# EMG 81/60 solderless install. Going nuts!!!!!! Need help!



## killmyass (Jul 9, 2012)

Hi there! I picked up this set a couple of days ago to change my duncans on my Horizon to EMG's, however, how the fuck am I gonna connect the pickup switch with the quick connection? I don't get it...... Anybody here who knows how it should be done?? I post some pics! Hope they will help..


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## DslDwg (Jul 10, 2012)

It looks like you've got the hots from each pickup coming to the switch one red and one black with the output from the switch the white, although I will admit it's a little hard to see in the jumble of wires. I would de-solder the white from the pot. and either cut the pick-up leads (if you don't care about them) or de-solder them at the switch and solder two wire to go to the EMG quickconnect bus. Then white should go to the output and the other two wires to the bridge and neck pick up terminals. If they end up backwards either flip the switch or flip the wires in the terminal block. 

Maybe this video could help also. Good luck!


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## killmyass (Jul 10, 2012)

ok.. If I got it right, you mean I should connect the black and red, which are the bridge/neck pickup to the green terminal block and the white to the output on the green terminal block? What about the green cable? Should I do anything with that? One more thing, the volume knob is a push pull..


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## The Only Factor (Jul 10, 2012)

killmyass said:


> ok.. If I got it right, you mean I should connect the black and red, which are the bridge/neck pickup to the green terminal block and the white to the output on the green terminal block? What about the green cable? Should I do anything with that? One more thing, the volume knob is a push pull..



First and foremost: Since your not using a TW or an 89, you can forget about using the push/pull pot. The ONLY time you'll use one is if you use something like an 81TW or an 89 - a pickup that has the coil split. I can tell that the pickups you removed were normal passives due to the multiple colored wires going to and from the push/pull pot.

Since your running a normal set of EMG's your entire wiring now will be solderless. As I'm sure you've seen in the diagrams that come with your pickups, you will most likely be wiring your Horizon as follows (using diagram #6B in your instructions, page 3...):
-Pickup wires going from pickups to switch bus (in correct spots...)
-switch buss output going to the volume pot input, top set of pins, pins facing your left when staring at the back of the pot.
-volume pot output (middle set of pins...) going to tone pot input (again top set of pins...)
-Tone pot output to jack.

As for the 3-way switch - You can basically put the red wire in one spot (either bridge or neck terminals on the green section of the switch buss...) and the black wire in the other. The white wire IS your switch output, which will go to the "O" marked spot on the switch buss. Once you have everything back in the guitar, strung back up and test playing it, you may only need to loosen and spin your switch around so that bridge position is either to your right or strait down, with neck position being to your left or strait up. _*Just make sure that you cut the wires from the switch as far away from the switch as you can!*_ You ALWAYS want to give yourself as much wire as possible to use to make your connections. *** You MAY need to ground your 3-way switch... If you get everything in and have any buzzing but it goes away when you touch the 3-way, you'll need to solder a wire to the metal faced side of the 3-way and screw the other end of it into the ground terminals of the switch buss. Kinda surprised that your switch isn't grounded, just about every single one is...

BTW. you should have done the same when you cut the Duncans out and the 500K controls too. You never know when you'll do another wiring project and could have used that wire you butchered again. Not to mention, most buyers of used pickups like to have as much wire on them as possible. Granted soldering can be done to re-lengthen them, but still it's a common courtesy and common sense thing...

This should be pretty simple, and you should have no issues after this.  If you do, feel free to ask!


EDIT: Also, make sure that you make the connections to the back of the pickups and to the pots with the arrows facing as shown. These new pots and wiring are basically a 2-wire system - signal and ground. Plus, each pot is marked with either "I/O" or "GND". The white wire side of the connector is always going to get connected to the "I/O" side, and the black wire part to the "GND" side. how the pickup cables and the output cable to the volume pot will go will be (color-wise...) Black/White, Black/White, Black/White as shown in the diagrams. 
****On the backs of the pickups, you need to make sure that you connect the connectors with the RED WIRE TO THE LEFT!!! Connecting it the opposite way can and will fry your pickups!!!* This is why making sure all your connections are right is crucial. Again, if you have any other questions, feel free to ask!


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## asilayamazing (Jul 13, 2012)

killmyass said:


> ok.. If I got it right, you mean I should connect the black and red, which are the bridge/neck pickup to the green terminal block and the white to the output on the green terminal block? What about the green cable? Should I do anything with that? One more thing, the volume knob is a push pull..


put the white from yoour switch in green slot on emg diagram/// then red in red and black in black. if its backwards then spin your switch LOL. DO NOT PUT TWO WIRES IN ONE SLOT. and im not sure what he means about grounding, but you may need to find out how to "ground" that kind of switch. i would just throw a toggle in for like $4, or they have solderless switches if your hardcore about solderless/lazy/not tech savvy.



EDIT:


The Only Factor said:


> Also, make sure that you make the connections to the back of the pickups and to the pots with the arrows facing as shown. These new pots and wiring are basically a 2-wire system - signal and ground. Plus, each pot is marked with either "I/O" or "GND". The white wire side of the connector is always going to get connected to the "I/O" side, and the black wire part to the "GND" side. how the pickup cables and the output cable to the volume pot will go will be (color-wise...) Black/White, Black/White, Black/White as shown in the diagrams.
> ****On the backs of the pickups, you need to make sure that you connect the connectors with the RED WIRE TO THE LEFT!!! Connecting it the opposite way can and will fry your pickups!!!* This is why making sure all your connections are right is crucial. Again, if you have any other questions, feel free to ask!



EMG redesigned everything so ALL quick connects should have the arrow facing you. if its plugged in an you cant see the arrow its backwards.

and theres white and black wires in each quick connect usually and one i/o slot and one grd slot on each of pots... so the white and black always on grd or io is wrong/ makes no sense/overcomplicating everything.... just make sure the arrows are facing you. the picture looks right of the buss just check the pups, *although at 9v you cant damage the pups if it is backwards but at 18v you could.* if you dont believe me "only factor" shoot rick hunt at EMG an email....


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## The Only Factor (Jul 16, 2012)

asilayamazing said:


> put the white from yoour switch in green slot on emg diagram/// then red in red and black in black. if its backwards then spin your switch LOL. DO NOT PUT TWO WIRES IN ONE SLOT. and im not sure what he means about grounding, but you may need to find out how to "ground" that kind of switch. i would just throw a toggle in for like $4, or they have solderless switches if your hardcore about solderless/lazy/not tech savvy.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



What I was referring to for grounding the switch that the OP has is to solder a wire to the metal tabs on the very side of the switch. It don't matter if the pickups are passive or active, the switch should be grounded and always is in 98% of all wirings.

And as for frying pickups, yes it's obvious that the increased voltage will do serious damage. But then again, connecting them backwards at a normal 9V ain't exactly the best thing for them either. And I think I've sent Rick enough emails and made enough phone calls to know what I'm talking about as far as active pickups, tone controls and circuitry to know, in addition to taking electronics in high school. And what I didn't know I had learned thru another member of this forum, who has enough custom EMG equipped and wired systems to know.

And the reason I made emphasis on the OP making sure he's got his connectors going the right way is because you CAN and HAVE TO hook certain components up backwards, like the input on such pieces like the SPC, EXG, Afterburner, PA-2, PI-2 and any other active tone control EMG makes. This is because if you follow the wiring on the control or the harness, it goes as follows:
INPUT, GROUND (INPUT), GROUND (OUTPUT), OUTPUT and V+. Any and all of the new wiring diagrams show this, but for a normal system, they are connected with arrows facing up.

And I don't get where you think I'm over-complicating everything, or not making any sense... I'm telling the OP how to look at the diagrams if he can't understand what he's looking at, and he seems to have gotten it so far. Otherwise, I think he would have posted back asking for more help...


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