Trying to understand why/how the SD parallel wiring scheme diagram works

[Jack_TriPpEr]

I don't know electrical theory but have been trying to learn as it apllies to pickups and guitar wiring. I read through the SD "wiring diploma" webpage articles but did not see my question explained there.

The diagram below is SD's wiring scheme for using an on/on switch, to toggle btw series and parallel wiring for a single humbucker. I don't have a problem understanding how/why that wiring scheme works when the push-pull is in the down position, which puts the two coils in series. Its clear that in that switch position, the two coils are being connected by the North coil's Finish (white) and the South coil Finish (red). Got it, makes sense.

But, i don't understand conceptually why a parallel result is achieved by connecting, as shown, the North Finish (white) to South Start (green) and the South Finish (red) to North Start (black) when the switch is in the up position. What is so special about that combination of the 4 conductor wires? Why couldn't instead the North Start (black) be connected to the North Finish (white), and South Finish (red) connected to South Start (green)... since that seems to avoid the two coils being connected to each other?

 

[DavidRavenMoon]

Trying to understand why/how the SD parallel wiring scheme diagram works

In Series, the north finish (w) connects to the south finish (r). North start (b) is hot and south start (g) is ground.

In parallel north start and south finish connect to hot, and north finish and south start connect to ground.

Notice that north start is always hot and south start is always ground. We are just switching the two remaining wires.

So what we are doing is instead of north finish connecting to south finish, it’s connecting to ground. That’s one single coil. And since we now have a free end, south finish, and the other end of that coil is already connected to ground, we connect that lose end to hot.

Now we have two single coils in parallel.

It does look like they are connected backwards, but the two coils are reverse polarity electrically because each has a opposite magnetic polarity. That puts them back in phase.



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[Jack_TriPpEr]

Re: Trying to understand why/how the SD parallel wiring scheme diagram works

In Series, the north finish (w) connects to the south finish (r). North start (b) is hot and south start (g) is ground.

In parallel north start and south finish connect to hot, and north finish and south start connect to ground.

Notice that north start is always hot and south start is always ground. We are just switching the two remaining wires.

So what we are doing is instead of north finish connecting to south finish, it’s connecting to ground. That’s one single coil. And since we now have a free end, south finish, and the other end of that coil is already connected to ground, we connect that lose end to hot.

Now we have two single coils in parallel.

It does look like they are connected backwards, but the two coils are reverse polarity electrically because each has a opposite magnetic polarity. That puts them back in phase.



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Thank you. I think my lack of understanding of how and why current flows the way that it does in a circuit, is tripping me up here For example, as you wrote, "in parallel mode, North Finish and South Start connect to ground". To my uneducated mind, i see that North Finish and South Start get physically connected to each other, prior to routing them to ground. So i wonder why some current does not flow from one of them back into the other's coil, versus diverting 100% to ground as seems to happen.

I just tried looking up online a beginner's level explanation of how current in a circuit flows, and instead of finding an answer, i found more confusing concepts - like this reference that says current does not flow from the circuit *to* ground, but instead, it flows from the circuit *through* ground and then back into the circuit. Huh?!? Lol. https://electronics.stackexchange.c...n-does-and-when-doesnt-current-flow-to-ground

 

[AlexR]

Re: Trying to understand why/how the SD parallel wiring scheme diagram works

Yep.....ground is not some sort of global electrical garbage bin as it seems to be. Its just another word for common connection or return. AC confuses many as the signal flows both ways. Think of a Nascar race circuit, but where in an instant the cars suddenly drive the other way. A 60hz signal is just 60 cycles of the current flowing first one way and then the other in a second. So when it is flowing 1 way (due to the way that the string is vibrating at that instant) the current cannot flow the other way.

 

[DavidRavenMoon]

Re: Trying to understand why/how the SD parallel wiring scheme diagram works

Thank you. I think my lack of understanding of how and why current flows the way that it does in a circuit, is tripping me up here For example, as you wrote, "in parallel mode, North Finish and South Start connect to ground". To my uneducated mind, i see that North Finish and South Start get physically connected to each other, prior to routing them to ground. So i wonder why some current does not flow from one of them back into the other's coil, versus diverting 100% to ground as seems to happen.

You’re over thinking it. Current won’t flow unless you complete the circuit. So you have your signal wire and ground.

In series one coil connects to the other. The current flows through both coils as if they were one larger coil; only the winding direction reverses half way through.

It’s like the rest of your signal chain. If you plug your guitar in a pedal, you are now in series with the pedal.

You can also wire both pickups to be in series instead of the usual parallel for a very thick tone.



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