Replacing Magnetic Pickups

[tscoolberth]

This may be answered elsewhere but does anyone have any experience with switching out the magnetic pickups on their JTV?  Or, is the design so integrated that going with after-market pickups totally impractical?'

 

 

[Charlie_Watt]

Should be easy of the replacements are the same size.  There are wiring diagrams on this forum. 

[davidb7170]

I replaced all 3 of my JTV-69S's single coils with DiMarzio's Paul Gilbert Noiseless single coils -- had no problems with the fit. I did not want to remove all the connections between the face plate and the internals of the guitar, so I just removed the grounding conductors and was able to flip the assembly up into a workable position. Things are tight if you do this, but doable. I did have to open it up again, as the pickup covers color I ordered with the DiMarzio's didn't match. I never really realized the faceplate was mint green (looks white until you compare side by side), so I ordered DiMarzio mint green pickup covers -- generic strat pickup covers will not work on those, as the DiMarzio single coils have a bit more "innards", and they require taller covers and a thinner gauge of plastic on the covers...

 

I also have a JTV-59 with the humbuckers -- actually was my first JTV. I never felt the need to replace those pups, as they sound good to me. The 69S's stock pups sounded good too, except for he typical single coil hum -- I've been a Fender guy for over 40 years, but had gotten spoiled by the lack of noise in my more recent humbucker guitars, and the Variaxes I've had, so I swapped them with noiseless and now it's as quiet or quieter than my HB guitars... I'm probably going to swap out my '78 strat's single coils with them. My '73 Tele Deluxe already has Seth Love wide range HB's.

 

You weren't specific as to the JTV model. I know of numerous other posters on the boards here who have swapped out their 59's stock humbuckers for the pickup of their choice. Haven't heard of anyone changing out the 89's pups, though.....

 

My 2 cents,

Dave

[ozbadman]

I changed the pickups on my 59 and it was the almost the same as any other guitar. Just desolder the old ones and solder in the new ones. The only difference was on the 59 you are soldering to a board.

[toasterdude]

None of my JTVs have any original pickups in them. For now all have duncan prails and one has duncan lipstick in middle. Next one will have fralins and lollar.

[tscoolberth]

I have the JTV 89. So, I'm looking for pups suited to hi-gain metal ... probably Seymour Duncan Black Winters when they come to the USA. http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/electric/humbucker/high-output/black_winter/

[milesargall]

To restart this thread, I'm looking at putting in Bare Knuckle Pickups in - particularly an humbucker sized P90.

Any reason I shouldn't do this?? Do I need to be able to coil split for the modelling???

[Charlie_Watt]

The modeling does not use the Mag pickups at all.

[israz99]

You might use the mag pickups with modeling guitars, remember you have the option of blending both in WB. Now, about the idea of changing the mag pickups, this is actually something I have previously asked and although there were some answers it is still very difficult for someone who is not an expert, I've changed the pickups of one Epi I used to have but this is a bit more complicated and I would not like to ruin a guitar that is 7 times more expensive than the Epi. Someone should post a video about how to do such task. we'd really appreciate it.  

[FrozenOzone]

I am not too sure if you had seen this but here is a diagram of the pickup's for all the JTV's.

 

http://line6.com/support/page/kb/_/guitars/james-tyler-variax-guitars/jtv-pickup-wiring-diagrams-r64

 

Agreed, I/we would love for some one to make a video on how to replace the pickup's 59 or 89 and one on the 69.  I haven't replaced mine yet but will after my warranty is over next summer.

[sdre9096]

Hi Guys. 

 

Im confused how to do this with my 59 JTV. I bought a set of Seymour Duncan 59 pickups. How exactly do I install them? I opened up the back and it was a nightmare LOL. Do I just take out the original PUPS and solder them right there? Thanks

[ricstudioc]

Definately watching this thread!!  Although the single-coils on my new 69 are absolutely gorgeous, I find the stock HB to be a bit harsh and have pondered swapping it out.  Nice to know that it's feasible, and others have done so.  I'll be checking out those wiring schematics.......

[Charlie_Watt]

Lots of folks have swapped pickups.  There are wiring diagrams posted in this forum.  Search for them.  It's not hard to do if you know how to solder to the board where the pickups connect.

[sdre9096]

Lots of folks have swapped pickups.  There are wiring diagrams posted in this forum.  Search for them.  It's not hard to do if you know how to solder to the board where the pickups connect.

If thats the case this is beyond my scope. 

[israz99]

This may be answered elsewhere but does anyone have any experience with switching out the magnetic pickups on their JTV?  Or, is the design so integrated that going with after-market pickups totally impractical?'

Yeah, check out this topic to see what I went through in order to do so

http://line6.com/support/topic/6899-jtv-pickups-wire-colors/

[thorneven]

Wondering if anyone has put EMG HZ (model H4) passive pickups in a JTV59. I tried a pair of Seymour Duncan's and am not happy with the results.  I had a Pensa Suhr with active EMGs and their sound has always been my favorite.  Don't know if it's possible to put active pickups in a JTV59.

[Charlie_Watt]

Actives may be a bit tricky.  They should work but turning them on could be a problem. (and you need a 9V battery someplace)  Normally, you use a switch on the 1/4 inch jack to turn the power on.  You might be able to run them on the JTV's power.  It's not quite 9V but it might work.  That would require some careful  mods to connect switched power for the pickups. 

[dietmd]

I put a set of Lace Sensor Alumitones (SSH) in my JTV-69. They sound good but not quite perfect. The reason they are not right is that the JTVs use 500k pots and they need 250k per Lace. My mistake as I should have looked into that before buying and installing the Alumitones. You can't switch out the pots in the JTV w/o major surgery!! They are mounted to a PC board AND I don't know where to find replacement stacked pots like those used in the JTV. Attempting to modify the pots and make stacked pots modified for use in the Variax will be a nightmare. I can't even think where to start!! The pots probably need to be 500k for the modeling to be correct with the piezo circuitry.

I'm not afraid to try, but this is a pretty difficult modification unless someone has a better idea!! Any ideas would be very well received!.

[brettwade]

I've asked this question before but received few replies. Has anyone both replaced the analogue pickups and routed a separate output for them within an 89F? Would disconnecting the leads from the analogue pickups to the  JTV adversely affect the output of the modeling section?

[cruisinon2]

I've asked this question before but received few replies. Has anyone both replaced the analogue pickups and routed a separate output for them within an 89F? Would disconnecting the leads from the analogue pickups to the JTV adversely affect the output of the modeling section?

Given their steadfast refusal to divulge such innocuous info as the recommended height of the mag pickups, the only people who actually know the answer to your question one way or the other aren't terribly likely to respond...modding anything is actively discouraged by the powers that be.

[brettwade]

Given their steadfast refusal to divulge such innocuous info as the recommended height of the mag pickups, the only people who actually know the answer to your question one way or the other aren't terribly likely to respond...modding anything is actively discouraged by the powers that be.

yes I understand the stand by the powers that be and even much of the reason for that stand, I just thought there may be some brave explorers who had travelled those paths before. All I'm really asking is has anyone disconnected the analogue pickups and does disconnecting them affect the guitar's present setup beyond the obvious analogue not being available. If it is possible, then of course the physical routing etc. is either possible or not depending on the room taken up by it's present electronics. thanks for your reply anyways....Brett

[psarkissian]

It's not a matter of divulging info, it's a matter of 3rd party pick-ups. They are going

to have their mag field variations, and that has to be taken into account when adjusting

pick-up height.

 

It has nothing to do with our specs, we don't control 3rd party pick-up specs.

 

As a result, with 3rd party pick-ups, it's going to be trial and error to get the height right

so you don't get warbling.

 

So as a result, modding is not a good idea, as it may have an adverse affect on the

sound in modeling mode as well as in mags mode. Warbling in Modeling mode is all to common.

 

=================================

 

As for brettwade's query,....

 

"Has anyone both replaced the analogue pickups and routed a separate output for them within an 89F?

Would disconnecting the leads from the analogue pickups to the JTV adversely affect the output of

the modeling section?"----

 

Re-routing mags or bypassing the normal connections is not a good idea. I've come

across grounding issues while doing customizing to JTV's, as favors for the boss, for

high profile clients and endorsers.

 

Not a good idea. But if you must, I want you to be aware of the common pitfalls.

Just trying to keep everyone's gear from ending up on my bench.

[Charlie_Watt]

A bunch of folks have changed the pickups - and connected them the same as the stock ones.  If you route them separately, you will have to add new volume and tone controls.

[psarkissian]

Yes, what Charlie said.

[xavierb]

Has anyone been able to change what positions 2 and 4 do on a JTV89? They go to single coils, I much prefer to have it Ibanez style (4 = neck humbucker in parallel, 2 = single neck + humber in series) but it doesn't see possible because of the way the electronics are setup inside.

[stevekc]

I rely on this chart

 

 

 

 

and REVIEW the Line6 Variax PU charts here

http://line6.com/support/page/kb/_/guitars/james-tyler-variax-guitars/jtv-pickup-wiring-diagrams-r64

 

 

JTV-59 PU DIAGRAM

 

JTV-69 PU DIAGRAM

 

JTV-89 PU DIAGRAM

 

 

It becomes apparent that the "stock" Line-6 pickups ( Korean "G&B"brand) have same wiring as Jackson PU's here

 

 

compare to Seymour Duncan  wiring here

 

 

More info on G&B Pickups 

http://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=18662.0

 

More info on Tyler Variax Pickups here

 

http://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=16980.0

[skydog1]

For what it's worth... I just bought OX4 pickups for a non-USA JTV-59, because the stock pickups are agricultural, and have contacted the local Line 6 authorized service point nearby. I have installed tons of pickups over the years, but I figure why stuff around with this specialized system.

[davidb7170]

Agricultural?

[psarkissian]

The bulk resistances of the pick-ups should be between 6k-8k Ohms.

Outside of that and there may be problems.

[skydog1]

Sorry. Agricultural isn't bad, just basically good. I didn't hear any magic. Sorry again. Magic means great. Trying the jtv, because I'm tired of hauling too many fine guitars to the jobs. Time, effort, and angst. But I need the jtv to shine in magnetic mode. The guitar itself is beautiful - tobacco. Giving it a fighting chance, to compete with the old LP that is staying home. For all this to work, I will need the models and the guitar itself to be top-shelf. Otherwise, it's back to six old guitars in harm's way.

[skydog1]

...and I feel the models sound really well done.

[thomasmanitta]

On 3/20/2017 at 4:41 PM, psarkissian said:

The bulk resistances of the pick-ups should be between 6k-8k Ohms.

Outside of that and there may be problems.

@psarkissian: could you please provide some insights, why resistance should be in the range of 6 to 8k Ohms? What could be the problems, if you chose to replace a PU with one with a resistance outside the window? Does it only effect mixing mag and piezo signal?

Thanks in advance!

[amsdenj]

The magnetic pickups go through the A2D converters on the guitar for the VDI output. So if the pickups were too far out of the impedance range, and therefore had an output that is too low or too high, you might get additional noise or digital distortion in those converters. 

 

Less significant would be the values of the volume and tone pots - these can effect tone based on pickup impedance too.

 

For the 1/4" jack going direct magnetics, there's probably no issue. Its the possibility of digital clipping in the converters that would be critical.

 

[thomasmanitta]

@amsdenj

Thanks a lot, this is really helpful!

[psarkissian]

" @psarkissian: could you please provide some insights, why resistance should be in the range of 6 to 8k Ohms? What could be the problems, if you chose to replace a PU with one with a resistance outside the window? Does it only effect mixing mag and piezo signal? "---

 

1- (a)Impedance matching. This is an active circuit guitar and impedance has to be matched to the active circuit. (b) These aren't like passive circuit guitars where one can mix and match resistors and capacitors, and experiment with component values. These are fixed active circuits. (c) Geeks like me know how to deal with that, and I know the circuitry very intimately. (d) There are service and warranty implications for modifications.

 

2- Check out Richie Castellano on the Variax Facebook page, he'll tell you, he's seen what happens when you go outside the impedance range. Impedance is  function of frequency. Go outside the range and you will get tone color EQ's you might not like.

 

Stick to the wiring diagrams in the Knowledge Base, and the DC/bulk resistance range on the pick-ups.

 

[thomasmanitta]

@psarkissian
Well, thanks a lot, most likely, I´ll stick with the original pickups and try out, how far I can get...

[jerseyboy]

For some of us stock 59 hum buckers offer some “great” qualities.  

 

Perhaps play around with reasonable height adjustment and stick with 1/4” output out of the gate.  At least during rig/pedalboard setup phase.  

 

Nearly all electric guitars - I tend to use bright amp settings and simply dial back treble (ice picks) with guitar tone controls.  I've always worked with amps that way and I tend to find satisfying spank, sparkle and pizazz using decently wound pickups.  

 

But some folks prefer different pickups for their jam so ultimately something to figure out on your own.  

[Violavide]

 

My JTV-59 won't turn on. Old user of the product. Doubt if the battery is also not connected to the workbench? I'm very sad and I don't know what to do.

 

I checked with the multimeter and the battery and charger are working. Normal charge. Why doesn't she turn on the selector light? Very sad. She has no single, flawless scratch. I treat it as a precious and delicate crystal.

[Violavide]

Quero manter ela assim. A minha JTV-59 é toda original, nunca alterei nada no produto. Original. Só gostaria que voltase a funcionar como sempre. Agradeço caso tenham experiência sobre o assunto.

 

I want to keep her like this. My JTV-59 is all original, never changed anything in the product. Original. I just wish it would work as usual. Thank you if you have experience on the subject.

[jakeman19]

On 11/19/2019 at 4:04 PM, Violavide said:

 

My JTV-59 won't turn on. Old user of the product. Doubt if the battery is also not connected to the workbench? I'm very sad and I don't know what to do.

 

I checked with the multimeter and the battery and charger are working. Normal charge. Why doesn't she turn on the selector light? Very sad. She has no single, flawless scratch. I treat it as a precious and delicate crystal.

 

You should start a new topic as this one is dealing with pickups and not dead guitars. Better chance of people seeing your questions/issue. 

 

Jd