[flashy5150]

Hey Guys!! I'm new to this forum but I'm trying to wire up a vlx53 switch in my Ibanez 777lng clone, it's an RG with mixed parts and a custom LNG paintjob. I have all DiMarzio HSH with the middle FS-1 reverse wound. The 2 humbuckers are DP100 Super Distortion(Bridge) and a DP165 BREED in the neck. I can't seem to find a proper wiring diagram and when I click on the link in certain posts, it keeps telling me that it's forbidden. Is the vlx53 the same wiring as a vlx91 ? I'm using alligator clips to try to find the right connections but all pickups seem to be on in every position. On the HB pickups, I have the black and white together, the red as hot and the green and bare together and soldered to the ground. I have a black and white on the FS-1 single coil-middle. I want position 1 and 5 to be neck and bridge, each alone. I want position 3(middle-reverse wound) to be alone or with something else to fatten it up. I don't care about the others but I can't seem to find anything on this vlx53 switch. Should I be trying red and green together? If anyone can help, it would be very much appreciated. Thanks

 

[flashy5150]

I can see no one knows this switch at all either. So far I have everything hooked up and position 1 and 5 are working separately with no hum. I switch to 2,3 or 4 and the humming is so loud---- I can't figure it out. Hopefully someone can help?

 

[flashy5150]

Well everyone, I'VE CONQUERED THE VLX53 5-WAY SWITCH WITH DIMARZIOS!!!! Please, don't go by the color coding on the DiMarzio diagrams ----- black and white don't go together but red and green is the proper way. Either solder them together and tape them off or you can do it this way: Looking at the switch from the front white side with the lugs pointing up and the lever pointing down. From left to right, each lug goes from 1 - 8. #1 - Bridge HB(hot - White) Black & Bare to back of volume pot, #2 - Middle Single Coil(Black) - Mine is an FS-1 Reverse Wound and comes with black and white wires, black is hot and white is ground to back of volume pot. If you connect them the other way, you will be "humming". #3 - Neck HB(Hot - White) Black & Bare to the back of volume pot , #4 - Hot output to volume pot, #5 - Empty Common, #6 - Bridge(Red & Green), #7 - Ground to back of Volume pot, #8 - Neck(Red & Green). I know some single coils come with a red and white wires or other configurations but if you get hum, reverse the wires. I haven't put strings on yet but I'm positive that this is the way it goes. If you have any problems with it tapping coils that you don't want, I would just un-solder the red and green pairings and tape them off: red/green bridge, tape and red/green neck tape. I also put heat shrink tubing around the black and bare pairings before I soldered them to the back of the volume pot. This prevents the ground bare wires from touching any lugs and grounding them out when you put your pickguard back on. I've plugged it in and it's totally quiet until I drag a hex wrench over the poles on the pickup. I didn't even know it was plugged in until I hit the poles on the pickups.In each setting of the leaver switch changes which pickup/pickups are on and which ones are off. I'm positive that you will be happy and not frustrated like I "was". Cheers, and I hope this helps! Brian

 

[RGTFanatic]

Well everyone, I'VE CONQUERED THE VLX53 5-WAY SWITCH WITH DIMARZIOS!!!! Please, don't go by the color coding on the DiMarzio diagrams ----- black and white don't go together but red and green is the proper way. Either solder them together and tape them off or you can do it this way: Looking at the switch from the front white side with the lugs pointing up and the lever pointing down. From left to right, each lug goes from 1 - 8. #1 - Bridge HB(hot - White) Black & Bare to back of volume pot, #2 - Middle Single Coil(Black) - Mine is an FS-1 Reverse Wound and comes with black and white wires, black is hot and white is ground to back of volume pot. If you connect them the other way, you will be "humming". #3 - Neck HB(Hot - White) Black & Bare to the back of volume pot , #4 - Hot output to volume pot, #5 - Empty Common, #6 - Bridge(Red & Green), #7 - Ground to back of Volume pot, #8 - Neck(Red & Green). I know some single coils come with a red and white wires or other configurations but if you get hum, reverse the wires. I haven't put strings on yet but I'm positive that this is the way it goes. If you have any problems with it tapping coils that you don't want, I would just un-solder the red and green pairings and tape them off: red/green bridge, tape and red/green neck tape. I also put heat shrink tubing around the black and bare pairings before I soldered them to the back of the volume pot. This prevents the ground bare wires from touching any lugs and grounding them out when you put your pickguard back on. I've plugged it in and it's totally quiet until I drag a hex wrench over the poles on the pickup. I didn't even know it was plugged in until I hit the poles on the pickups.In each setting of the leaver switch changes which pickup/pickups are on and which ones are off. I'm positive that you will be happy and not frustrated like I "was". Cheers, and I hope this helps! Brian

I answered you in the other thread.

Because your middle single is reverse wound the neck pickup needs to be wired as you described to keep position 4 in phase.

Your bridge hum is now operating in reverse polarity. you want to switch it back to :
Red- hot
Black/white- to coil split lug #8
Green/Bare- ground

 

[flashy5150]

I answered you in the other thread.

Because your middle single is reverse wound the neck pickup needs to be wired as you described to keep position 4 in phase.

Your bridge hum is now operating in reverse polarity. you want to switch it back to :
Red- hot
Black/white- to coil split lug #8
Green/Bare- ground

Thanks, Is that why the bridge pickup might sound a little weak and thin ? I know the neck sounds really strong. So if I had a regular wound middle pickup, all pickups would be fine as I've wired it, but since I have a reverse wound middle pickup, I have to change the red and green on the bridge to black and white? Do I have to remove the red/green from lug #8 and put it at lug #6?

 

[flashy5150]

I answered you in the other thread.

Because your middle single is reverse wound the neck pickup needs to be wired as you described to keep position 4 in phase.

Your bridge hum is now operating in reverse polarity. you want to switch it back to :
Red- hot
Black/white- to coil split lug #8
Green/Bare- ground

I thought I had this piece of crap conquered but I went and did what you told me and I'm getting a mass amount of noise from positions 2,3 and 4 again. I checked all the grounds and they seem to be okay. Anyways, I switched the wires from the reversed FS-1 single coil and still the same noise. So I switched them back, and now I have noise again, which before you told me to switch them, I had not noise. So which way is right and which way is wrong?

 

[flashy5150]

I just want to add, my solder connection are perfect and they look professional. It's not like I'm an amateur at soldering---- maybe the last clown was that owned this guitar? I've looked at all the wiring to the volume and tone switches and I've compared it to the DiMarzio diagrams and everything is intact to wire this thing up properly. I have jewelers lenses to see everything and follow all wires and they are intact and in the right spot including caps. Why do I get massive hum from 2,3 and 4 positions? These vlx53 switches have been out for decades, have they not? They were used in guitars from Ibanez to Charvel. I have purchased these from ebay, but they came from Allparts and have all the Allparts packaging, but Allparts does not have any diagrams for this product on their website?? I'm smelling a lawsuit and they have not responded to my questions ? The vlx53 switch is readily available, the vlx91 or otax ar not, at least from a seller that doesn't make their living from ripping people off by over-charging shipping to make a living because they're too lazy and stupid too work a day job. I'm gonna quit ranting but I just like to tell it like it is.

 

[RGTFanatic]

Hey Flashy, I get your frustration man. It never fails that something so "easy" goes awry......... we've all been there. For me, The VLX-91 is my arch enemy.

Let's start things over. Now that you have 10 posts you can upload pics. would you mind putting one up of your switch?

FWIW: the pinout on the VLX-53 is:

3-2-1-0-0-3-2-1

 

[RGTFanatic]

Another thought I'm having is that the VLX-53 is notorious for having problems with the lugs. They're prone to melting out of the plastic clip they're mounted on inside the switch. I've had this happen a couple of times. I had to take the switch apart to fix it.

TBH- I'm not a big fan of the 53 because of this reason. I usually end up buying either a Fender or an Oak-Grigsby 5-way.

 

[Rich]

If the lug is melting out of the plastic they're being heated far too long. It takes 2 seconds to make a clean solder joint

 

[flashy5150]

Another thought I'm having is that the VLX-53 is notorious for having problems with the lugs. They're prone to melting out of the plastic clip they're mounted on inside the switch. I've had this happen a couple of times. I had to take the switch apart to fix it.

TBH- I'm not a big fan of the 53 because of this reason. I usually end up buying either a Fender or an Oak-Grigsby 5-way.

I was thinking the same thing about the lugs burning. Maybe that is why I'm getting that incredible buzz in positions 2-4. The bridge alone sounds pretty good and the neck sounds pretty good alone but when I switch between 2-4 it gets really loud and the loudest when in the middle position. Also, it seems that that I get bleed from the other pickups when I'm not supposed to. Is there any switches that can't fit into a JEM or an RG ? I was looking at an DiMarzio EP1112 but it looks big. I'm just sick of these Chinese and Korean garbage switches.

 

[RGTFanatic]

If the lug is melting out of the plastic they're being heated far too long. It takes 2 seconds to make a clean solder joint

Your right, I think the problem comes from people not having a proper iron. I see a lot of those 10w econo-irons for sale as well as the 65w-950 degree monsters in the stores.

 

[RGTFanatic]

I was thinking the same thing about the lugs burning. Maybe that is why I'm getting that incredible buzz in positions 2-4. The bridge alone sounds pretty good and the neck sounds pretty good alone but when I switch between 2-4 it gets really loud and the loudest when in the middle position. Also, it seems that that I get bleed from the other pickups when I'm not supposed to. Is there any switches that can't fit into a JEM or an RG ? I was looking at an DiMarzio EP1112 but it looks big. I'm just sick of these Chinese and Korean garbage switches.

ANY 5-way blade will fit perfectly. fortunately they all stick to the same form factor.

the EP1112 is a good switch, but pretty pricey. If you want a super switch that's bullet-proof at a good price get the VLX-91 from Rich or an Oak-Grigsby from here:http://www.guitarelectronics.com/product/SWL53/5-Way-2-Pole-Pickup-Selector-Switch-Oak-Grigsby.html

The VLX-91 will not force you into buying new mounting screws...... the Dimarzio and Oak will.

 

[flashy5150]

If the lug is melting out of the plastic they're being heated far too long. It takes 2 seconds to make a clean solder joint

Mine take 2 seconds, some people are using too thick of solder. I used to do this and the solder wouldn't even stick to the iron. Then I went to THE SOURCE and picked up some NEXXTECH 0.6mm and 0.8mm Rosin Core silver solder, cleaned my already burnt tip with fine sand paper, heated my Weller Soldering Station up to 725F and that new solder just ran right on to it. When I tin wires now, it runs right up the wire in a 1/2 a second. Don't use that BERNZOMATIC 1.6mm solder, it's way to big and in my opinion, it's garbage. That's why they call it BERNZ, because it BERNZ your iron tip and BERNZ your project. Lucky it's on a round spool, because it rolled nicely right to the garbage can. :wink: lol

 

[Rich]

You're getting buzz because those are single coil positions.........

 

[flashy5150]

Hey Flashy, I get your frustration man. It never fails that something so "easy" goes awry......... we've all been there. For me, The VLX-91 is my arch enemy.

Let's start things over. Now that you have 10 posts you can upload pics. would you mind putting one up of your switch?

FWIW: the pinout on the VLX-53 is:

3-2-1-0-0-3-2-1

Thank you thank you thank you!! So I was thinking that the pinout was 12345678, I read this elsewhere. Do you want a pic of the switch as it is in my guitar ? If so, I will have to take one and upload it to my pc, then upload it here.

 

[RGTFanatic]

Mine take 2 seconds, some people are using too thick of solder. I used to do this and the solder wouldn't even stick to the iron. Then I went to THE SOURCE and picked up some NEXXTECH 0.6mm and 0.8mm Rosin Core silver solder, cleaned my already burnt tip with fine sand paper, heated my Weller Soldering Station up to 725F and that new solder just ran right on to it. When I tin wires now, it runs right up the wire in a 1/2 a second. Don't use that BERNZOMATIC 1.6mm solder, it's way to big and in my opinion, it's garbage. That's why they call it BERNZ, because it BERNZ your iron tip and BERNZ your project. Lucky it's on a round spool, because it rolled nicely right to the garbage can. :wink: lol

LOL... the bernzomatic is for sweating copper joints on plumbing using mapp gas as a heat source. I use it everyday.....

 

[RGTFanatic]

You're getting buzz because those are single coil positions.........

He shouldn't have excessive buzz on 2 and 4 unless there's a problem somewhere. position 3 will always buzz a little, but it shouldn't be that loud.

 

[RGTFanatic]

Thank you thank you thank you!! So I was thinking that the pinout was 12345678, I read this elsewhere. Do you want a pic of the switch as it is in my guitar ? If so, I will have to take one and upload it to my pc, then upload it here.

Nah, don't worry about a pic...... just insure that it IS a 53 and that it's in good shape. I can't remember if the 53 is sonic welded together or clip together. If it's a clip together, take it apart and check for problems. Be careful not to lose the little spring and ball bearing.

 

[Rich]

He shouldn't have excessive buzz on 2 and 4 unless there's a problem somewhere. position 3 will always buzz a little, but it shouldn't be that loud.

Any buzz is excessive if you're expecting it to be clean, and 3 is a very buzzy position [which is what he states also]