PP + VT Wiring Diagram

PP + VT Wiring Diagram

Use coax to reduce noise: Minimize hum and noise by using shielded coaxial cable for long runs, such as between the controls and the output jack. Coax cable has a center hot conductor shielded by an outer braid that serves as the ground wire. Standard unshielded wire is fine for the short connections between components. Typically use white for hot and black for ground.

Modern modification
In the vintage wiring above, rolling off the tone control slightly reduces your volume. Connecting both capacitors as shown below fixes this, but you lose a little treble when you lower the volume.

Independent pickup volumes
To blend the pickups independently, swap the wires from the pickups and the switch where they connect to the volume pot. This solves the problem in the middle position of the switch where turning down one volume control affects both pickups.

Setting your pickup height
Humbuckers are usually set closer to the strings than single-coils, because they have less of a focused magnetic pull. Start with a gap of about 3/32" under the bottom of the Low-E string when fretted at the highest fret, and a 1/16" gap under the High-E string. Raise or lower the heights of the neck and bridge pickups to find the tone/volume balance you like best.