PAF 36th set & Dimarzio wiring diagram question

[wormbot]

Hi,

I got a set of DiMarzio PAF 36th anniversary pickups.

I know that according to DiMarzio color codes, for a standard series wiring:

• red is hot
• black & white together for series wiring
• green & bare to to ground

I got this wiring diagram from their website. I'm using this:

• 1 500k volume pot
• 1 500k push-pull tone pot
• 1 3-way 4PDT ON-ON-ON EP1111 pickup selector switch

Originally I bought this kind of switch because I thought I'd wanted some exotic wiring in this guitar, but I changed my mind and I use it a a simple switch now.

My goal is to use the tone pot's push-pull mechanism to toggle coil split on both pickups, whichever pickup is used.

I did my wiring using this diagram I found on their website:
2 Humbucker, 1 Volume, 1 Push/-Pull Tone (Split Neck & Bridge); Neck, Neck & Bridge, Bridge

Everything works fine, but I noticed that the bridge black+white wires are soldered together on the tone pot, but for the neck, it's the red+green wires that are soldered together on the pot. Since there's no mention of the neck's black wire anywhere, I sent it to ground like stated at the bottom of the diagram.

So my question is:
Is my neck pickup wired in series, "in the standard way", as they state in the manual coming with the pickup?

 

[Rick]

I think you might be interested in a freeway switch. It would get you to the same place and no push pull. As to whether you soldered correctly. I don’t know, I only follow the directions.

 

[wormbot]

I think you might be interested in a freeway switch. It would get you to the same place and no push pull. As to whether you soldered correctly. I don’t know, I only follow the directions.

The wiring in my guitar is done exactly as this. My question was about the diagram. There's not a ton of info.

I'll look into the freeway switch, seems interesting!

 

[JohnnyHardtail]

Everything works fine, but I noticed that the bridge black+white wires are soldered together on the tone pot, but for the neck, it's the red+green wires that are soldered together on the pot. Since there's no mention of the neck's black wire anywhere, I sent it to ground like stated at the bottom of the diagram.

So my question is:
Is my neck pickup wired in series, "in the standard way", as they state in the manual coming with the pickup?

Yes. the connection in the Dimarzio drawing for the neck pickup is equivalent to the "standard way". It is still a series humbucker connection, only the connection sequence of the Slug coil and screw coil is swapped around. It is equivalent so the polarity does not change.

Standard series connection:
HOT <-Red---(Slug coil)--Black-> CONNECT <-White-(screw coil)-Green-> GROUND
Alternative series connection:
HOT <-White-(screw coil)-Green-> CONNECT <-Red---(Slug coil)--Black-> GROUND

Dimarzio suggest this so you have the "screw coil" of the neck pickup activated when you use the coil-split, whereas the standard way would give the "slug coil". The advantage of using the two different connection methods is so the two pickups will be hum-cancelling when they are used together with the pickup selector in the middle position and the coil-split activated.

 

[stratamania]

@JohnnyHardtail you just saved me from some typing

The only thing to add, the Dimarzio diagram suggests the bridge and neck installed with the cable exit in the opposite direction. As I cannot see the pickups, I assume this also adds to some sort of hum cancelling, but may just be a positioning thing.

 

[wormbot]

@JohnnyHardtail you just saved me from some typing

The only thing to add, the Dimarzio diagram suggests the bridge and neck installed with the cable exit in the opposite direction. As I cannot see the pickups, I assume this also adds to some sort of hum cancelling, but may just be a positioning thing.

This means the screw coil on the neck pup is towards the neck, and the screw coil of the bridge pup is towards the bridge.

You can see it in the Gallery section, in the featured build submissions. The swamp ash VIP.

 

[wormbot]

Yes. the connection in the Dimarzio drawing for the neck pickup is equivalent to the "standard way". It is still a series humbucker connection, only the connection sequence of the Slug coil and screw coil is swapped around. It is equivalent so the polarity does not change.

Standard series connection:
HOT <-Red---(Slug coil)--Black-> CONNECT <-White-(screw coil)-Green-> GROUND
Alternative series connection:
HOT <-White-(screw coil)-Green-> CONNECT <-Red---(Slug coil)--Black-> GROUND

Dimarzio suggest this so you have the "screw coil" of the neck pickup activated when you use the coil-split, whereas the standard way would give the "slug coil". The advantage of using the two different connection methods is so the two pickups will be hum-cancelling when they are used together with the pickup selector in the middle position and the coil-split activated.

Thanks that explains alot. So my wiring is correct. Thank you!

 

[stratamania]

This means the screw coil on the neck pup is towards the neck, and the screw coil of the bridge pup is towards the bridge.

You can see it in the Gallery section, in the featured build submissions. The swamp ash VIP.

Ah that is just to position the pickups. So what @JohnnyHardtail wrote is spot on.