Ibanez RG 5 way switch wiring? (pics)

[kamix]

I bought a ZW 81/85 kit and have thrown them in the guitar, but I haven't been able to make sense of the ibanez switch positions. Guitar is RG270.

At the moment I am only running the hot wires from the two pickups to the right pin and 3rd from right on the ibanez diagram, with the volume line running to the one between them. Exact same wiring as EMG diagram.

This gives me the neck on switch pos 2/5 and the bridge on 4/5. I want to know how to get the correct pin assignments in an active setup. Can i run the neck on 1/5, bridge on 5/5 and 3/5 being both switched on? Also I am looking at throwing a EMG-S or SA in the middle position because it's a HSH guitar. Can anyone also give me the correct wiring with the 3 EMG's for the default ibanez switch selections?

Any help would be much appreciated, otherwise I will just go buy a new switch Btw. The EMG's are nice I have to say.


As shown in the diagrams I am only running one tone and volume pot.

[Gresh]

Whenever I have to rewire an Ibanez 5 way, my first stop is the shop to pick up an allparts five way...much simpler to work with...so just save the aggrevation and get a new switch.

[Scott of Actual Time]

Originally Posted by kamix

At the moment I am only running the hot wires from the two pickups to the right pin and 3rd from right on the ibanez diagram. Exact same wiring as EMG diagram. This gives me the neck on switch pos 2/5 and the bridge on 4/5. I want to know how to get the correct pin assignments in an active setup.

those are not the pins that had the hot wires from the old pickups, so no wonder it's giving you wierd combinations. trace that wire again -- it does not go to the volume pot output, it goes to ground. those tabs are the automatic coil cut with the series link of your old passive humbuckers.

on that wiring diagram, you want to use the pins on the left side. those pins are switching the hot output.

you might also want to understand how a Strat-style 5-way works. see this other thread i wrote:
http://www.jemsite.com/phpbb/viewtop...60fb676577edc7

Originally Posted by kamix

Can i run the neck on 1/5, bridge on 5/5 and 3/5 being both switched on?

no. a Strat-type 5-way will not do this. you'll need a Tele-style 3-way to get those combinations.

Originally Posted by kamix

Any help would be much appreciated, otherwise I will just go buy a new switch

any Strat-style 5-way will work exactly the same as the switch you have.

[kamix]

Thanks for the replies guys. I was actually kind of suprised anyone replied going by the hatred/arrogance against non-jem guitar owners here. I have to say the majority of members here do not impress me.

That said! I am going to find time tonight to go over the wiring again, I struggle to find a lot of time I can spend on modding etc due to work & I would much rather just jam the whole of my free time away!.

Scott I had already read that thread, but I will go over it again tonight when playing with the gear. I understand the pin layout, but am not 100% sure on how to switch the EMG's in a HH or HSH setup...

[bammbamm]

Originally Posted by kamix

Thanks for the replies guys. I was actually kind of suprised anyone replied going by the hatred/arrogance against non-jem guitar owners here. I have to say the majority of members here do not impress me.

I'm surprised to hear that as I thought we had a pretty good group of people here. Most everyone is willing to help out a fellow musician.

Anyway, I would opt for a new switch anyway, as the stock ones are prone to failing prematurely, IMO. I nabbed a Dimrzio Megaswitch (Stew mac has a simlar stacked wafer switch too) and you can set up a multitude of options for yourself with it.

I'd think with EMG's you would have a nice array of options at your disposal.

Let us know what you end up doing?

Bamm

[Drew]

Originally Posted by kamix

Thanks for the replies guys. I was actually kind of suprised anyone replied going by the hatred/arrogance against non-jem guitar owners here. I have to say the majority of members here do not impress me.

I'm kinda suprised you got that impression too... Must've just run into a few bad spots or something. Anywa, glad a couple of the members are helping you change that impression!

-D

(I don't own a single jem either )

[kamix]

I had left the wiring as it was for a couple of weeks, but got the EMG-SA in the mail today and finished the soldering off (for now at least ) on the HSH setup. I have followed the basic ibanez switching positions except I swapped the hot wires from the middle and neck pups around.

Going from the above ibanez diagram, the wiring on the switch is:

-|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
-----------------V--M--N---B

And the switch selections are:

1/5 - V + M - EMG SA ONLY
2/5 - V + M + N - EMG SA and EMG 85
3/5 - V + N - EMG 85 ONLY
4/5 - V + N + B - EMG 85 and EMG 81
5/5 - V + B - EMG 81 ONLY

Where X = Nothing, V = Volume Pot, N = Neck, M = Mid , B = Bridge.

I wanted the same setup but with positions 1/5 and 3/5 swapped, but after many sketches linking the two sets of poles together, I decided that is impossible with a regular 8pole ibanez switch. This way I found the switch actually has a better flow between positions anyway, going from the clean single pup through to the most dirty bridge position. I'll post some pictures of the pickups and wiring soon.

The combos sound really great. Since the SA has less output than the 85, it almost lightly filters the sound by clearing up the sound of the 85. The 85 and 81 sound really great together. I thought they would sound very muddy and dodgy, but the muddy bell sound of the 85 is the perfect match to the trebbly dirty 81 sound.

[StrykeBack]

did you get your ibanez all wired up with the 3 emgs? I've got an agile baritone that has the same ibanez 5 way switch and need to wire up my 81/85 and still leave room for the SA later on. I see how you labeled the poles and thats a great diagram, but can you give a picture of what your wiring looks like for all those positions finally wired up?

[oxy44]

why ami not seeing any pics of these diagrams??!!

[oxy44]

how can i see that pic of the wiring?.....i threw in 81 and an 89.......89 is way weird...need help..they went into an ibanez rg470

[djohns74]

Originally Posted by oxy44

why ami not seeing any pics of these diagrams??!!

Probably because the thread was created 5 and a half years ago!!!?!!?!!