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Need help with Spectrum GT wiring

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spectrum - Need help with Spectrum GT wiring Empty Need help with Spectrum GT wiring

Post by chip51x Tue Nov 12, 2013 1:56 pm

This is my first post and would like to get some help with the wiring on my Spectrum GT. I have been lurking for a while looking thru diagrams and pretty much any diagrams I could find on the net and have not found one exactly like mine.

It is a H-S-S with one volume, one tone, a 5 way switch and a coil tap switch. I bought this thing literally with the wires hanging out of it. I almost walked away from it but I love the neck on it and had to have it just because of that. The body and paint is just about perfect too.

The neck pup has red/black wires, center has blue/white, bridge has red, blue, black and white. Some of the diagrams I have seen show a green wire that mine does not have. If someone has one of these they can take the rear cover off of and help me out I would greatly appreciate it.
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Post by gittarasaurus Tue Nov 12, 2013 3:59 pm

when you say Spectrum GT, which model do you mean? the older spectrum series had a GT, but it was H-S-H, with three knobs and a 3-way switch. catalog 

the later spectrum series had a couple models that sounds like what you describe.
other catalog  different page 

whatever the model, i can make you a diagram to help you get your guitar working.
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Post by chip51x Tue Nov 12, 2013 4:47 pm

Well it looks like the Spectrum 1. I saw it pictured somewhere before that called it a GT. It is the WE1400 BK. It also has those black pup covers. I believe it is an '89.
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Post by gittarasaurus Tue Nov 12, 2013 5:00 pm

okay then, give me a little time and i'll post up a sketch for you.
first i have a couple questions:
do you have any idea of which wire is which on your humbucker?
do you have a meter to check it?

i have a WE1400RD, except my pickups have the exposed poles, similar to the catalog pic of the WE4400.
on my guitar, the humbucker has 2 cables that run to the control cavity so it is a different pickup than yours.
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Post by chip51x Tue Nov 12, 2013 5:37 pm

The bucker has black/red north pole, blue/white south pole.
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Post by gittarasaurus Tue Nov 12, 2013 6:14 pm

do you have the original 5-way switch?

one commonly found on these later models has a plastic body with a label SL-5 
it has 7 tabs all on one side, numbered 1-8 (with no tab at #4 )

the coil split is a mini switch SPDT, two position switch
it has 3 tabs on the back
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Post by gittarasaurus Tue Nov 12, 2013 6:25 pm

mine also has a treble bleed capacitor, 
but i'll need to get out a magnifier to see the markings on it
cyclops
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Post by chip51x Tue Nov 12, 2013 6:41 pm

This one is metal with a board mounted to the side with the 7 solder tabs on it. It has the solder tabs 3 on each side in a curve shape and one tab in the center. It looks like it had a ground wire soldered right where the spring hooks on too.
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Post by chip51x Tue Nov 12, 2013 6:43 pm

I couldn't find any markings at all on the switch.
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Post by gittarasaurus Tue Nov 12, 2013 8:41 pm

sounds like it is made similar to the SL-5. 

mine had connections on 4 tabs, the 3 pickups, plus the output to the volume pot
the other 3 tabs had no connections

can you tell how the humbucker wires were connected, which pair would be the center?

my first guess is;
black - output
red/blue - center
white - ground



i will doodle up a sketch with wire colors marked


if you have no indications for how the wires were connected before, then you may have to connect it a couple ways so you get the proper phase relations on each of the pickup combinations


so you can find the one that sounds best
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Post by gittarasaurus Wed Nov 13, 2013 10:16 am

spectrum - Need help with Spectrum GT wiring Ry%3D400
i can email you a pdf if you want to print a copy for your workbench
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Post by chip51x Sat Nov 16, 2013 11:54 am

Thanks that should work if I get a different switch for it. I guess i'm going to wait a little bit and see if something turns up using the original switch. If I don't find anything i'll get a new switch.
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Post by gittarasaurus Sat Nov 16, 2013 4:21 pm

if your switch works, there is no need to get a different one.
does your switch look like this?
spectrum - Need help with Spectrum GT wiring 5_way_strat_lever_switch
5-way blade switch
you only need to use 4 tabs, one for each pickup
and one more for output
you will have 3 left unconnected on that style switch as well

pics are good...
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Post by chip51x Sat Nov 16, 2013 7:28 pm

No its different than that one. That's been my big dilemma on this. I tried to post a pic but couldn't get it to work. There is one on ebay the item number is 400607836109. I think if you see it, it will make sense.
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Post by gittarasaurus Sat Nov 16, 2013 9:24 pm

center tab is output to the volume pot
you connect the pickups to three tabs in a row, on one side or the other, your choice
leave the other three with no connection

if you have a meter, you can verify which tab works on which switch position before you make your connections
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