# Pickup installation



## MkWolfire (Oct 14, 2016)

i was wondering how do you connect the seymour duncan’s blackout set. Im hesitating between the blackouts and a set of 81/85 because the emg set has a solderless connection system. Are there any wiring diagram for the blackouts?


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

Dont let the install be the deciding factor - fairly sure blackouts come solderless too. Go by the sound you prefer.


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## cboutilier (Jan 12, 2016)

Soldering is easy to learn if you need to. Buy the pickups you like. I have no personal experience with either. I dislike active pickups for the most part. I'm a much bigger fan of low output PAF style buckers.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)




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## MkWolfire (Oct 14, 2016)

greco said:


>


Nice


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## MkWolfire (Oct 14, 2016)

What is the « 47 cap » on the diagrams


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

MkWolfire said:


> Nice


Be sure to get 25k Ohm pots ....not 250k Ohm. They might not be all that common/easy to find.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

MkWolfire said:


> What is the « 47 cap » on the diagrams


That is a 0.047 microfarad (uF) capacitor. It is part of the tone circuit and takes high frequency sound to ground. You can get capacitors of other values (e.g., typical values are 0.022 uF, 0.033 uF, etc)

Does that help you?


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## davetcan (Feb 27, 2006)

Or you could take it to a tech.


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## MkWolfire (Oct 14, 2016)

davetcan said:


> Or you could take it to a tech.


Pickups are already expensive i don’t want to slap on 80$ more for a tech. Money is tight these days


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

MkWolfire said:


> Pickups are already expensive i don’t want to slap on 80$ more for a tech. Money is tight these days


Buy the pickups used.


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## MkWolfire (Oct 14, 2016)

What happen if i don’t put tone control? Is it like if it’s at full?


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

Put in the tone control.


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## MkWolfire (Oct 14, 2016)

Budda said:


> Buy the pickups used.


Yeah but with the shipping and stuff its all the same


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## JBFairthorne (Oct 11, 2014)

If money is THAT tight I would suggest holding off.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

MkWolfire said:


> Yeah but with the shipping and stuff its all the same


In what place are you paying shipping for used pickups, and how is that shipping $100+?


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

MkWolfire said:


> What happen if i don’t put tone control? Is it like if it’s at full?


I think you might be thinking the tone has something to with volume. It is *basically* to reduce high pitched/treble sounds from their maximum.



Budda said:


> Put in the tone control.


Short and succinct.... always applicable and typically accurate ...the @Budda trademark


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## MkWolfire (Oct 14, 2016)

Budda said:


> In what place are you paying shipping for used pickups, and how is that shipping $100+?


Pickups are 100$ but shipping is 30-40 (on reverb)


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## RBlakeney (Mar 12, 2017)

what guitar are you putting them in?


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## MkWolfire (Oct 14, 2016)

RBlakeney said:


> what guitar are you putting them in?


I am hesitating between my epiphone les paul 100 or my ibanez rg350dx


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## MkWolfire (Oct 14, 2016)

Oh and also, i saw on emg site long and short shaft for the pot and i wonder if it’s the short or long one on my lp


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## RBlakeney (Mar 12, 2017)

If you are putting in active pickups, make sure to put them in something that will be able to fit a battery in there somewhere. 
Honestly if you budget is tight I would advise looking for some high output passive pickups instead, or look at the passive emgs. Much easier to wire. 
Also if your epiphone has printed circuit board for wiring, use the ibanez.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

RBlakeney said:


> If you are putting in active pickups, make sure to put them in something that will be able to fit a battery in there somewhere.
> Honestly if you budget is tight I would advise looking for some high output passive pickups instead, or look at the passive emgs. Much easier to wire.
> Also if your epiphone has printed circuit board for wiring, use the ibanez.


Passive emg's dont sound a thing like the actives though. High output ceramics will be a lot closer.

Definitely make sure a battery fits first.


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## RBlakeney (Mar 12, 2017)

Budda said:


> Passive emg's dont sound a thing like the actives though. High output ceramics will be a lot closer.
> 
> Definitely make sure a battery fits first.


I have a set of the passive ones... I like the sound so much that they are in a box... in my basement.. somewhere.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

Passive EMG's are what come in most beginner guitars that tout having EMG's.


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## MkWolfire (Oct 14, 2016)

i saw a video yesterday and the guy just swapped the emg with the blackouts. Same 3 pin that you can disconnect with emg. So is it a soldering thing or quick connect thing. If its a quick connect. I don’t know if the small pcb where everything connect will fit in my lp’s cavity


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## BSTheTech (Sep 30, 2015)

Skip Reverb. Their prices are stupid lately. Check reddit or Thegearpage.net. Put out a wtb post. You’ll find some. If you’re close to the border have them shipped there.


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