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View Full Version : Simple "Megabucker" Wiring Mod



duhvoodooman
September 25th, 2006, 01:27 PM
It occurred to me that some folks here who wouldn't want to tackle the full-blown pickup wiring mods I recently completed on my Epiphone Dot might be interested in some simpler alternatives. So, attached below is a diagram I made for what I call the "megabucker" wiring mod--installing a switch that enables you to run both humbuckers of a dual-humbucker guitar in series for an ultra-fat sound. When engaged, it essentially turns the two pickups into one big, 4-coil "megabucker"--fat, loud and nasty! Quite different than when you play a dual-humbucker guitar with the 3-way pickup selector toggle in the middle position, which puts the two p'ups in parallel.

This mod requires replacing just one of the four control pots (and it really makes no difference which one you use, from a functional standpoint) with a double-pole/double-throw push-pull 500K pot and then doing some fairly straightforward rewiring. This is considerably less complicated than wiring for series/parallel, coil-cut or phase-change switching. Also, it can be done using the standard humbuckers that come in most guitars; you don't need 4-conductor humbuckers for it to work. So, no need to buy new p'ups from Seymour Duncan, DiMarzio, et.al. The cost of the mod is basically just the $10 or so that the push-pull pot costs.

How you decide to wire it (using the "hot" wire from one p'up and the ground wire from the other) determines which set of controls will be active when the series switch is engaged. In the diagram, I have it configured to run through the neck controls, and the 3-way pickup selector toggle should be in the neck position. When the series switch is not engaged, you still have the three stock pickup settings available.

The colors shown in the diagram for the pickup wiring are per Seymour Duncan. Dimarzio is different, as are many other 4-conductor pickups makes, I'm sure, so consult the manufacturer's product literature or web site before doing this. If you use 2-conductor humbuckers (as most stock guitars have) for the mod, the braided metal shielding on the outside serves as the ground (-) wire, and the inner insulated wire is the "hot" (+) lead.

Here's the "megabucker" wiring diagram. I've also included a diagram of the stock humbucker pickup wiring, for reference:


581 582

Leonidas
September 27th, 2006, 08:03 AM
Great idea DVM. I never thought of doing that, although I have all the other mods done (except phase control) on my Tele.

Is the sound really much different from dual humbucker in series?
Maybe some sound clips showing the difference? ;)

duhvoodooman
September 27th, 2006, 11:16 AM
Is the sound really much different from dual humbucker in series?
Maybe some sound clips showing the difference?
I assume you mean "is the sound really much different from dual humbucker in parallel ", because that's what you get from the middle position of the 3-way switch on a stock 2-humbucker guitar. Yes, it's quite clearly different. Nowhere near as big as the difference between a humbucker and a single-coil, obviously, but very noticeable. As you might expect, it's fuller and rounder--and somewhat louder--than two 'buckers in parallel, and (unsurprisngly!) there's definitely some loss of top-end clarity. I roll the treble up farther to compensate some. As you'd expect, it drives an amp harder, so if you're right on the edge of break-up, switching to the "megabucker" setting will give a noticeably higher level of distortion. I haven't played with it a whole lot yet, but it seems particularly good for power chord work. I'm not a jazz player, but rolling off the gain/volume gives a nice round, mellow tone that might be quite useful for that genre.

I started recording some clips last night, and hope to finish and post them tonight....

duhvoodooman
September 27th, 2006, 06:57 PM
I started recording some clips last night, and hope to finish and post them tonight....
HERE (http://duhvoodooman.com/audio_clips/megabucker_demo.mp3) is a clip comparing the stock middle pickup position (both humbuckers in parallel) vs. the "megabucker" switch on (both humbuckers in series). The same pair of riffs is repeated four times:


Clean, both humbuckers in parallel (toggle at middle position)
Clean, both humbuckers in series ("megabucker" on)
Dirty, both humbuckers in parallel (toggle at middle position)
Dirty, both humbuckers in series ("megabucker" on)

Recorded using my Vox AD30VT on the Black 2x12 model with a bit of reverb. For the "clean" riffs, I used nothing else, and for a "dirty" tone, I added in my Digitech Bad Monkey.

Leonidas
September 29th, 2006, 08:29 AM
I assume you mean "is the sound really much different from dual humbucker in parallel "...

Yep, ya caught my mistake there....

Them clips really do show a difference. The "megabucker" is rounder and fuller sounding. I could see that being good for power chords like you said. It surprising (to me) how much harder it drives the distortion. I guess that makes sense though.

Thanks for sharing! I might use that someday...

bedroom rocker
August 11th, 2009, 10:55 PM
:master: thank you man, ive been looking for a mod i could do with single conductor hummers for a while. ive only just started looking into modding guitars and this seems pretty straight forward. ive got a cheap 'robison' les paul from ebay n switched out the crappy bridge pup with a 59 seymour duncan. will it work if the stock neck pickup only has 1 wire???? and do the 500k push/pull pots need to be double throw double pull? cheers for the help

bedroom rocker
August 17th, 2009, 12:32 AM
the neck pickup has two wires, not one like i first thought. ive finished the mod and am in the process of putting the strings on to try it out. fingers crossed i didnt stuff it up and it works:rotflmao:

nagha
July 12th, 2013, 10:31 AM
I hate to be the newbie that resurrects a 7 year old post. But the diagrams have been lost due to time. I was wondering if anyone had access to the original post diagrams?

marnold
July 12th, 2013, 06:09 PM
I hate to be the newbie that resurrects a 7 year old post. But the diagrams have been lost due to time. I was wondering if anyone had access to the original post diagrams?

We'll forgive you this time. Look here:
http://duhvoodooman.com/musical/humbucker_mods/humbucker_mods_2.htm

nagha
July 12th, 2013, 07:38 PM
Thank you, sir. Do I get any credit for not creating a new thread and searching deep into the bowels of the forum?

marnold
July 12th, 2013, 09:08 PM
Thank you, sir. Do I get any credit for not creating a new thread and searching deep into the bowels of the forum?

There is that. Sadly use of the search button seems to be a lost art.