USA s-500 pickup change.

[surfco]

Hello everyone.
After 6 years of playing my USA s-500 with the MFD pickups I have decided to change them.
They sound good, but I'm after a classic S-style, early Leo designed pickups.
I know the MFD's work in conjunction with the rest of the wiring.
Should I just yank the .001uf cap and drop in the new pickups in?
I don't want to yank everything out just to change the pickups.

[Craig]

Hello everyone.
After 6 years of playing my USA s-500 with the MFD pickups I have decided to change them.
They sound good, but I'm after a classic S-style, early Leo designed pickups.
I know the MFD's work in conjunction with the rest of the wiring.
Should I just yank the .001uf cap and drop in the new pickups in?
I don't want to yank everything out just to change the pickups.

Take a look at this member contributed wiring diagram in our Gallery, 1992-present Legacy PTB Controls with Expander Switch.
It will allow you to retain the pickup expander function of the S-500 and shows the wiring for the Legacy,
with single coil Alnico pickups in replacement of the MFD single coil pickups of the S-500.
It also retains the PTB system of both the S-500 and Legacy.

Hope this helps

[dhgleaves]

Hello everyone.
After 6 years of playing my USA s-500 with the MFD pickups I have decided to change them.
They sound good, but I'm after a classic S-style, early Leo designed pickups.
I know the MFD's work in conjunction with the rest of the wiring.
Should I just yank the .001uf cap and drop in the new pickups in?
I don't want to yank everything out just to change the pickups.

It sounds as if you're after the CLF-100 sound of the pickups in a Legacy. If it was me, I'd keep the S-500 and get a Legacy (I did the opposite; I had a Legacy first the got an S-500, and I play both of them). Or, you might be able to find someone interested in swapping the loaded pickguard from a Legacy for yours. There are some people interested in making the opposite change.

David

[surfco]

Hello everyone.
After 6 years of playing my USA s-500 with the MFD pickups I have decided to change them.
They sound good, but I'm after a classic S-style, early Leo designed pickups.
I know the MFD's work in conjunction with the rest of the wiring.
Should I just yank the .001uf cap and drop in the new pickups in?
I don't want to yank everything out just to change the pickups.

It sounds as if you're after the CLF-100 sound of the pickups in a Legacy. If it was me, I'd keep the S-500 and get a Legacy (I did the opposite; I had a Legacy first the got an S-500, and I play both of them). Or, you might be able to find someone interested in swapping the loaded pickguard from a Legacy for yours. There are some people interested in making the opposite change.

David

No, thanks. That's not what I asked, by the way.
Read the post and you'll see my question.

[fendertweed]

My S-500 has had 3 Joe Barden pickups since ~1999 or so, with the 7-way switching capability. Wonderful.