humbucker wiring convention...

[Possum]

I repaired a '79 TTop last week and I noticed that the coil starts are used for hot lead and ground lead out of the pickup and the ends of the coils are soldered together. Others use the coil starts soldered together and then the outer leads of the coils for hot and ground. Anyone know for sure what was common for old PAFs, and if there is any difference in noise level (hum) in either method? Both my PAFs were fixer uppers, I think they probably are wired the same way the late TTop is but I haven't gotten inside the coils to find out since I wanted to keep these are working sound references......

[J S Moore]

It's my understanding Gibson used, and still uses, the coil starts as hot and ground. I don't think there would be any significant noise increase. Any noise at the start of the signal path would be there at the end of the signal path and vice versa.

[JGundry]

I think the starts as hot and ground with the finish wires soldered together is the standard for Gibson. The finish wires are soldered together, wrapped with tape and tucked between the bobbins which frees up space for the rest of the wires. Seymour likes to solder the ground wire to the lower right corner of the baseplate which helps keep everything a bit neater. For the hot it helps to let the center part of the braided wire extend about a 1/2" past the baseplate. The extra wire makes it easier to fold it neatly into the little gap under the bobbins after the hot lead is soldered and taped.

[Spence]

I repaired a '79 TTop last week and I noticed that the coil starts are used for hot lead and ground lead out of the pickup and the ends of the coils are soldered together. Others use the coil starts soldered together and then the outer leads of the coils for hot and ground. Anyone know for sure what was common for old PAFs, and if there is any difference in noise level (hum) in either method? Both my PAFs were fixer uppers, I think they probably are wired the same way the late TTop is but I haven't gotten inside the coils to find out since I wanted to keep these are working sound references......

That's the normal thing with humbuckers especially Gibson.

[David Schwab]

I do it the same way, and Stew-Mac lists that as the way DiMarzio's are wound also.

I've done a few with both starts as ground, or hot, and reverse wound them, but I didn't find any difference in tone or noise, so I don't bother anymore.

[Possum]

...

I've always done it the way Lollar's book described it so never questioned it, and was rather stunned to find it done backwards on this TTop. Glad to know it makes no difference, I wonder if it has any effect when mixing the two different methods in the same guitar....

[David Schwab]

If you reverse it I would think the phase would be opposite, since the coils are now going in the opposite direction from hot to ground.