Wiring Options

A C T IV E M A G N ETI C SO U N D H O LE PI CKU P

Cut the pickup wire (or coil it up and secure with a tie wrap) to a length
suitable to reach between the soundhole and the endpin. Leave extra length tomove the pickup out of the sound hole for battery replacement.

To send pickup and microphone signals
to a mono destination with a Rare Earth™
Blend that is wired for stereo

Preliminary

Permanent Installation Guide
Important! Permanent installation of the Rare Earth™ requires some degreeof woodworking/electronics soldering skill and should be performed only by aqualified repair-person. Fishman Transducers will not be held responsible fordamages to the pickup or your instrument that result from improper
installation.

1. Strip 3/8" off the outside jacket of the pickup wire.

If you wish to go back to a mono output
for a stereo wired Rare Earth Blend,
you may do so without removing andrewiring the endpin jack. Instead,
make a special adapter with a monomale plug at one end and a female
stereo jack at the other. Leave the ringterminal of the female stereo jackopen. Plug the stereo cord from theRare Earth Blend into this adapter.
You may now combine microphone andpickup signals in mono (using thebalance control under the pickup),
without microphone signal degradation

2. Tin the red and white wires, as well as the ground wire. With the Blend andCustom Blend models, clip the blue, yellow and green wires short, as they
are unused. The black wire on the Blend model carries an additional
microphone signal for wiring the pickup/mic in stereo.
3. Gently bend back the ground/strain relief to gain access to the three otherterminals.

The goal of this procedure is to mount the Rare Earth™ pickup and endpin
jack securely in the guitar. Please follow these guidelines carefully; a pickupthat is not properly mounted may slip out of the soundhole and may damage aguitar that is shipped or checked as baggage.

Standard Mono Wiring for all Models

StereoPatch Cordor distortion.

1. Solder the white wire (signal) to the shortest terminal on the jack (Tip).

Install the Endpin Jack

2. Solder the red wire (Neg. battery) to the longest terminal on the jack(Switch).

Adapter
To Amp3. Solder the pickup shield wire to the Sleeve tab on the jack (Ground).

Tools• Soldering iron (30 watt max)
• Wire strippers• 1/2" open end wrench• 2.4mm (3/32") slot head screwdriver• 15/32" (11.9 mm) reamer or:• Rosin core solder• #1 Phillips screwdriver• 3/32" Allen wrench• #4 washers (#3metric)
Variable speed drill
Center punch
1/8" (3.2 mm) twist drill
15/32" (11.9 mm) Spade bit drill
X-Acto miniature sawProcedure• Widen the endpin hole to accept the endpin jack. There are two methods towiden the endpin hole ...
Slow and Safe
If you have the time, this is the preferred method. Remove the endpin andwiden the hole to size with a 15/32" (11.9 mm) reamer (available in the US &Canada through Stewart Macdonald, 800-848-2273 part #4323).

Negative Battery Wire(red) to Switch

Shield toSleeve

Pickup Signal(white) to Tip

The objective here is to quickly drill out the endpin jack hole, with the endpin
or other suitable plug in place. You may remove a loose endpin and refasten
it in the endblock with cyanoacrylate glue before starting the procedure.

Note: We do not recommend this method for instruments with brittle
ornamental veneers (ex: abalone) around the endblock
1. Apply masking tape around the endblock area to protect the instrument.
2. Locate an X-Acto saw 1/16" (1.6 mm) away from the body and saw off theendpin, nearly flush to the instrument.
3. Centerpunch a guide hole in the trimmed endpin.
4. Drill a 1/8" (3.2 mm) pilot hole through the endpin and endblock.
5. Line up 15/32" (11.9 mm) Spade bit in the pilot hole and begin drilling.
Maintain a perpendicular plunge in relation to the instrument. Use steady(but not heavy) pressure, especially as the drill exits inside the guitar.
6. To avoid damage to the instrument, let the drill come to a complete stop
before removing it from the hole.

1/4" Mono PlugTip

Shield to Ground

Ring Open (unused)

STEREO T O MONO ADAPTER

To add a second pickup in stereo
Solder the signal wire from the second pickup to the Ring terminal (middlelength) of the jack. Solder the shield from the second pickup to the Sleeveterminal of the jack.
Negative Battery Wire(red) to Switch

Second Pickupto Ring

OR ...
Quick & Clean

1/4" Stereo JackTip (short terminal)

Shields toSleeve

Pickup Signal(white) to Tip

To wire the Rare Earth™ Blend in stereo
To split the pickup and microphone signals to separate destinations: Solder
the black wire (microphone signal) to the middle length terminal (Ring).
Negative Battery Wire(red) to Switch

Shield toSleeve

Microphone Signal(black) to Ring

Pickup Signal(white) to Tip

Fasten the Jack in the Endpin HoleFollow this sequence when installing the endpin jack:
1 2 3

1. Large Hex Nut
2. Large Dress Washer
3. Star Washer
4. Guitar Endblock
5. Small Dress Washer
6. Small Dress Nut
7. Strap Button

456 7

1The jack should protrude at least 5/16" (7.9 mm) and no more than 11/32"(8.7 mm) outside the guitar's body for proper fit.
Fit the small dress washer and nut over the end of the jack, then insert a 3/32"
Allen wrench through the small hole on the end of the jack. Tighten the nut
with a 1/2" open-end wrench while holding the jack in place with the Allenwrench. Thread and hand tighten the strap button.

Note: With the strap button in place, the end of the jackshould protrude slightly, so that when a plug is inserted,
it will snap securely in place.
A set of adhesive backed clips has been provided to secure the pickup cableinside of the guitar once the endpin jack has been installed. Remove theplastic film from the back of each clip to expose the adhesive. Secure thecable/clips to the kerfed lining of the guitar.

Per manent
Pickup Installation

DI N S T A L L A T I O N

G U I D E

1. Loosen the pickup clamps.
2. Position the pickup as close to the fingerboard as possible. Thepickup should be parallel to the fingerboard and centered
between the outside strings.
3. Lightly tighten the clamps with a #1 Phillips screwdriver until
they start to grab. Do not over tighten.

Clamp touches brace
NO GOODE

With an inspection mirror, check the clamps inside the guitar.
When properly seated, the moveable jaws will be parallel to thesoundboard. We recommend that you shim the clamps with #4washers (#3 metric) - see Figure C. This will strengthen theclamping power of the jaws and prevent damage fromovertightening. Use as many washers as needed to keep thejaws parallel to the soundboard, while still maintaining a good,
firm grip.

Cut back cork padFA™

Clamp is not parallel
NO GOODB
DRAOBDN
Add washers tostrengthen clamp

CClamp is parallel
GOOD

4. With the inspection mirror, check to see if the moveable jaws
touch the support braces that run close to the edge of thesoundhole. If the clamps do not touch these braces, you maytighten the screws until the clamps are fully seated. Make surethe pickup is secure; try to slide it out of the soundhole. If you
can't move the pickup, you are done.
If after tightening, you can move the pickup with little effort, thejaws are probably hung up on the interior soundhole braces. If
so, go to step 5.

Clamp clears brace
GOOD

ACTIVE MAGNETIC SOUNDHOLE PICKUP
5. If the tips of the clamps inside the guitar make contact withthe soundhole braces - see Figure D - then the pickup cannot firmly grip the guitar and may slip out of the soundholeover a period of time.
Try mounting the pickup slightly back toward the center of thesoundhole. Doing so will often clear the clamps from thesoundhole braces. After you move the pickup, re-check with
the inspection mirror. If everything lines up, retighten theclamps and check the pickup for tightness in the soundhole.
If the clamps are still hung up on the soundhole braces, go tostep 6.
6. Cut back the cork pads on the tips of the moveable jaws - see
Figure E - just enough to keep the pads from touching thesoundhole braces. If the soundhole braces are taller than thecork pads, shim up the existing pads with a similar material.
A shim kit, consisting of four adhesive-backed cork pads (inthe shape of the clamps), is available through your Fishman
dealer. (Fishman Part # ACC-SHM-KIT).
After you have cut down the pads and replaced the pickup in
the sound hole, retighten the screws and check the pickup fortightness.

009-040-003 5-99

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