Help with RT450 wiring

phantoms · #1 03-09-2006, 10:25 PM

Hello, let me first state that I'm not a guitar player (wish I was), I'm a mechanic and have no trouble with wiring, soldering, assembling, etc. when I know where things go. I picked up a RT450 that's in pieces for my son. I thought that I could put it together for his upcoming birthday. It appears I was over my head. The guitar was disassembled to be refinished, wires were cut here and there, etc. What makes it worse is it appears the guitar was modified from original at some time in the past. The center pickup is a Seymour Duncan. I can not find a name at all on the other two pickups. Instead of two pots (one volume, one tone with push/pull), I have a single pot and a toggle switch. It does still have the 5 way switch. I have no idea in which position (or even orientation) the front and back pickups should go or how they should be wired. They appear to have 2 wires coming out of them (a white wire with a ground cover). The center pickup (the Duncan) has four wires coming out of it (red, green, white, black) with the ground wrap.

This is the wiring diagram ibanez sent me.

http://home.comcast.net/~jsavga/ibanez/rt450_wiring.jpg

And here are some pictures of what I have. Warning, some are very big so that they can show detail.

http://home.comcast.net/~jsavga/ibanez/front_01.jpeg

http://home.comcast.net/~jsavga/ibanez/front_02.jpeg

http://home.comcast.net/~jsavga/ibanez/back_01.jpeg

http://home.comcast.net/~jsavga/ibanez/back_02.jpeg

http://home.comcast.net/~jsavga/ibanez/pu_front.jpeg (the pins on both P/Us show as gold, but they're actual quite silver)

http://home.comcast.net/~jsavga/ibanez/pu_back.jpeg(the red wire under the tape is soldered to the base and ground wire on both)

I would really love to get this guitar together for my son. I gave up on it and bought him a RG270DX for his birthday, but would still like to get this one together too. He doesn't know about either yet.

rgr · #2 03-10-2006, 12:31 PM

Those don't look like the original pickups, hard to tell. Also, the pickguard has been rewired, the toggle switch should be a push-pull tone control pot that does a coil tap when it is pulled out.

I'm not sure where to start with explaining the wiring, you also need to measure the resistance of the pickups to determine the neck and bridge pickups. Shoot me a PM, I understand wanting to get it working for your son, maybe we can work something out. Worst case, you can send me the electronics and I can wire it all up for you, it would probably be quicker than trying to explain how to do it through e-mail and I'm cheap, may need to buy a few parts though, definitely will if you want it to be wired like from the factory.

RT-450s are really nice guitars, especially for the price you can get them for now. I had one a few years ago, shoulda kept it.

Roger

phantoms · #3 03-10-2006, 07:37 PM

Roger, from reading about it and the schematics the factury sent me, I was under the same impression. Which pickup should have higher resistance?

rastachild · #4 03-11-2006, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phantoms

Roger, from reading about it and the schematics the factury sent me, I was under the same impression. Which pickup should have higher resistance?

typically the bridge pickup. i have about 7 of these guitars and i remember trying to switch out the bridge and neck on my own awhile ago. it was a little too complicated for me, mainly because of the coil tap located on the tone knob (which your previous owner has apparently switched out for a toggle switch). i took it to my tech and he told me he gets calls about these guitars alot with guys not understanding how to wire them correctly. it's definitely a different wiring schematic than their typical rgs with that pickup configuration. good luck.

rgr · #5 03-12-2006, 01:17 PM

Yes, the bridge should have the higher resistance, sorry I didn't get back to this earlier. PM me if you want, I can give you my contact info and maybe be able to talk you through some of it.

phantoms · #6 03-13-2006, 10:00 PM

Thank you Rgr. I think I'll go back to original for a start. Got a V8 PU on the way and going to get the S1 and V7 when I trip across 'um cheap. Once I got it all here, I'll shoot you a PM if I need any help.

-James

phantoms · #7 03-25-2006, 07:25 PM

Noticed that I picked up a S1 for the mid, but the guitar originally came with a S2. What is the difference between the two and would the S2 basically be just a more vinatge sounding pickup as most of the RGs used the S1 with the V7/V8 combo?

phantoms · #8 04-05-2006, 11:20 PM

I had also picked up a RG270DX knowing that the RT450 would not be fisished in time for my sons birthday. While I understand that this is a lower end model, I also know with a good set of pickups I can sound everybit as good or better than his Fender Squier. I gave him the 270 for his birthday and showed him the RT I was working on for him and caught him totally by surprise. In fact, he nearly came to tears. I would like to thank all the members here, because without this site I wouldn't know squat about guitars.

Anyway, here's where I stand on the RT. I'm all done except for a set of saddles (the originals are in bad shape) and output jack and plate. Once those are here, then it's strings and a setup and ready for him. I went with original V7/V8 and used a S1 in the mid (originally came with a S2). Put a push/pull tone pot back in to tap the coils and refinished the body with two tones of stains. Capped it off with a few coats of Poly. It really is a beauty and I will get pics of it once it's done and ready for his hands. In fact, I'll get pics of both.

rgr · #9 04-06-2006, 12:43 AM

Glad to hear it's going well, I know it made you feel good to surprise him with something so well received. Pix of the guitar would be cool, pix of you son holding it would be better!!!