Some Wiring and PU Advice please!

[Stubish]

Hi all,
First up, I’d like to say this looks like an amazing forum. Don’t know why I haven’t come here before.

I’m a proud owner of a Dean Evo SS (lefty) and have just decided that for now, an upgrade path is the go, instead of buying a new guitar. I’m going to call on your expertise on a few matters. I’ll number them for ease. They are all based around electronics or pickups…

FYI: the config of the guitar is currently HH on a 3 way LP style selector. 1 volume (P/P to tap neck) and 1 tone (P/P to tap bridge). I’m waiting to hear from dean on the PU specs, but from what I recall, they are quite hot (18.5k comes to mind).

1) I’m aiming to rewire the unit and get better quality components in place. A few problems is, that the tone knob is either off or on. No in-between. And the 3 way selector is a bit flaky so I’ll just replace that as well. Can anybody please explain why my tone pot is either off or on??

2) I want to wire one dpdt switch as a tap for both pickups and the other to switch from parallel to series. Can anyone see any troubles with this configuration? Has anybody got a link to a wiring diagram for it? I haven’t been able to find one for this config yet. Bear in mind I want my tone control to actually have a variable effect and not just on-off.

3) I’m undecided about changing pickups just yet. However depending on budget (as I’ve gotta get some fretwork done as well) I may end up putting some new ones in. I’ve seen allot of talk about the C5 – 59 combo. I’m looking for a bit of a ‘modern’ sound, yet still retaining some vintage vibe about it. Can anybody suggest any other SD combo’s? Please state your reasons for suggestions as well.

Well, that’s enough from me for now. I’m looking forward to ramping up my baby a bit and am looking forward to the advice I’m about to receive

Thanks in Advance
Stu Bish

[ArtieToo]

Re: Some Wiring and PU Advice please!

Hi Stu; Welcome to the forum. I'll try a couple of these.

On the tone control, where, in the rotation, does it happen? Just as you move off of "10", halfway, at the bottom? It'll make a difference as to what the problem is.

The split/series with two push/pull's shouldn't be a problem. I just need to either think on it a bit, or dig something up from the "archives". I'll try to post something around this time tomorrow.

I'll let someone else handle the pup recommendations.

Artie

[Stubish]

Re: Some Wiring and PU Advice please!

wow, you guys are quick.

The tone changes just as I move off 'all the way down'. So imagine I'm rolling it back. It will attenuate the tone right near the end.

Make sense?

Stu

[tone4days]

Re: Some Wiring and PU Advice please!

welcome ... yeah, pots and switches are reasonably inexpensive in the grand scheme of things so swapping them out will usually be a good idea

one DPDT to split coils on both pickups is very doable ... when you say series/parallel on the other push/pull, do you mean the internal combination of each pickup unto itself, or the combination of the pickups (i.e. when the 3-way is in the middle position)?

you're aiming in the right direction with a C5b / 59n ... i love tht combo in mine and i've heard it in others ... depending on which way you want to go, an alnicoIIpro(n) with PGb is also a great set .. so is the Jazz(n) / JB(b)

good luck
t4d

[Stubish]

Re: Some Wiring and PU Advice please!

In regards to the series parallel question above. What I was hoping for is a PRS style of series Parallel. I assume this is How the Neck and Bridge are wired together? And not the slugs withing each pickup?

[tone4days]

Re: Some Wiring and PU Advice please!

ah .. PRS style is something different entirely (and very cool, IMO) ... the easiest way to achieve PRS wiring is with their rotary switch or with a P type megaswitch (blade style) or with a super switch (blade) ... since you are upgrading from a 3 way toggle, i think you might have the easiest path forward with the rotary (if it would fit) ...

other than that, i'm gonna have to join artie in the head scratchin' lounge to see how we can get their from here

good luck
t4d

[Stubish]

Re: Some Wiring and PU Advice please!

Hmm, have been thinking about a rotary... but for now I'm thinking no...

What I'm hoping for is something between a mcarty arangement and a regular PRS arangement...

I figure I can have these options if I keep my 3 way switch... plus a coil tap and a series Parallel switch.

1 Bridge pickup
3 Outer coils, series
4 Outer coils, parallel
5 Neck pickup
6 Bridge + Neck, series
7 Bridge + Neck, parallel
8 Just the coil closest to the Neck
9 Just the coil closest to the Bridge

That's plenty of options for me. the outer coils being PRS style hopefully

Am I on the right track here??
I'm really looking for some nice 'bell' like cleans from the Single coil sounds

[tone4days]

Re: Some Wiring and PU Advice please!

I'm really looking for some nice 'bell' like cleans from the Single coil sounds

oh, i know how to do that ...


... buy a strat



i'll keep scratching my head about this ... i dont think i know how to do ALL of that in one guitar with a 3 way and 2 push/pull DPDTs ... might get close ...

i was thinking that maybe it would be possible to use the regular 3 way with both pots "pushed" for bridge only / both (parallel) / neck only ... then use one push/pull pot to split so you'd get neck split / both split (parallel) / bridge split ... then when the first pot was pulled you would use the other push / pull to determine WHICH coil was split ... wired carefully, this would give you inner (parallel) / outer (parallel) choices ...

as you can see, i've got no clue on series wiring

i'll keep thinking .. art is the real whiz at this stuff

cheers
t4d

[Luke Duke]

Re: Some Wiring and PU Advice please!

I'll go fora answering the pup question!!

Depending on your Dean you could go a variety of ways. If it's needing more mids I'd go with the A2P, PG, in the neck, and a CC in the bridge.

If you want more lows, and highs the 59/C5.

For versatility and a slightly hot rodded sound, Jazz/JB. Of course these are straight up proven combos that lots of guys here like and use. My Heritage has the unorthodox Jazz/A2P.

I did a fairly extensive pup breakdown here. https://forum.seymourduncan.com/show...ighlight=alouu

If you are interested.

BTW Welcome to the Forum!

Luke

[Stubish]

Re: Some Wiring and PU Advice please!

So much info, so little time. I’ll head over to the clips section and search for the combo’s I’m thinking of and take it from there.

T4d, I’m pretty sure I’ve got this right but I’ll do the breakdown of the sounds with how I think it would work for each of them both for your sake and mine!

Just to note, I will have 2 Push Pull Switches. One that coil taps when pulled and one that switches to series between the pup’s when pulled.

1) Bridge pickup: Bridge pup’s selected. No switches pulled.
2) Outer coils, series: Both pup’s selected and both switches pulled.
3) Outer coils, parallel: Both pup’s selected and just coil tap pulled.
4) Neck pickup: Neck pup selected and no switches pulled.
5) Bridge + Neck, series: both pups selected and just series switch pulled.
6) Bridge + Neck, parallel: both pups selected, no switches pulled.
7) Just the coil closest to the Neck: Just neck selected and coil tap pulled.
8) Just the coil closest to the Bridge: Just Bridge selected and coil tap pulled.

Please tell me if I’ve missed something there? Is this not possible? Is this the right forum to be talking about things like this?

Cheers
Stuart

[tone4days]

Re: Some Wiring and PU Advice please!

man, i'm tellin' ya .. it's a long time since i've been this stumped ... i just cant get there from here with your request ... we are still talking about a standard 3-way toggle switch for pickup selector right?

let's dispense with the easy ones ... numbers 1, 4, 6 are easy ... and i know how to do 3, 7, 8, too ... that leaves 2, 5

artie?

cheers,
t4d

[ArtieToo]

Re: Some Wiring and PU Advice please!

artie?

I'm chewing on it.

Actually, I don't think there's anything too tricky here, I just want to make sure I get it right . . . or at least, close.

Film at eleven.
Artie

Edit: Ok, I think I've got it. It'll just take me few minutes to draw it up and post it.

[tone4days]

Re: Some Wiring and PU Advice please!

and just to be complete .. he is gonna have to do a magnet flip to get the (RP) part of hum cancelling in the 2, 3 settings, right? ... how does he factor in the (RW) part for one of the pups, yet still maintain what he wants from the other combos (namely the series ones)?

that's what had me scratchin'

t4d

[ArtieToo]

Re: Some Wiring and PU Advice please!

and just to be complete .. he is gonna have to do a magnet flip to get the (RP) part of hum cancelling in the 2, 3 settings, right? ...

You just had to throw a monkey wrench in there.

Seriously though, I'm not sure about that part. This will give you the raw functionality:



Give me a moment, and I'm going to make another post that explains a couple of wiring "tips" for that drawing.

Here's what that wiring will give you: (The 1,2,3 refers to the 3 positions of the 3-way.)

With both push/pull pots in:

Normal 3-way humbucker operation.
1. neck
2. neck and bridge
3. bridge

With "split" pot pulled:

1. neck adjustable coil. (Coil closest to the neck.)
2. outside coils only. (in parallel)
3. bridge adjustable coil. (Coil closest to the bridge.)

"Split" pot pushed, "series" pot pulled: (3-way is now bypassed.)
Both humbuckers in series, regardless of where the 3-way is placed.

"Split" pot pulled, "series" pot pulled: (3-way is still bypassed.)
Outside coils in series, regardless of where the 3-way is placed.

I hope that does what you need. In the next post, I'll explain a couple of things in that schematic.

Artie

[ArtieToo]

Re: Some Wiring and PU Advice please!

Since I'm not sure how easily you can read that schematic, I want to point a couple of things out.

Note in this drawing, points A, B, C, D, and E:



Note, that from an electrical point of view, they are all connected together. So it doesn't matter how you physically wire those points together. Its drawn like that for "neatness".

Here's the same thing with the red line showing how you might actually wire it up:



Notice that I just take the hot wire of the neck pup, (point "A"), and run it to the 3-way, then a jumper over to one point on the "series" push/pull, and then on the the connection on the "split" push/pull.

Same thing goes for the bridge pup. Look at the blue points A, B, C, and D:



They could be replaced with the blue wire shown here. (Blue line actually. The wire itself isn't blue.)



Hope that all makes sense. Feel free to ask if anything doesn't.

Artie