JPM Wiring on a jEM. HELP!!!!!

[Marcelo]

Hi there!! I need help!!!! I just bought a Jem BSB a few months ago and i want to do some mods on it. I want to change the wiring. The Pickup selection actually.I want to wire position mumber 3 as Jpm's 2(both hum. inner coils). Is it possible?Can sombody help me???? PLEASE??

Thanks!
Marcelo from Brazil!!!

[CrossingStar]

Probably not a way to do it with the exsisting 5 way since it is specialized for JEM pickup selections. I know how to do it with a Tele 3 way blade switch, DiMarzio sent me the diagram.

Neck black & bare go to ground(back of volume pot). Bridge green & bare go to ground. If you number the offset lugs on the switch like this

1234
5678

1 & 8 are connected and 1 also goes to the in on the volume pot. 2 is empty. 3 connects to neck's green and red. 4 is neck's white. 5 is bridge red. 6 is bridge black & white. 7 is empty. These are DiMarzio color codes by the way.

[Scott of Actual Time]

Originally Posted by Marcelo

I want to wire position mumber 3 as Jpm's 2(both hum. inner coils). Is it possible?

no, not with the stock switch, which is a strat-style 5-way. you've got 3 choices to get what you want:

first, a 3-way Tele blade switch. CrossingStar thoroughly explains how to wire that in his post above. however, with only 3 positions you will loose the in-between humbucker + middle single coil sounds.

second, you could use a Schaller Megaswitch Model E [see www.stewmac.com ]. the wiring instructions for that special switch give the outer coils in position 3. but if you swap the hot and colored ground wires for both humbuckers, you'll get the inner coils instead.

this will give you in-between humbucker + middle single coil sounds, but they will be outer coil bridge HB + middle in position 4 and outer coil neck HB + middle in position 2. these sound fine, but many people prefer the stock JEM sound which combines the inner coils with the middle single. the inner + middle sounds are a little more chimey and less bright.

third, and the only way to get the exact JEM combinations with just position 3 changed to inner coils, is to use a 24-pole superswitch. dimarzio, all parts, and Fender all make different models that work the same way. you would need to draw up your own wiring diagram.

so the easier options have more compromises, and the ones with fewer compromises are harder. just like life, i guess! good luck with whatever you choose.

[Marcelo]

Ohh. Ok. I see. Can i do it using position number 2 instead ??? I mean, I dont care witch one i use, cause i just use mainly positions 1 and 5. Is it possible?? My switcher is the YM-50.

[Scott of Actual Time]

Originally Posted by Marcelo

Ohh. Ok. I see. Can i do it using position number 2 instead ??? I mean, I dont care witch one i use, cause i just use mainly positions 1 and 5. Is it possible?? My switcher is the YM-50.

the YM-50 is a standard Strat-type 5-way.

try swapping the hot wire from the single coil [which should be on the middle lug of the switch] with the hot wire from the neck humbucker. both humbuckers should still coil cut in positions 2, 3, and 4.

EDIT -- don't do this! i missed the fact that the humbuckers will not coil cut in position 3, so this won't work.

[Marcelo]

Yes it is too much!! I cant live without my neck full humbucker. So the only solution would be using Schaller Megaswitch Model E?? right??? Than i could just ad this combination in any position i want???

[Scott of Actual Time]

Originally Posted by Marcelo

Yes it is too much!! I cant live without my neck full humbucker.

i'm glad to hear that, because i made a mistake figuring that YM50 wiring scheme in my head. the humbuckers will *not* coil cut in position 3, so that scheme would not work. i've edited that post to say that.

Originally Posted by Marcelo

So the only solution would be using Schaller Megaswitch Model E?? right???

the *easiest* solution would be that. you could also use a 24-pole switch, but you'd have to draw your own wiring diagram. the 24-pole is much harder.

Originally Posted by Marcelo

Than i could just ad this combination in any position i want???

no, then you could have the JPM in position 3. but only if you change the wiring instructions that come with the switch, like i said in my first post -- swap the hot and colored ground wires for both humbuckers to change the phase on both.

the inner coils will also not be hum canceling, because the humbuckers in the JEM are not set up that way. you can use the wiring to get them in phase, which means they'll sound find but still hum. but you can't get them hum-free unless you rotate the neck pickup 180 degrees.

[tony777]

Hey Marcelo!

if you have a vlx91 switch in your jem, you'll be able to get the jpm wiring in position 3.

I did this to my 77fp, and 90, but I didn't like the sound enough to keep it,
Position 3 was way louder than 2 & 4. My pickups were Steve's special and air norton along with the original jem/evo single coils.

But I did this to a friend of mine's RG 550, with Air norton/Hs2/Steve's special combo, and it sounded great.

If your still interested to do the mod I could send you my updated wiring mod.
PM me!

Tony