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73 Deluxe pickup wiring????

Les Perry

New member
Joined
May 27, 2022
Messages
3
Hi all first post on the site so be gentle with me.........lol. I searched the internet and this tech forum but really can't get an answer. I have a 73 (pretty sure) LP Deluxe and I have had since the 80's. The guitar was hacked on but plays well. It's sad because the rest of the guitar is very nice but It had the bridge pickup swapped at one time and switches added as well which is why I got it so cheap. I plugged the holes and just want to get it back wired as it should be. Anyway the org mini's were put back in and the switches were taken out before I bought it. I have always had issues with the rear pickup has less volume than the other by a lot. So I think it's not wired correctly.

I scoured the net and all I can find are diagrams for P-90's and Humbuckers.....nothing for mini's. Are they the same? Would the 73 be wired as a modern or not? The sn is 731073 so I'm pretty sure of the year. Thanks
 

poor man's burst

Active member
Joined
Oct 3, 2010
Messages
421
Schematic for P-90s and humbuckers (standard or mini) are the same. The only difference could be the so-called "'50s* VS "modern" wiring. It is only the tone capacitor connected to the volume pot central lug for the "50s" instead of the top lug for the "modern", which won't affect the pickup output level in any way.
Reasons for a difference in pickup output level can be:
Difference in pickup height. Check the distance between the pickups and the strings. The bridge pickup should be a little closer to the strings
Defective pickup. Take an ohmeter and mesure each pickup DC resistance. You should read between 6 Kohms and 9 Kohms. If you read several 100s of Kohms, the pickup is deffective and needs repair or rewind.
Wrong volume pot value. Check pot value. It should be 500Kohms +- 20%
Faulty wiring or part (pot, switch, jack...). Go to a tech.
 

PaulD

Active member
Joined
Jun 25, 2007
Messages
673
A '73 would have had "modern" wiring and as poor man's burst says, the wiring for mini-humbuckers is the same as for p90's or full size humbuckers. I think 1973 was the year Gibson changed from 500K to 300K pots so it could be either?
 

poor man's burst

Active member
Joined
Oct 3, 2010
Messages
421
As much as one can see on the picture, nothing wrong with the wiring, Check the pickup heighth, have the pots, switch and jack checked and cleaned or replaced if necessary. But definitely, check the pickups DC resistance.
 
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