By Ed Malaker
Posted 10/20/2020
This installation guide will help you set up any type of Lollar pickup. Whether it’s single-coils, vintage P90s, or modern humbuckers, we have you covered. This easy reference explains which wires go where, and includes illustrations that will make the instructions simple to follow.
Known for their excellent dynamic range and clear tone, Lollar pickups are made in America, by hand. There are no assembly lines at this company, which has been making pickups for more than 30 years.
Before You Get Started
This article assumes that you know how to read wiring diagrams and can understand what they’re telling you. It also assumes that you have the basic tools required to complete the job and know how to use them. If you require step-by-step instructions, we recommend looking for the model you are trying to install in our huge humbuckersoup.com library of wiring guides.
Vintage Stratocaster Wiring
I like to start our Lollar pickup installation with the Fender Stratocaster and single-coil pickups because it’s something most people know. The Fender Stratocaster has three single-coil pickups. Single-coil pickups have one coil and two wires to connect the pickup to your guitar. Lollar makes several models of single-coils, including the Strat Special, the Strat Blackface, and the Strat Tweed. You can use these pickups as replacements for the stock Fender Strat pickups or in any guitar that uses a single coil.
Lollar Single coil pickups use one black wire and one white. The white wire is Hot, while the black wire is Ground.
In Example 1, we illustrate a common way to wire the Fender Strat.
Example 1
Vintage Telecaster Wiring
The Fender Telecaster also uses single-coil pickups, but the design is slightly different. However, they will also have two wires that you use to install it. Lollar makes several Telecaster models, including the Royal T Neck, and the Tele Special Bridge. These pickups use a yellow wire for Hot and a black wire for Ground.
In Example 2, we illustrate a popular way to install Lollar pickups into a Fender Telecaster.
Example 2
Vintage P90 Wiring
The vintage P90 looks a lot like a humbucker, but it’s actually another type of single-coil pickup. Gibson used the P90 in their guitars, and it has a signature sound that many people still prefer today. Lollar makes Several P90 replicas, including the P90 Soapbar, P90 Dogear, and the ’50s Wind P90. P90s use a single colored wire surrounded by a braided metal wire. The colored wire is the Hot, and the braided metal wire is the Ground.
In Example 3, we illustrate how to install P90 pickups in a Gibson Les Paul.
Example 3
Humbucker Wiring (Braided Wire)
After using single-coil pickups for several years, people started complaining about the excess noise they create — soon later the humbucker was born. Vintage humbuckers use two coils wired internally to use phase cancellation to remove the noise that single coils create. These pickups have the same type of wiring P90s use, with the braided wire over a single conductor. Like the P90s, the braided wire will be Ground and the colored wire will be Hot.
Lollar makes several different humbuckers, and you can order most of them with vintage wiring. In Example 4, we illustrate how to install vintage humbuckers in a Gibson Les Paul.
Example 4
Humbucker Wiring (4-Wires)
Four-wire humbuckers are the same as vintage humbuckers, but they are not internally wired. Instead, you must connect the two coils manually. Many players prefer the four-wire humbucker because it allows you to perform modifications down the road. The downside to four-wire humbuckers is that you need to determine the wiring code. The wiring code lets the user know which colored wires go to each coil. Without this knowledge, it’s unlikely that you can install a four-wire humbucker and get it working properly.
Lollar Wiring Code
- Black = Hot
- Red + White = Soldered together and taped off
- Green + Bare = Soldered together; Ground
In Example 5, we illustrate the Lollar wiring code.
Example 5
Once you have the wiring code, you can install the pickups by using the Hot and Ground wires. In Example 6, we illustrate what a four-wire humbucker looks like installed.
Example 6
Humbucker Coil-Splitting (4-Wires)
To demonstrate the potential of the four-wire humbucker, we include this humbucker coil-splitting diagram. To perform this modification, you will need to convert one of your tone controls into a push-pull pot.
In Example 7, we illustrate what a converted pot might look like in a Gibson Les Paul.
Example 7
With the tone control converted, you only need to connect the red and white wires to the switching mechanism of the push-pull pot, then add a Ground wire from the switching mechanism to the back of the pot.
In Example 8, we illustrate the completed mod.
Example 8
Summary
Installing pickups is a great way to improve your tone, and with this Lollar pickup installation guide, you’ll be able to work with any of the many fantastic sounding pickups that Lollar produces. If you’ve enjoyed reading this article and found it helpful, please feel free to share this guide on Facebook and Twitter. For more articles on guitar electronics, visit humbuckersoup.com.