeter shows resistance in the range from 1k to 12k, which means that you have found two wires from the same coil. Write down their colors, then use the same method to find the wires of the other coil. When you have found and recorded the colors of the leads of the second coil, only the wire remains, which must be connected to the copper plate - the shield. Quite often this wire is connected to the braided shield wire of the sensor cable and is therefore easily recognizable.

Determining the electrical polarity of humbucker coils

To determine the polarity of the coils, the wires are connected to a voltmeter and lightly tapped with a screwdriver on the cores of the coils. If the voltmeter does not show the appearance of voltage on one coil, knock on the other. Eventually, the voltmeter will show either positive or negative voltage. If the voltage is negative, swap the wires with each other. Now write down the color of the wire that is connected to the + terminal of the voltmeter and in the same way find out the positive contact of the other coil. To get the noise canceling effect, both positive leads are used as sensor leads, and the negative leads are connected to each other. In this case, one of the positive leads of the sensor is connected to ground and the sensor shield. Although this method does not allow you to tell which of the two positive leads is the beginning and which end of the winding of the coils, it nevertheless allows common-mode connection if other sensors are tested in the same way. Such "tests" are absolutely safe - the sensors remain safe and sound.

Determination of magnetic polarity

The magnetic polarity of the sensor cores can be easily determined using a compass. Just hold it close to the cores and see which end of the compass needle is drawn to the sensor. If the south end, the cores have north poles at the top of the sensor and vice versa. Basically, if you have a free magnet, you only need the compass once. Mark the polarity on it using the above method and bring it to the cores. If the magnet is pushed away from the cores, they have the same polarity as the side of the magnet brought up to the cores.

A pickup selector is required if your guitar has more than one pickup. The SPDT switch shown in diagram (1), although it switches the sensors, however, will not be able to turn them on at the same time. This can be done using a three-position double switch (2), obtaining the following options: one first sensor in position 1 of the switch, the first and second sensors together in position 2, and one second sensor in position 3. So that there is no difference in sound volume of the sensors, from - due to the use of sensors with different resistance, both sensors must have approximately the same resistance. By using two singles with opposite magnetic polarity in each coil, a humbucking effect can be obtained by turning the switch to position 2, which connects the coils of the singles in series.

Special sensor switches allow switching on the first and second sensors either separately from each other, or both together. One of these models (3,4,8) is very simple: by moving the switch handle in one direction, the contacts on one side close and on the other open, and in the middle position, both all contacts are interlocked. There are also L-type switches (4), made to fit in a deck that is less than 45mm (l3 / 4 ") thick. In addition, there are also slide-type switches (7).

Lever switches with three positions (5) are a little more complicated. When you turn on such a switch as shown in Figure 9, it will allow you to implement the following combinations: 1 sensor, 1 and 2 sensors together, 2 sensors.

You can also use a 2-way, 3-position, rotary switch (6), but most guitarists prefer regular switches. There are multilevel rotary switches (biscuits). Each level consists of a circular printed circuit board, with leads located in a circle and on which a contact strip, actuated by a switch slide, walks. Other rotary switches have 12 contacts in a circle, and differ in the number of positions and make contacts. Depending on the model, there are 1 x 12, 2x6, 3x4 or 4x3 (the first digit is the number of closable contacts, the second is the number of positions). For each level in the middle there is a general conclusion. On some models, the number of switch positions can be changed by means of a small stopper, thus converting a 2 x 6 switch to, for example, 2 x 3.

With three or more sensors, the number of possible combinations increases and the switching becomes more complex. Using three separate ON-OF (SPST) switches is the easiest way to get any desired sensor combination (10). However, most guitars with three pickups use a dedicated five-position rocker switch (11), which gives you the following pickup options: 1, 1 + 2, 2, 2 + 3, 3.

More combinations of sensors are possible with the use of wafers. But since guitarists often prefer five-way rocker switches, manufacturers make special versions of this type of switch that give more combinations than usual.

The Megaswitch (11), a high quality rocker switch, can be used in place of a conventional five position switch. In addition to the standard Strat and Telek functions (S or T 8-pin models), there is also a P-model that simulates Paul Reed Smith (PRS) pickup combinations of guitars whose two humbuckers are connected to give the following combinations: 1.Bridge humbucker , 2. the inner coils of both humbuckers in parallel, 3. the outer coils of both humbuckers in parallel, 4. the outer coils of both humbuckers in series, 5. the neck humbucker.

The first such switch was designed to receive five sound combinations from three sensors. For example: single / single / single, humbucker / single / single, humbucker / single / humbucker and humbucker / humbucker. This Schaller switch comes with detailed connection instructions, so I will not explain them.

Yamaha's 12-pin, 5-position switch (12) offers the largest number of different combinations possible. Its commutation, however, is rather complicated. This switch can be purchased from Stewart-MacDonald. Since it comes with very detailed connection instructions, I will not repeat them in this book. I would highly recommend this switch if you find the number of combinations obtained with conventional switches is insufficient.

The timbre block is installed on a metal plate. I used this circuit in my last guitar. A 0.001uF capacitor and a 150k resistor soldered to the volume potentiometer should make the adjustment smooth over the entire stroke of the regulator.

The antiphase connection of sensors is another possibility of obtaining more tone options. The effect of this is obtained with at least two sensors with approximately the same characteristics. When two or more sensors are turned on at the same time, they are usually connected in parallel and in phase, that is, all sensors respond in the same way to vibration of the strings in their magnetic fields, giving, for example, a positive voltage when the strings approach the sensors and negative voltage when the strings move away from them. ... When one or more sensors are turned on in antiphase, the sound is thin and nasal, but suitable for certain styles of music. This can be easily achieved by changing the connection of one of the sensors. Phase changeover is possible with ON-ON DPDT (1) switch or potentiometer with built-in DPDT switch. The latter has the advantage, since it does not require drilling an additional hole for the switch. If you have two or more humbuckers, you can connect one of them to the switch as shown in Figure 2 to change only its phasing (the humbucker must have a separate ground wire). Two singles can be connected to a phase switch in the same way as a humbucker.

Phasing when connecting two coils

The table shows the phasing of a typical parallel connection of sensors with different switching of their switch.

N = North Pole, S = South Pole, HC = Noise Suppression

Winding / Pole	Clockwise / S	Clockwise / N	Counterclockwise / S	Counterclockwise / N
Clockwise / S	In phase	Antiphase	Antiphase	In-phase-HC
Clockwise / N	Antiphase	In phase	In-phase-HC	Antiphase
Counterclockwise / S	Antiphase	In-phase-HC	In phase	Antiphase
Counterclockwise / N	In-phase-HC	Antiphase	Antiphase	In phase

Diodes

A diode is an integral part of electrical circuits, has two terminals ("+" - anode and "-" - cathode), and allows the current to flow in only one direction. Diodes can protect the circuit in case of improper battery connection. If voltage is applied to the terminal of a diode that is marked with a mark (anode) - mainly a line - the diode is properly connected and allows current to flow. If on the contrary (to the cathode), the diode does not pass current.

Active electronics

Using active electronics instead of passive circuits has several advantages: the sound of the guitar becomes independent of the guitar cable and can be adjusted more widely (these advantages become less important if a wireless transmitter with external audio equipment is used with passive). In addition, the use of the asset eliminates the disadvantages of passive circuits, such as muting sound by means of controls, and it becomes possible to expand the switching of signals from sensors.

In most cases, an active amplifier is built into the guitar and is powered by a 9-volt battery, which has one drawback - it sits down and needs to be replaced, this usually happens at the most inopportune time. Therefore, be sure to have a spare battery available. The best solution is to provide for the possibility of switching an asset to a liability and vice versa during the game.

You can also use a 9V battery by equipping your guitar with a power adapter socket to recharge the battery.

Special plastic containers can be used for the battery. You can buy them at radio or music stores. This container makes changing the battery very easy. Most 9-volt batteries have dedicated terminals for connection.

All active systems must have a switch to disconnect power from the circuit. If you forget to turn off the power, the battery will soon run out. The stereo jack can also be used to turn off the power, since the cable is usually disconnected from the guitar after playing. The minus of the battery should be connected to the middle pin of the stereo jack. If a regular guitar cable with a regular mono plug (1) is inserted into such a jack, the minus of the battery is shorted to the common wire of the circuit, turning on the power. When the guitar is not in use, the electrical circuit must be opened by pulling out the cable.

By means of a diode, the circuit can be protected against erroneous battery connection. Diodes allow current to flow in only one direction and only 0.6V of battery voltage is lost on it, so the remaining 8.4V goes to power the circuit. Almost all diodes are suitable for this purpose. The 1N4001 and 1N4148 are the two most commonly used diodes for this.

Currently, all active circuits are built on microcircuits - operational amplifiers. Most microcircuits have one operational amplifier on board, and eight pins. The first pin on the microcircuit case is often marked with a dot, and the pinout of operational amplifiers such as NE530, TL061, TL071, TL081, LF351, LF411, uA771 and others is standardized. Dual operational amplifier chips also have eight pins, for example: TL062, TL072, TL082, LF353, LF412, uA772, NE5532, NE5535, AD712. Quad opamp, such as OP11, TL064, TL074, TL084, LF347, uA774 and others, are implemented in a 14-pin package.

Analog Devices, Texas Instruments, National Semiconductor are some of the names of op amp manufacturers. They all offer different types of amplifiers and with different parameters. Low-noise, micropower opamp are used for active guitar electronics. The active circuits that I will describe use micropower opamp - models TL061, TL062, and TL064 from Texas Instruments. On the other hand, there are also low noise opamp (such as TL071, TL072 and TL064), which consume more power. All op amps come with detailed information that describes all of their parameters.

If you want to know more about active electronics, read the relevant literature. My knowledge in this area is mostly general, but I will try to describe it all in simple terms. I would not advise you to design your own asset circuits if you do not have the appropriate knowledge and equipment, such as a tone generator or an oscilloscope.

If you do not have experience in the field of electronics, and you do not understand the circuit, ask some familiar radio engineer or hobbyist to make a printed circuit board for you. Most guitar manufacturers do not make active electronics, and provide this opportunity to others. Passive circuits are easier to understand and build.

Installing sensors with active electronics integrated into them is the easiest way to switch to an asset; they only need a power source and are easy to buy. They have an SMD (Surface Mount Components) based electrical board built into the sensor housing. The parameters of such sensors are already defined and cannot be changed. They can be connected to volume and tone potentiometers in the usual way, but these potentiometers should not have a resistance greater than 25k, that is, 1/10 the resistance of a conventional guitar potentiometer in a passive circuit.

Many manufacturers offer ready-made active circuits, the installation of which does not require in-depth knowledge of electronics. They are often implemented in potentiometers or printed circuit boards. Using the included connection instructions, you can easily connect the circuit to your guitar. The equalizer allows you to select different cutoff frequencies using a miniature DIP switch.

A voltage follower is the basis of active electronics; it completely eliminates the effect of the guitar cable on the pickup tone. The first way to connect to a guitar is to embed the circuitry directly into the guitar, between the usual passive elements and the output jack. The second method is to mount it into an external enclosure that attaches to the guitar strap and is plugged between the output jack and the guitar cable. This has the advantage of being able to use the electronics on another guitar. The absence of any cable capacitance makes the resonant frequency of the sensor very high and the sound is pleasant and bright. By inserting a capacitor into the circuit (shown as a dashed line in the figure on the left) in parallel with the input, you can return the resonant frequency to a normal level. The capacitance of the capacitor is selected experimentally. Capacitance of standard guitar cables from 500pF to 1000pF (lnF) - can serve as a sample.

Operational amplifiers in standard 14-pin and 8-pin packages.

All op-amps mentioned in the text correspond to the standard pinout shown in the figure above. Other types may vary, so be careful.

Operational amplifiers

An op amp, or op amp, is usually implemented as an integrated circuit (IC) and is a voltage amplifier. These are mainly small chips with a large number of semiconductors, such as transistors, diodes, etc., which form a complex miniature electrical circuit. Their main advantage is their extremely high input impedance and extremely low output impedance. They can be used for a variety of purposes as their electrical properties are determined by external components such as resistors and capacitors.

The small PCB shown on the left is a notch filter made by Helmut Lemme. The Q-switch is replaced with a mini-switch, which is more practical. From left to right: frequency potentiometer, Q switch, 9V battery connector, input wire, common wire, and output wire that connects to the volume potentiometer.

So, if you are reading this article, then it means that you most likely decided to independently unsolder and improve the sound of your instrument. I warn you that the wiring diagram proposed in this article may differ from the one that should be on your guitar due to the difference in the electric guitar structure.

SHIELDING.

Let's start with how to properly shield your guitar.
In general, most decent electric guitars have factory shielding in graphite varnish or EMILAC (copper powder varnish). This provides good signal protection against interference and noise.
It looks like this:

If you don't have this type of screen, you can always make it yourself by replacing the graphite with an aluminum cooking tray, aluminum or copper tape.

The main mistakes when escaping:

• the use of completely unsuitable materials (candy wrapper, other non-conductive surfaces, foil glued to superglue, etc.).
• Extremely sloppy execution. In such a case, the shield can simply be shorted to the signal wire or other parts of the circuit.
• Shielding where you don't need to. It is necessary to screen only solder points that are open for pickups and unshielded wires. The screen should not lie on the wires or anywhere else, only under the timbre block.

The cover of the tone block must also be covered with a screen. When screening, large slots or gaps should not be allowed, since the screen is a shell that absorbs all interference. It is necessary to make sure that the joints of the aluminum tape not only adhere tightly to each other, but also have contact (if the adhesive layer on the tape does not give normal contact, then you can solder it using a special flux for soldering aluminum). If the timbre block is attached to a pickguard, then only this part can be covered with a screen.

What is a timbre block?
At its core, a guitar tone block is a special switching circuit that is located inside the body of a musical instrument.
In the tone block, the signal from the pickup goes to the switch, volume, tone and output jack.
In essence, the screen in the tone block is a continuation of the screen in the signal cable.

Let's move on to the wiring of the electric guitar itself.

You can find your wiring diagram here on this site:

And I'll show you how it's done for me:

This circuit has two 500 kΩ potentiometers, a three position switch, a 6.3 mm jack socket. Between the pin of the tone potentiometer and the common minus is a capacitor of 47 nF and 100 volts. It is needed for filtering high frequencies.
It should be noted that when soldering, it is necessary to distance the signal wires from the screen as much as possible, and also earth loops must not be allowed.

We are often asked about wiring pickups on different guitars, and we came to the conclusion that many guitarists do not understand how this works and what is the difference in sound. Few people know what serial, parallel pickup wiring is, what phase switching and coil cutoff are. We decided to put things in order in this matter, dotting all the "e".

Wiring Pickups in a Standard Stratocaster

Understanding the very concept of series and parallel circuits can seriously expand your sound range, you will understand how to solder sensors, how to re-solder guitar cabinets to different resistance in ohms, and also understand how the effects loop works in your amplifier, so you can tune that sound. which you need. This is not a difficult question, but it can be difficult to find direct answers to your questions on the Internet. Let's start with the most popular way of wiring pickups on electric guitars with two or three pickups - parallel wiring.

Imagine that the parallel circuit is a railroad track. Each of the rails is independent of each other, just like + and - in an electronic circuit. Plus, the earth is sleepers. The pickup output is connected to the pickup selector and ground is connected to one point (usually the back of the volume potentiometer). To get a better idea of ​​how this works, take a look at the diagram above.

Wiring sensors for Brian May (Queen)

Brian has three single coil pickups in series, so his guitar doesn't sound like a Strat. Notice how the current flows through the sensors. Even with many phase switches on Brian May's guitar, the output of one pickup is connected to the input of the other. This is how you connect your effects pedals together. These two pickup wiring methods give us two different types of sound, both of which are quite applicable. There is no single right way to connect pickups, and many guitarists prefer both for maximum versatility. Okay, let's leave the associations and move on to the fun part - the difference in sound. Imagine how the Strat sounds in second position (neck / mid) or in fourth position (mid / bridge). You hear the classic ringing sound of a strat with low noise and little output (the song Sultans of Swing is a good example). The two sensors act as a kind of filter, lowering each other's resistance. This is the essence of parallel wiring and it is it that gives you that very clear sound - sonorous, glassy, ​​resilient and sparkling. That is why Brian May's guitar has nothing to do with the Strat, rather its pickups sound like humbuckers. Pause and listen to the following two examples of the sound of guitars with different types of pickup wiring. The first example is a Telecaster with a 4-way switch, the second is a Strat with an S-1 system.

A humbucker is a pickup with two reverse polarity, reverse winding coils in series. Humbuckers sound darker (as in the examples above) + they have a more powerful output. However, 4-wire humbuckers can be connected in parallel for a single coil sound that is bright and sonorous. Seymour Duncan writes on his website that "a humbucker connected in parallel is 30% quieter than if connected in series."

The humbucker is a dual coil pickup with reverse polarity and winding

When connected this way, the cartridge will sound like 2 singles side by side due to its reverse polarity and winding. Although we do not have a sound example for you, you may well find what you need on YouTube, just search for “series parallel humbucker”. Hopefully we've cleared things up a bit about why singles and humbuckers sound different. In addition to the materials from which they are made, different connection of the sensors gives almost exactly the opposite result. Good luck experimenting with your sound!

Using just two pickups on your electric guitar, you can get different sounds with the help of their combinations without buying additional devices. The usual way of positioning the sensors is in parallel or in phase. For sensors whose wires are sealed in the housing and not available for soldering, changing the sensor combination can be difficult.

In any case, a properly matched pair of pickups, connected in parallel and in phase, gives the most rock or jazz sound. The standard pickup combination on the Strat produces that characteristic funky sound.

Getting the sound you want will take a little time and patience to find the combination of sensors. First, you need to place the pickups inside the guitar, and then change the wire combination to achieve a change in the sound. After you have found the desired combination, you need to figure out how you can quickly and conveniently switch between the standard combination and the one you have chosen. It is recommended to use no more than two switches in order to quickly make sound changes. The easier way is to stick to traditional combinations that are guaranteed to give good results.

In order to understand how to position the sensors, you need to understand a little how humbuckers work. The humbucker sensor has two coils side by side. Each of these coils accepts the vibrations of the strings, but at the same time introduces its own interference-noise. Despite the fact that humbuckers are less noisy than single coil pickups, there is still noise. Alternatively, to minimize noise, humbuckers were covered with a metal cover, almost all vintage pickups were like this. There are also sensors without caps, both humbuckers and singles. I don’t know how effective it is to cover sensors, I can only say that sensors with covers sound more muffled (bluesy), less aggressive. Therefore, if you are a fan of aggressive music, then it is better to choose sensors without caps, on them you will receive the maximum signal that can be sent into the effect chain.

The figure above (two on the right) shows the connection of the sensors in phase and out of phase. Signals in phase will amplify each other, in antiphase they will, on the contrary, be suppressed. The principle of operation of an ordinary humbucker is based on the antiphase connection of two identical coils, standing at different poles of the magnet. The useful signal from the strings in the coils is added, and the pickup noise (independent of magnets) is subtracted. Logically, when two sensors are turned on in antiphase, we shouldn't hear anything at all, but the string, in addition to the general vibration (fundamental tone), also makes a bunch of small multidirectional vibrations (harmonic overtones), which are formed by dividing the sounding string into equal segments. The following situation arises: at different points the string moves in different directions and at different speeds. Accordingly, the currents in different sensors will differ slightly from each other. And the closer the frequency component (harmonic) is to the fundamental tone, the more chances it has to be suppressed by the signal from the sensor switched on in antiphase. In general, we will hear the fundamental tone about 2 times quieter than with a simultaneous in-phase (in-phase) switching on, and the larger the ordinal number of the harmonic, the louder (with respect to the already quiet fundamental tone in comparison with the usual switching on, its share in the spectrum of the main signal will be. As a result, we get a quiet sound, rich in harmonics, and selectively. The sound will be higher, but it will have a different character. Usually, both humbucker coils are wound in one direction, then they are interconnected by the internal leads of the windings (beginning of one with the beginning of the other). One of the the remaining external conclusions goes to the "ground", it will " cold", The second wire will be the output," hot". You will get an anti-series connection of the coils, for noise they will be in antiphase, the background will be suppressed (subtracted). Of course, it will not be completely subtracted, but essential, and for the signal from the strings - in phase, so there will be an addition of voltages from both coils. This will be the case if each coil contains magnets in different polarities. For example, if in one coil "north" to the strings, then in the other coil - "south" to the strings. Or between the magnetic cores of different coils there will be one magnet touching with its different poles the magnetic cores of different coils.

Let's try to disassemble several options for connecting sensors in more detail on the diagrams.

Gibson uses a neck / both / bridge pickup combination as standard and is easy to implement. But, using additional switches, you can also use humbuckers with an output from only one of the coils. An example of the circuit is below.

Single coil + humbucker

Are in phase. The circuit is very simple, it allows you to use both 4 together and each separately pickup coils. In this case, the sound will be very different, it is desirable that the resistance of both humbuckers is the same.

individual humbucker routing

Single coil sensors

The diagram below shows how to make a wiring for singles, as a result of which it will be possible to use each single sensor separately or together.

Below are a few more diagrams that allow you to use humbuckers and singles in various combinations. You need to understand that the selection of the combination you need and, accordingly, the sound should completely depend on your decision, and the more wiring options you try, the more chances that your pickups and guitar will sound the way you need it.