New wiring diagram to share with everyone

[rspst14]

Hey guys, I've asked about this before on the forum, but no one was exactly sure how to correctly wire this up. I sent the following request to www.guitarelectronics.com:

Hello, I have a wiring diagram request for your site. This would be particularly useful in a two humbucker guitar with lower output PAF-style pickups. Splitting the coils using a push/pull pot is less effective on these lower output pickups and generally gives a weak sound. This would be much more useful if the pickups could be split to single coils and then combined in series. Using a standard two humbucker, one volume, one tone, and three way switch layout, a DPDT push/pull switch could be used on the tone control to split both humbuckers to singles by pulling up on the tone knob. The volume pot could then be pulled up to combine both pickups in series. If you were using two pickups wound to a resistance of about 8k, you would end up with a hum canceling single coil sound with 8k of resistance, which would be enough output to give a good single coil approximation. You could also use the series switch to get a high output humbucker tone. I tried to get this working myself, but I couldn’t quite do it. I can get the coil split to work, and I can get the series pickup combination to work, but I can’t get them to work together. I had it wired so that the both pickups were selected in series when the volume knob was pulled up, regardless of the 3 way switch position. I’m just not sure how to wire it up so that both the coil split and series options can be used together. If someone can figure out a diagram for this, I would really appreciate it. Thanks.

This is the reply I got:

Great News!!! The tech here said that is exactly how his les paul is wired and so he drew it real fast. Here is the link, let me know how it turns out!

http://static.zoovy.com/img/guitarelectronics/-/newpaul

this is drawn for a Les Paul, but I'm sure it could be easily adapted for just about any guitar. I must say, the people at Guitar Electronics are great, I emailed them and got a response and a diagram in the same day. I think I'm going to wire my soon-to-be-purchased next guitar this way, with one push/pull to split the coils on both pickups and one to combine both pickups in series when the switch is pulled. If any of the wiring gurus want to take a look at this or give it a try, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.

Ryan

[Kent S.]

Re: New wiring diagram to share with everyone

Hey guys, I've asked about this before on the forum, but no one was exactly sure how to correctly wire this up. I sent the following request to www.guitarelectronics.com:

Hello, I have a wiring diagram request for your site. This would be particularly useful in a two humbucker guitar with lower output PAF-style pickups. Splitting the coils using a push/pull pot is less effective on these lower output pickups and generally gives a weak sound. This would be much more useful if the pickups could be split to single coils and then combined in series. Using a standard two humbucker, one volume, one tone, and three way switch layout, a DPDT push/pull switch could be used on the tone control to split both humbuckers to singles by pulling up on the tone knob. The volume pot could then be pulled up to combine both pickups in series. If you were using two pickups wound to a resistance of about 8k, you would end up with a hum canceling single coil sound with 8k of resistance, which would be enough output to give a good single coil approximation. You could also use the series switch to get a high output humbucker tone. I tried to get this working myself, but I couldn’t quite do it. I can get the coil split to work, and I can get the series pickup combination to work, but I can’t get them to work together. I had it wired so that the both pickups were selected in series when the volume knob was pulled up, regardless of the 3 way switch position. I’m just not sure how to wire it up so that both the coil split and series options can be used together. If someone can figure out a diagram for this, I would really appreciate it. Thanks.

This is the reply I got:

Great News!!! The tech here said that is exactly how his les paul is wired and so he drew it real fast. Here is the link, let me know how it turns out!

http://static.zoovy.com/img/guitarelectronics/-/newpaul

this is drawn for a Les Paul, but I'm sure it could be easily adapted for just about any guitar. I must say, the people at Guitar Electronics are great, I emailed them and got a response and a diagram in the same day. I think I'm going to wire my soon-to-be-purchased next guitar this way, with one push/pull to split the coils on both pickups and one to combine both pickups in series when the switch is pulled. If any of the wiring gurus want to take a look at this or give it a try, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.

Ryan

I thought the idea was to use one push/pull, and i thought that there were some other considerations as well ... Or maybe that was another post, or missed this one totally or something ...

[Fresh_Start]

Re: New wiring diagram to share with everyone

At first glance, it looks like it works. The split gives you the slug coil on the neck pickup and the screw coil on the bridge pickup, so they should be humcancelling.

As far as I can tell, the series switch completely bypasses the neck volume pot, so only the bridge volume and tone pots are in the circuit when you put it in series mode. Also, the guitar will be on standby (i.e. dead) if you pull the series switch and have the selector switch on the neck pickup alone. There should be no difference between selecting both and selecting the bridge pup if you have the series switch pulled.

Is that what you wanted?

Chip

P.S. no guarantees on my interpretation of the schematic...

[Kent S.]

Re: New wiring diagram to share with everyone

At first glance, it looks like it works. The split gives you the slug coil on the neck pickup and the screw coil on the bridge pickup, so they should be humcancelling.

As far as I can tell, the series switch completely bypasses the neck volume pot, so only the bridge volume and tone pots are in the circuit when you put it in series mode. Also, the guitar will be on standby (i.e. dead) if you pull the series switch and have the selector switch on the neck pickup alone. There should be no difference between selecting both and selecting the bridge pup if you have the series switch pulled.

Is that what you wanted?

Chip

P.S. no guarantees on my interpretation of the schematic...

Correct, only one thing, as it's wired the neck volume control will act as a variable load (all the way down to full mute) when in series mode, and the selector switch is in the middle position. Although that may be useful as well.
Personally I'd stick a TBX pot in the bridge tone position wired HPF/LPF, and a 180pF~ 470pF cap across the neck volume control. You could also do the '50s mod on the bridge (or both , or even just the neck if you wanted ... would do any good in series mode though ... plus I like the effect of the cap on the neck). Yeah, I know Chip ... I just gotta go and complicate things ...

[rspst14]

Re: New wiring diagram to share with everyone

I did find a site that showed how to wire two pickups in series in a way that makes the pickup switch unneeded. What I mean is that when the series switch is pulled out, both pickups are in series no matter which position the switch is in. If I can find that site again, maybe I can alter the diagram to make it work like that, as I think that would be a little more useful.

Ryan

[rspst14]

Re: New wiring diagram to share with everyone

After reading over those posts a few times, I see what you're saying now. I'm actually trying to alter this for my Hamer, which has two volumes and one tone. As I mentioned, I think it would be much more useful if pulling up on the series switch put both pickups in series regardless of the switch position.
I found this link, which explains a simple three step wiring mod to do that. Could this be incorporated into the diagram? http://www.deaf-eddie.net/pushpull/pushpull.html

Ryan

[Kent S.]

Re: New wiring diagram to share with everyone

After reading over those posts a few times, I see what you're saying now. I'm actually trying to alter this for my Hamer, which has two volumes and one tone. As I mentioned, I think it would be much more useful if pulling up on the series switch put both pickups in series regardless of the switch position.
I found this link, which explains a simple three step wiring mod to do that. Could this be incorporated into the diagram? http://www.deaf-eddie.net/pushpull/pushpull.html

Ryan

Yeah, I guess you could, but it's a different switch ... and you'd do away with the two singles in series, and the single (each pup alone). What is it exactly that you want? You want the same options as before but just to get around the switch? Or you just want to engage both HB's in series?
Also, I'd turn both pups normal, and have the outer coil on on the neck, but have the inner coil on on the bridge, as that get a bit more gain, and gives a better tone, more strat like IMO. 500k-audio pots in all current positions? And a standard LP style switch right, no some el-funko boxed toggle switch, right?

[rspst14]

Re: New wiring diagram to share with everyone

What I'm looking for is to be able to pull both switches out, and have the two humbuckers split and then combined in series. With lower output pickups, a simple coil split is less useful due to the weak output. If I could get a hum-cancelling series combination, it would work much better.

Ryan

[Kent S.]

Re: New wiring diagram to share with everyone

What I'm looking for is to be able to pull both switches out, and have the two humbuckers split and then combined in series. With lower output pickups, a simple coil split is less useful due to the weak output. If I could get a hum-cancelling series combination, it would work much better.

Ryan

There are a few problems that I took the liberty of getting around in a slightly different manner (one involves not being able to get around the switch, and/ or loading problems with the two volumes: Remember bypassing the 3 way when in series mode). Anyway, you'll have to give up one *true volume* in exchange for a master volume (bridge) and neck attenuator ...
[ it can also be wired for master volume (neck) and bridge attenuator ], and a master tone.
The coil split works in either normal or series override mode, in normal the selector goes from neck single coil,to neck and bridge single, coils,to bridge single coil, in series the selector doesn't function and you get either full humbuckers in series, or the neck and bridge single coils in series if the coil split is pulled. All are humbucking except for the neck or bridge single alone of course. The neck outer coil stays on in split, and the bridge inner coil stays on in split; arranged as such for the best balance tonally for rhythm and lead work, and volume balance with each other.
Here you go, I'm tired and have to sleep ... oh don't let the reverse phase comment throw you, everything is in phase; it's just that it had to be reversed. Enjoy!

[rspst14]

Re: New wiring diagram to share with everyone

Wow, thanks Kent, that helps a lot. I've been toying with the idea of wiring up only one volume and one tone, as I'm more used to that control layout. I may even wire up a separate tone control for each pickup, rather than having two volumes. Sounds like this is exactly what I was looking for, I really appreciate you taking the time to draw that out.

Ryan

[Kent S.]

Re: New wiring diagram to share with everyone

Wow, thanks Kent, that helps a lot. I've been toying with the idea of wiring up only one volume and one tone, as I'm more used to that control layout. I may even wire up a separate tone control for each pickup, rather than having two volumes. Sounds like this is exactly what I was looking for, I really appreciate you taking the time to draw that out.

Ryan

Try it , *as is *first though, the neck AT. is like a volume for that pup, but just turns it down not off. There is a small trick in there, I'll PM you and tell you about it ... Sshhhh .

[Cory_Dylan]

Re: New wiring diagram to share with everyone

i made a diagram for coil tap and series/parallel using dpdts the other day in duncan format. i'll see if i can post it

[Cory_Dylan]

Re: New wiring diagram to share with everyone

tell me if this looks like it will work or not



edit: ignore everything on the bottom

[mongrollo]

Re: New wiring diagram to share with everyone

I have done you wou are after using just one DPDT switch. This allows you to go to the final step but i won't allow you to use the humbuckers in split mode. The idea it is to get what I draw is the image. Sorry for quality (windows paint )

Whit this wiring you will have (FIRST ONE):

Normal wiring
1a- bridge
2a- bridge and neck
3a- neck

swicht activated:
1b- bridge(stud coil) + neck(screw coil)
3b- bridge(screw coil) + neck(stud coil)
2b- the positions 1b and 3b in parallel.

Notice that in this way, with the switch activated, you will have the darker selection where you previous had the bridge humbucker. And same happens to the neck.

To solve this just reverse the conections of the bridge and neck humbuckers (you take the red as ground and black as hot) all positions 1a, 2a and 3a wont change but the positions 1b, 3b will be interchanged (FINAL ONE).

1b- bridge(screw coil) + neck(stud coil)
3b- bridge(stud coil) + neck(screw coil)
2b- the positions 1b and 3b in parallel.

The volume and tone control will be operatins as allways. Each one with it is owns switch selection.