
With out-of-phase and coil-switching options, a treble-bleed network, and individual volume and tone controls for each pickup, this dual-humbucker’s wiring was ahead of its time when it came out in 1978.
Recently a customer asked me to translate something for him, and it turned out that it was a German description of an electric guitar that I had almost forgotten about: the Peavey T-60.
I must admit that I really like Peavey guitars, and the T-60 is no exception. The guitar and its wiring are so unique that I wanted to show you the circuit and how you can adopt it for your own guitar.
The Peavey T-60 was built from 1978 to 1988 and is a dual-humbucker guitar with a design that was ahead of its time—kind of "Burns meets Stratocaster." It's a polarizing shape: You will either love it or hate it. Personally, I think it's a spacey design and together with the arrow-shaped headstock, the silver retro control knobs with the inlayed "P" for Peavey, the toaster-style pickup covers, and the countless screws holding the pickguard, it looks super cool ... but judge yourself.
The guitar was loaded with two epoxy-potted four-conductor "full-range" humbuckers with a blade design, aka Super Ferrite pickups. They were covered with Rick-style toaster design pickup covers, had standard PAF dimensions, and were designed to sound good as humbuckers and single-coils when in split mode. The T-60 guitar also had a brother: the T-40 bass, with the same wiring but slightly different capacitor values for the treble-bleed network on the volume pots (more on this later).
I haven't seen such a circuit on any other guitar. You can adopt this wiring to any HH guitar as long as both humbuckers have four-conductor wiring and a Les Paul/SG/335-style control layout.
The wiring was really ahead of its time back in 1978, sporting out-of-phase and coil-split options, but in a very special way. Basically, the original wiring is using a 3-way pickup selector switch (in this case a DPDT on-on-on type) for a Les Paul-style switching with both pickups together in parallel in the middle position. Next there is a DPDT on-on switch, serving as an out-of-phase switch for the bridge pickup, and a 250k volume and tone control for each pickup, á la Les Paul but independent from the other pickup's circuit. The volume controls both have a "cap only" treble-bleed network to keep the high-end alive when rolling down the volume. The value for the T-60 guitar was 1000 pF and for the T-40 bass 0.01 uF. Besides this, the wirings are absolutely the same. The tone controls have a 0.033 uF tone cap for the bridge and a 0.022 uF tone cap for the neck pickup.
So far, this is nothing special in the year 2020, but let's take a closer look at the tone controls. Here we find a mixture of a tone blend and a coil blend feature. On one side a capacitor is blended to ground (tone blend) while on the other side one of the coils is blended to ground (coil blend). Since the out-of-phase switch is still in front of the coil blend feature, you can choose, depending on the position of the switch, which of the two coils is blended to ground. Here is the description of the circuit in Peavey's own words from the original manual of the guitar: "Our unique tone circuitry enables dual- or single-coil operation of each pickup independently through the rotation of the pickup tone controls. Rotating the tone controls fully clockwise (position #10) achieves the single-coil mode and produces a greater degree of "highs" from the instrument. Rotating the tone controls counterclockwise to approximately the #7 position brings the second coil into operation for full-range, humbucking tonalities. Further counterclockwise rotation of the tone controls (from position #7 to 0) yield conventional tone-contouring action."
As always, the out-of-phase switch only works when both pickups are engaged. Different from a Les Paul standard wiring, both volume and tone controls are working independent from the other pickup's circuit, so in the middle position with both pickups engaged in parallel, the volume and tone controls only affect their corresponding pickup and not both, interacting with each other.
All this together creates a very flexible circuit with a lot of tonal shades you can dial in. I haven't seen such a circuit on any other guitar. You can adopt this wiring to any HH guitar as long as both humbuckers have four-conductor wiring and a Les Paul/SG/335-style control layout. Before you dive in, here are some points to consider with this wiring and possible mods of this circuit:
- Peavey chooses a "cap only" 1000 pF treble-bleed network for both volume controls. This will work with the original 250k controls and the special humbuckers, but may be adjusted when using other humbuckers and/or values for the controls. For more info about this, please have a look at my March 2019 Mod Garage column "Deep Diving into Treble-Bleed Networks."
- The original wiring uses a 0.033 uF tone cap for the bridge and a 0.022 uF tone cap for the neck pickup. Naturally you can mod these values to your personal likings, e.g. 0.022 uF for the bridge and 0.01 uF for the neck pickup, which will work fine with any vintage PAF-style humbucker. Or maybe you want to convert to a warmth control, which is described in November 2018's "Mod Garage: Swap that Tone Knob for a Warmth Control."
- The Rick-style toaster covers on the original humbuckers may look cool, but will dampen the high-end noticeably because, unlike the similar-looking covers from Gretsch, the metal between the two slits is uninterrupted. Removing the cover will bring back all the high-end. Alternatively, you can cut a piece out of this metal part, so it looks similar to the Gretsch covers, to solve the problem and retain the cool retro appearance. (Remember: breaking eddy currents!) For more info about this, read "Mod Garage: How to Shield Humbucking Pickup Covers" from January 2019. For the original pickups, Peavey recommends a pickup height adjustment of 1/32" (0.8 mm) for the bridge and 3/64" (1.2 mm) for the neck pickup. If you want to use the original pickups, chances are good that you'll find a used pair on eBay or maybe Peavey still has them in stock. The part number for the pickups is 95201100 (one model for bridge and neck).
Fig. 2
courtesy of singlecoil.com
- Peavey used 250k audio pots for the volume and 250k tone pots offering a special "S" curved taper. I'm pretty sure this was owed to the S-taper and the availability of such pots, because usually you would expect a 500k pot here together with humbuckers. Not the best choice, so it's worth using all 500k audio pots or a combination of 250k audio pots for the volume (60:40 audio taper in preference) and 500k for the tone controls, preferably with an S-taper. Standard audio-tapered pots will also work with this wiring, but the crossover point between tone blend and coil blend is more defined with an S-curved taper. Such S-tapered pots are available from Bourns or CTS. Maybe the original 250k pot is still available from Peavey as a spare part: the part number of this pot is 75065005.
Now let's look at the wiring. For visual clarity, we'll start with the volume pot's treble-bleed network shown in Fig 1. It's a single 1000 pF cap soldered between input and output of both volume pots. Silver mica caps do a very great job here.
The entire complex wiring of the Peavey T-60 is shown in Fig. 2. The wiring is shown with the original Peavey pickup color chart and needs to be transferred when using different pickups. You can use a lot of different online resources for this, such as the one on guitarelectronics.com.
That's it. Next month we'll continue with our relic'ing series (catch up now with part 1 and part 2) take care of the metal parts of the tuners. Until then, keep on modding!
[Updated 9/27/21]
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- Mod Garage: Deep Diving into Treble-Bleed Networks - Premier Guitar ›
- Mod Garage: Deep Diving into Treble-Bleed Networks - Premier Guitar ›
Brent Mason is, of course, on of the most recorded guitarists in history, who helped define the sound of most ’90s country superstars. So, whether you know it or not, you’ve likely heard Mason’s playing.
Professional transcriber Levi Clay has done the deepest of dives into Brent Mason’s hotshot licks. At one point, he undertook the massive project of transcribing and sharing one of Mason’s solos every day for 85 or so days. Mason is, of course, on of the most recorded guitarists in history, who helped define the sound of most ’90s country superstars. So, whether you know it or not, you’ve likely heard Mason’s playing. Levi shares the insight he gleaned from digging deep, and he tells us what it was like when they shared a stage last year. Plus, Levi plays us some great examples of Mason’s playing.
PRS Guitars today launched five new three-pickup, 22-fret models across the S2 and SE series. The S2 Series release includes the S2 Special Semi-Hollow and S2 Studio, while the SE Series welcomes the SE Special Semi-Hollow, SE Studio, and SE Studio Standard.
“The distinctive pickup configurations of these five guitars deliver a versatile tonal platform, whether you’re exploring subtle textures or pushing the envelope. The deep dive into our Narrowfield technology is obvious with this launch. With both the S2 models made in our Maryland factory and the SE models made in Indonesia, our goal has been to create guitars that will inspire you and spark creativity, all at an exceptional value,” said PRS Guitars COO, Jack Higginbotham.
S2 Special Semi-Hollow
The PRS S2 Special Semi-Hollow features a pair of 58/15 LT humbuckers in the bass and treble positions and a PRS Narrowfield in the middle. A 5-way blade switch and two mini-toggles allow players to tap the humbuckers, creating twelve distinct pickup combinations for sonic exploration. The carved maple top and mahogany back encompass a semi-hollow body that adds a natural airiness and depth to the guitar’s tone while enhancing sustain.
S2 Studio
The PRS S2 Studio delivers a wide range of sonic possibilities through its distinctive single-single-hum configuration. Featuring two proprietary PRS Narrowfield pickups in the bass and middle positions and a 58/15 LT humbucker in the treble position, the S2 Studio offers a palette of sounds from single-coil clarity to vocal humbucker tones. This model also has a 5-way blade switch and push/pull tone control.
SE Special Semi-Hollow
The PRS SE Special Semi-Hollow is designed with the versatility of a hum/“single”/hum setup, bringing PRS’s Narrowfield DD pickup design to the SE Series in a classic maple-top guitar. The semi-hollow construction also enhances sustain and resonance, while the f-hole adds a classic aesthetic. The coil-tap switching system unlocks a wide range of tones through a pair of 58/15 LT “S” pickups in the bass and treble positions and a PRS Narrowfield DD “S” in the middle.
SE Studio
The PRS SE Studio’s “single”/”single”/hum pickup configuration provides a wide range of tonal options. This combination of PRS Narrowfield DD “S” bass and middle pickups with a PRS 58/15 LT “S” treble humbucker offers humbucking warmth, single-coil sparkle, and everything in between. The 5-way blade switch and push/pull tone control further enhance its versatility.
SE Studio Standard
The only bolt-on neck in this release group, the PRS SE Studio Standard brings the tone, playability, and versatility of the Studio model to the SE Series and into an all-mahogany design with a vintage-style pickguard aesthetic. At the heart of the SE Studio Standard is its versatile trio of pickups: an 58/15 LT “S” humbucker in the treble position with two Narrowfield DD “S” pickups in the middle and bass positions. The 5-way blade switch and push/pull tone control allow for an array of pickup configurations.
PRS Guitars continues its schedule of launching new products each month in 2025. Stay tuned to see new gear and 40th Anniversary limited-edition guitars throughout the year.
For the first time ever, two guitar greats, John 5 and Richie Kotzen will be heading out on the road this year. The tour will launch October 16 and run through November, hitting markets across the U.S.
Find the full tour itinerary right plus a link for tickets & VIP, including additional dates featuring John 5 only. Reserved seating tickets will go on sale Friday May 16 though a fan presale will begin today at noon local time and fans are strongly encouraged to buy early to get the best seats.
Meet and Greets for both artists will be available. For John 5 please go to: https://john5store.com/collections/vip.
Today, John 5 also announces more details of his anticipated new album. Called The Ghost, it will be released October 10 and is led by the new track “Fiend,” featuring Kenny Aronoff.
John 5 continues running public tours this month for his Knights In Satan’s Service Museum of KISS Memorabilia in Los Angeles, California. Guided tours are open to the public for one month only (with a possible expansion). Current dates available are May 12-16, May 19-23 and May 27-30. Each will be led by John 5 himself who will provide tons of rich detail and answer any questions. Secure your place HERE.
JOHN 5 continues to tour with Mötley Crüe including an upcoming residency in Las Vegas in 2025.RICHIE KOTZEN &
JOHN 5 FALL 2025 TOUR
October 16 El Cajon, CA @ Magnolia
October 17 Riverside, CA @ Fox Performing Arts
October 18 Roseville, CA @ Goldfield Trading Post
October 19 San Jose, CA @ The Ritz
October 21 Phoenix, AZ @ Celebrity Theatre
October 22 Albuquerque, NM @ KiMo Theatre
October 24 Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater
October 25 Leander, TX @ The Haute Spot
October 27 New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues
October 28 Memphis, TN @ Minglewood Hall
October 29 Nashville, TN @ Fogg Street Lawn Club
October 30 Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
October 31 Orlando, FL @ House of Blues
November 1 Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Culture Room
November 2 Clearwater, FL @ Capitol Theatre
November 4 Richmond, VA @ The National
November 5 Leesburg, VA @ Tally Ho Theater
November 6 Patchogue, NY @ Patchogue Theatre
November 11 Glenside, PA @ Keswick Theatre
November 12 Derry, NH @ Tupelo Music Hall
November 13 Foxborough, MA @ Six String Grill & Stage
November 14 Stroudsburg, PA @ Sherman Theater
November 15 Lorain, OH @ Lorain Palace Theatre
November 16 Columbus, OH @ The King Of Clubs
November 17 Warrendale, PA @ Jergels
November 19 Wyandotte, MI @ District 142
November 20 Flint, MI @ The Machine Shop
November 21 Fort Wayne, IN @ Piere’s
November 22 St. Charles, IL @ Arcada Theatre
November 23 Belvidere, IL @ Apollo Theatre
November 25 Denver, CO @ Oriental Theater
November 29 Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy & Harriet's*
*John 5 only
AEROSMITH guitarist and songwriter JOE PERRY is set to return to the road for a series of August performances with THE JOE PERRY PROJECT. The 8-date run kicks off August 13 in Tampa, FL and wraps August 23 in Port Chester, New York, with an August 19 performance in PERRY’s Boston hometown (see the itinerary below). For the North American trek—which marks the first solo shows for PERRY this year—the legendary guitarist will be joined by his Aerosmith bandmates Brad Whitford (guitar) and Buck Johnson (keys), along with The Black Crowes’ Chris Robinson (vocals), and Stone Temple Pilots’ Robert DeLeo (bass), and Eric Kretz (drums).
“Well…it’s time to let the music do the talkin again,” PERRY says. “I’m really excited about the JPP line up this year!!!! Most of these guys played with me at The Roxy in L.A. at the debut event for my latest solo album [Sweetzerland Manifesto] in January 2018. They’re all busy as hell but thankfully they’re able to carve out some time for this run. And I’m not only lucky enough to have Brad Whitford onstage with me but Chris Robinson of The Black Crowes! [who sang ‘Fortunate One’ on Sweetzerland Manifesto MKII], Robert DeLeo and Eric Kretz from STP!!! and Buck Johnson who plays keys and sings with Aerosmith, the Hollywood Vampires, and is also a solo artist in his own right.”
For the shows, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee says “the set list is gonna include my fav JPP cuts, STP, Black Crowes, and with Brad we’ll be hitting the Aero hits and some deep cuts and then ya never know!!!! Gonna be a BLAST, and if you’ve ever been to one of my shows you know the words GARAGE BAND on STEROIDS come to mind! See you there!!!!”
DATE | LOCATION | VENUE |
Wednesday, August 13 | Tampa, FL | Seminole Hard Rock - Tampa |
Thursday, August 14 | Hollywood, FL | Seminole Hard Rock - Hollywood |
Saturday, August 16 | Toronto, ON | HISTORY |
Sunday, August 17 | Muskoka, ON | Kee to Bala |
Tuesday, August 19 | Boston, MA | Wang Theatre |
Wednesday, August 20 | Hampton Beach, NH | Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom |
Friday, August 22 | Mashantucket, CT | The Premier Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino |
Saturday, August 23 | Port Chester, NY | Capitol Theatre |