Rio Grande Tallboy in a McCarty

[wooldl]

Hello,

I am wanting to replace the neck pickup in my McCarty with a Rio Grande Tallboy. My question is about wiring.
The Tallboy is a 4-conductor and all I see coming from the McCarty pickup is 2 wires. What gives? What am I missing here? I want to have the same switching configs that I presently have.

Help please.

Thanks.

 

[Jim Collins]

You actually see three wires coming out of a McCarty pickup. The braided shield counts as one. It serves two purposes -- the ground for the coils, and the ground for the metal base.

I don't know what the Rio Grande color code is, but you should get that info when you get the pickups. The Rio Grande should have four conductors plus a bare wire (or shield). The bare wire (or shield) goes to ground.

The Rio Grande instructions should tell you which lead is hot, which one is ground, and which two to connect together, if the coils are to be connected in series. Connect the hot lead to the three-way toggle, the ground lead to the volume pot casing, and the two joined leads to the same place the white lead of the McCarty pickup was connected (a lug on the DPDT swith, on the tone pot). The white lead of the McCarty is the same as those two leads, when joined together, on the Rio.

Sorry I don't have the color codes for Rio.

 

[wooldl]

Jim,

I don't know the colors right off hand either, but I know what you mean. So this will allow the coil splitting as with the McCarty pickup?

 

[Jim Collins]

Yes, coil splitting as normal.

 

[wooldl]

Thanks for the help Mr. Collins.

 

[wooldl]

It didn't fit!!!!!!!!!

Man, I didn't even consider this. The Tallboy is too tall.
It won't fit in my McCarty

So, anyone want to trade for a Rio Grande Tallboy? It's supposed to be a great pickup to coil-split.

Dale

 

[247jamz]

I might be interested...but I'm not sure I have anything similar to trade, I have a couple stock Les Paul pickups....I also have $$$ What color is it?

Dave

 

[wooldl]

Wow Dave, this post has been out there a while. A year actually.

Let me take a look this weekend to see if I still have this pickup. I have sold a few things over the last year and I can't remember if I still have it or not. At this point I would just be looking for cash.

I'll send you an email on Monday.

Thanks for the interest.

Dale