Just installed EMG 89 & S, Got a question.

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

Just installed my 89 & S (Old school hardwire solder versions), I like it for the most part, love the S in the neck.
In looking at the wire diagram (http://www.sonic.net/~emgman/pdf/89SAiVtoggle.pdf), and after playing it, with the switch down, it's definitely hum bucking, with it up, it's definitely single coil voiced, but when the switch is right dadgumm in the middle, it's pure sweetness, brighter, more output.

I presume because it's using both pre-amps (the humbucker preamp and the single coil preamp) simultaneously, so I'm thinking, why not just wire it up that way. Forget the split, wire it up like the Humbucker only schematic suggests (http://www.sonic.net/~emgman/pdf/89%20as%20humbucker%20only%201v%201t.pdf), only instead of sending only the green to hot as it suggests, send the white also.

Anyone else experimented with this?

Thoughts?

 

[Re-Pete]

I presume because it's using both pre-amps (the humbucker preamp and the single coil preamp) simultaneously, so I'm thinking, why not just wire it up that way. Forget the split, wire it up like the Humbucker only schematic suggests (http://www.sonic.net/~emgman/pdf/89%20as%20humbucker%20only%201v%201t.pdf), only instead of sending only the green to hot as it suggests, send the white also.


Thoughts?

Both single coil & humbucking modes share a coil. In single coil mode, another coil is stacked under the single coil to make it 'noiseless', but in humbucker mode, the single coil is paired alongside another coil (in usual humbucker mode). So the green wire would have the single coil output already coming out of it. I'm assuming the white wire you refer to, is actually the dummy coil that's stacked under the single coil when in single coil mode (?).  :dontknow:


Check out this wiring up brochure from EMG about the pickup's construction to see what I mean...
http://www.emgpickups.com/media/productfile/8/9/89_Instructions_B136rE_0230-0114D.pdf

I find it annoying that the EMG information doesn't tell you what the wires mean. I suppose you could send them an email for a detailed answer, I have found them to be quite good at providing info. They gave me info about their Bass EQ systems and even admitted their pitch range would work with guitars too...

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

I called them last week regarding this very thing; what the wires were.  Because it's a 3 coil pickup, I was going to stick one in a project Tele I have.  Solitary pickup, master V and T, and use the Tele 3 way blade to do series top coils (standard hum), stacked parallel coils (single coil voicing), and parallel top coils.  It's not unlike the Music Man Sterling in that sense.  Digging around on Google helped none, so I called them.  The long and short of it that it can't be done in the conventional sense because the leads are not the start and stop of the coils.  There is a signal in and out, but all three coils are always on and the preamp voicing is what is switched, a la what Tony said.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

I called them last week regarding this very thing; what the wires were.  Because it's a 3 coil pickup, I was going to stick one in a project Tele I have.  Solitary pickup, master V and T, and use the Tele 3 way blade to do series top coils (standard hum), stacked parallel coils (single coil voicing), and parallel top coils.  It's not unlike the Music Man Sterling in that sense.  Digging around on Google helped none, so I called them.  The long and short of it that it can't be done in the conventional sense because the leads are not the start and stop of the coils.  There is a signal in and out, but all three coils are always on and the preamp voicing is what is switched, a la what Tony said.

I found a diagram that identifies the color codes.

However, the tap test on the pickup leads me to believe that the EMG designation is slightly incorrect.
In Single Coil Mode, C2 & C3 are definitely activated, but in Humbucker mode, C1 & C3 rather than C2 seem to be the arrangement.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

I think I figured it out from the above diagram.

So, Orange is the primary coil.  It feeds both voices.

The switch, as we know, switches between those voices.

Humbucker = Orange --> Blue--> Green
Single Coil  = Orange -->Yellow--> White

So, to activate both preamp with all coils active, I just do a "Y" off of the Orange, connected to both Blue and Yellow, Blue goes off to Green, Yellow goes off to White, both Green and White are "Y-d" at either the hot, or the bridge pin of the toggle.

Simple Version, take this wire scheme, http://www.sonic.net/~emgman/pdf/89%20as%20humbucker%20only%201v%201t.pdf
twist blue & Yellow together, connect them to the Orange.
Twist the green & white together, connect them to the Hot or Toggle.

I'll test this with some test leads first.

I think this will be idea if it can be accomplished because the S is louder than the 89 in its humbucker mode using factory wiring.  When I had the switch right in the middle selecting both modes simultaneously, it was balanced across both pickups, both individually and jointly.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

Tried my theory and is debunked.

A call to EMG yielded the recommendation that my push/pull pot is likely faulty.

I wired up the 25k NON push/pull pot, went through my scenarios using test leads.

No perceived difference or benefit in trying to activate both preamps simultaneously.

Wiring up each respective voicing individually yielded very distinctive humbucker and single coil voicing, respectively.

With that being said, I am using the Humbucker Only wire scheme successfully.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

Frustrating as hell when you like to tweak things, call the tech department, "Yeah, it can't do that." 

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

Frustrating as hell when you like to tweak things, call the tech department, "Yeah, it can't do that."

Well, to be fair in his defense, he did say that I could try it, but it was likely that I wouldn't yield the same results as I did with the switch in the middle due to the faulty push/pull.

Every time I've called or emailed EMG, they've been very helpful and gracious.