Is there any point replacing the shielded cable on my humbucker?

jaymenon · May 2023

DiMarzio Super Distortion
But the cable looks like this (some crazy person cut it to within 1/2 inch of its origin from the pickup)
The black arrow is the screen...

Image: https://tfb-user-images.eu-central-1.linodeobjects.com/231e7dfe93a194c6404fb5fabe93e2ed6a6347211d7ea78bba

I sort of re-connected the wires and covered it with heat shrink.

It is now in a well screened Strat and works just fine - no RFI buzz etc.

I'm thinking I'd like to replace the cable of the humbucker, but interestingly right next to it is an Area 58 with completely exposed cables:

Image: https://tfb-user-images.eu-central-1.linodeobjects.com/e9a672fbb4a21482f7f4c999774fc291df84ae26d4464e9754

So is there any real point in going through the hassle of replacing the humbucker cable with a full length shielded 4-conductor cable?

Expert opinions most appreciated

Sporky · May 2023

If it's not causing a problem, don't risk creating one.

ICBM · May 2023

It looks a bit of a mess, but if it works fine and there’s no risk of anything shorting or coming apart, and the guitar is shielded well enough that the cable itself doesn’t need to be, then… take a deep breath and leave it alone

.

(I know this is difficult

.)

normula1 · May 2023

I agree, it's relatively simple to replace the cable, but unless you know what you're doing, there's far more risk of breaking something than leaving it as it is

Funkfingers · May 2023

jaymenon said:

Jay. Why is the humbucker mounted with its output cable exiting at the low E end?

In the majority of instances, DiMarzio schematic diagrams illustrate the cable leaving humbucker baseplates on the "controls" side of the routed cavities. The exceptions are for RP/RW reasons or the infamous Bluesbucker.

ICBM · May 2023

It depends which coil you want to remain active when split if you want the combination of it and the middle pickup to be hum-cancelling.

Philly_Q · May 2023

ICBM said:

It depends which coil you want to remain active when split if you want the combination of it and the middle pickup to be hum-cancelling.

And DiMarzio kindly make a lot of pickups which look the same regardless of which way they're facing. Unfortunately I've mostly got the six-screw, six-slug type which look stupid if they're the wrong way round.

Also I think the Super Distortion has symmetrical coils, so unless you are coil-splitting and want a particular combination of coils with the adjoining pickups, it doesn't matter which way round it is, it will sound the same either way.

jaymenon · May 2023

Funkfingers said:

Jay. Why is the humbucker mounted with its output cable exiting at the low E end?

In the majority of instances, DiMarzio schematic diagrams illustrate the cable leaving humbucker baseplates on the "controls" side of the routed cavities. The exceptions are for RP/RW reasons or the infamous Bluesbucker.

Hi @Funkfingers I wanted the cream bobbin to be closest to the bridge. Somehow looked better…
https://i.imgur.com/VJkvSJw.jpeg

ICBM · May 2023

jaymenon said:

I wanted the cream bobbin to be closest to the bridge. Somehow looked better…

It does - it looks like three equally-spaced single coils at first glance.

jaymenon · September 2023

This badly screened grafted wire has been irritating me for sometime ( @ICBM ;; was right)

So I thought I’d repair it this afternoon

By changing the four conductor cable from my DiMarzio, super distortion

Remove Tape

Remove four screws

There’s a lot of wax inside this thing

Now I’m well past the point of no return

Black conducting wire soldered

Red conductor

That’s three out of four

All four conductors done.

Now all that remains is to solder the screen to the base plate.

Job done

…and it was easier than a cataract

If any of you guys are interested, I found the instructions on the Seymour Duncan website, and they were quite easy to follow

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Is there any point replacing the shielded cable on my humbucker?

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