Early McCarty Pickups / CE22

[bachooka]

Hi all,

Brand new to the forum. I really appreciate any input.

I just picked up an early CE22 (November '94), which I believe was part of the limited Sam Ash run with McCarty pickups and 3-way switch (numbered on back of headstock).

In checking out the electronics cavity I noticed the humbuckers have 4-conductor wiring which I hadn't seen in McCarty pickups before. I pulled them, and they indeed have the McCarty stickers, but again they have the grey insulated cable with red/black/white/shield. Has anyone here seen pickups like this before? I think I've also read that early McCartys were actually covered Dragons? Just trying to see if anyone's seen something similar before.

Cheers!

 

[AP515]

All McCarty pickups after 94 are 4 conductor so that thy can split with the push pull tone pot (the famous McCarty switching). The first year McCarty pickups (94) did not split so I doubt they were Dragons. They could have been modeled after Dragons.

 

[bachooka]

Thanks @AP515! Interesting. So it seems that since this is a '94 guitar, the pickups may not be original (if they are indeed McCarty's and not simply labeled that way).

Also, every picture of McCarty pickups that I pull up appear to be 3-conductor: a black lead surrounded by a braided shield, and an extra white lead. So you're saying that there are also 4-conductor models?

 

[AP515]

Thanks @AP515! Interesting. So it seems that since this is a '94 guitar, the pickups may not be original (if they are indeed McCarty's and not simply labeled that way).

Also, every picture of McCarty pickups that I pull up appear to be 3-conductor: a black lead surrounded by a braided shield, and an extra white lead. So you're saying that there are also 4-conductor models?

Your CE is a late 94. I'm not sure (and PRS might not be either) just when the McCartys with the white wire to split the coils was actually introduced. I only know that the 95's did split. Since yours was built in November of 94 it's likely they had the 4 conductors by then. That extra white wire you see on the McCarty pups is the split. The black wire is the "hot" and the braided wire is the ground. On early PRS pups, they didn't have the braded wire exposed, but had the black, red, and white with an interior braid and the gray was a protective coating around all of it. I think yours are probably original and were stock in 94/95. Later McCartys had the conversion to outside white wires.

 

[vchizzle]

Your CE is a late 94. I'm not sure (and PRS might not be either) just when the McCartys with the white wire to split the coils was actually introduced. I only know that the 95's did split. Since yours was built in November of 94 it's likely they had the 4 conductors by then. That extra white wire you see on the McCarty pups is the split. The black wire is the "hot" and the braided wire is the ground. On early PRS pups, they didn't have the braded wire exposed, but had the black, red, and white with an interior braid and the gray was a protective coating around all of it. I think yours are probably original and were stock in 94/95. Later McCartys had the conversion to outside white wires.

I think you're probably right on this, although, like bachooka, I haven't seen any '94 McCarty's electronics so I can't verify.
The original pickups in the McCarty were indeed covered Dragon bass pickups. Not sure how many guitars those made it into though.

 

[solacematt]

This sounds like a gorgeous guitar

 

[bachooka]

This sounds like a gorgeous guitar

It is a nice one, for sure!

 

[solacematt]

It is a nice one, for sure!

Nice! And for a 94 the hardware and trem look great!

 

[gush]

Just for the record, my 2000 McCarty pickups have the white tap wire.

 

[Brad737]

The pickups look like early McCartys to me. The corners of the covers look rounded, which early McCartys had.