New To Wiring And Could Use Some Help

[pentatonicwanker]

Hi folks,

So after taking in everyone's advice in my last thread, I'm going to redo my SSS Strat into an HSS Strat. I'll be putting in a fullsize '78 in the bridge, a reverse wound SSL1 in the middle, and SSL1 in the neck. I'm having trouble figuring out wiring/what I need, though.

Here's what I'd like
Master volume where the humbucker sees 500k and the singles 250k
Neck/Middle tone
Bridge tone

5 way switch:
1: Bridge hum
2: bridge hum/middle
3: middle
4: middle/neck
5: neck

BUT, I'd also like a way to independently tap the bridge humbucker, and also get bridge tapped/neck together for tele-ish tones. What would I need to go about that? An S1 switch? push-push pot? Mini toggles?

Appreciate the help figuring out the parts I need and a diagram--really want to attempt to do this wiring myself.

[ArtieToo]

You've got a lot of options here. So, let me start with how I'd do it. This will be the most simple. Your basic switching only needs a standard 5-way. Then, I'd sacrifice one tone pot, and make it master volume / master tone. In the 2nd tone pot hole, I'd do a DPDT on-off-on switch. This will allow you to flip it one way to split the bridge to the stud coil. That will give you a nice Strat notch tone in pos #2. Flip the switch the other way, and it will add the neck pup to whatever is selected on the 5-way, and split the bridge to the screw coil. The screw coil is necessary so that the bridge and neck remain noise-cancelling.

That's a start. If you want to keep both tone controls, then we can go with plan B.

[pentatonicwanker]

You've got a lot of options here. So, let me start with how I'd do it. This will be the most simple. Your basic switching only needs a standard 5-way. Then, I'd sacrifice one tone pot, and make it master volume / master tone. In the 2nd tone pot hole, I'd do a DPDT on-off-on switch. This will allow you to flip it one way to split the bridge to the stud coil. That will give you a nice Strat notch tone in pos #2. Flip the switch the other way, and it will add the neck pup to whatever is selected on the 5-way, and split the bridge to the screw coil. The screw coil is necessary so that the bridge and neck remain noise-cancelling.

That's a start. If you want to keep both tone controls, then we can go with plan B.

I like simple. I think I can live with sacrificing having split tone knobs for a master volume and master tone. This solution seems perfect

[pentatonicwanker]

Thanks, but I may have made a little mistake there. If your neck pup is RWRP, then I think you still split the bridge to the stud coil. Let me think about this for a sec before you start soldering. And maybe, others will chime in on this.

All good. Neck is a normal wind, middle is reverse wound; current set is three SSL1s. Thanks again!

[ArtieToo]

All good. Neck is a normal wind, middle is reverse wound; current set is three SSL1s. Thanks again!

That comment was supposed to go in another thread. Ignore it and me. I hate getting old.

[MikeS]

Artie's solution is great. If you're not averse to drilling a hole in the pickguard, you could still maintain two tone controls.

The only oddity is in getting the single coils to see 250K while the humbucker sees 500K on the volume pot. While a switched resistor in parallel with the volume pot could do that, getting it to work when you want it gets tricky because of all the split coil positions you're looking for. It won't work with the solution that Artie posted Depending on which positions you would want to see 250K vs 500K, it might be doable with a superswitch if you wanted it to be automatic. It could, of course, be done with the addition of another switch, but that's a far from elegant solution.

[pentatonicwanker]

Artie's solution is great. If you're not averse to drilling a hole in the pickguard, you could still maintain two tone controls.

The only oddity is in getting the single coils to see 250K while the humbucker sees 500K on the volume pot. While a switched resistor in parallel with the volume pot could do that, getting it to work when you want it gets tricky because of all the split coil positions you're looking for. It won't work with the solution that Artie posted Depending on which positions you would want to see 250K vs 500K, it might be doable with a superswitch if you wanted it to be automatic. It could, of course, be done with the addition of another switch, but that's a far from elegant solution.

Hmmmm that was (obviously) something I hadn't considered. I think the only time I care about the bridge pickup seeing the full 500k is when it's selected as the only pickup. I think it should be fine if that pickup sees 250k when split/combined with the other pickups.

Edited to add that I'm open minded about how we get to this solution. I'm open to superswitches and what not. Initially I was thinking the Hyperswitch but I'm not 100% certain it'll do it (and I don't love the idea of having to replace 9V batteries)

[pentatonicwanker]

friendly bump!

[MikeS]

Superswitch unlocks a lot of possibilities. In this case, the only thing I can really improve upon is using a superswitch to obtain the 250K/500K pot values when the full humbucker is on. I sketched a potential solution and am happy to clean up the sketch if this description is of interest.

This would use one push/pull and a superswitch.

All positions "see" 250K unless stated otherwise. The only thing I don't love is that placing resistors in parallel with the volume pot changes the taper. Some players are fine with that, but YMMV. That said, the switching is possible. The "bridge" tone pot would be active in positions 1 & 2 while the "neck/middle" tone pot would be active in positions 3, 4, & 5 (or any other combination of positions you prefer).

Push/Pull Down
1) Bridge Humbucker (500K)
2) Bridge Humbucker & Middle
3) Middle
4) Middle & Neck
5) Neck

Push/Pull Up - one pole splits the humbucker to the stud coil, the other functions as a "bridge on"
1) Bridge split to stud (500K) - yeah, that's going to be bright
2) Bridge split & Middle
3) Bridge split & Middle - duplicate position
4) Bridge split & Middle & Neck
5) Bridge split & Neck - not humcancelling, but most teles don't use RWRP pickups anyway.

[pentatonicwanker]

Superswitch unlocks a lot of possibilities. In this case, the only thing I can really improve upon is using a superswitch to obtain the 250K/500K pot values when the full humbucker is on. I sketched a potential solution and am happy to clean up the sketch if this description is of interest.

This would use one push/pull and a superswitch.

All positions "see" 250K unless stated otherwise. The only thing I don't love is that placing resistors in parallel with the volume pot changes the taper. Some players are fine with that, but YMMV. That said, the switching is possible. The "bridge" tone pot would be active in positions 1 & 2 while the "neck/middle" tone pot would be active in positions 3, 4, & 5 (or any other combination of positions you prefer).

Push/Pull Down
1) Bridge Humbucker (500K)
2) Bridge Humbucker & Middle
3) Middle
4) Middle & Neck
5) Neck

Push/Pull Up - one pole splits the humbucker to the stud coil, the other functions as a "bridge on"
1) Bridge split to stud (500K) - yeah, that's going to be bright
2) Bridge split & Middle
3) Bridge split & Middle - duplicate position
4) Bridge split & Middle & Neck
5) Bridge split & Neck - not humcancelling, but most teles don't use RWRP pickups anyway.

Out of curiosity, why don't you like placing resistors in parallel with the volume pot?

That said--I think this could work for me. Bridge split will be bright, but thankfully I'd still have the tone pot to play with.

[MikeS]

Placing a resister in parallel changes the resistance curve of the potentiometer. The change in taper works for some players, less so for others. If you're a set-it-and-forget-it player, then you likely wouldn't care. If you're riding the volume pot, it may be a deal breaker.

The first pass with a superswitch is rarely the best pass, if you're not in a rush let me think on this a little more to see if I can get the split bridge to see 250K.

[pentatonicwanker]

Placing a resister in parallel changes the resistance curve of the potentiometer. The change in taper works for some players, less so for others. If you're a set-it-and-forget-it player, then you likely wouldn't care. If you're riding the volume pot, it may be a deal breaker.

The first pass with a superswitch is rarely the best pass, if you're not in a rush let me think on this a little more to see if I can get the split bridge to see 250K.

Of course, no rush--thank you!

[pentatonicwanker]

Thinking about this a bit, would it be feasible to accomplish this goal with a 5 way switch, push/push master volume to tap the bridge pickup, a master tone, and a blender pot to turn the neck on in positions 1, 2, and (technically 3)? That seems deceptively simple...

[MikeS]

I kicked around the superswitch wiring some more, and I'm not seeing a scheme that gets you everything you asked for in the first post. That's not to say it can't be done, I'm just not seeing it.

Thinking about this a bit, would it be feasible to accomplish this goal with a 5 way switch, push/push master volume to tap the bridge pickup, a master tone, and a blender pot to turn the neck on in positions 1, 2, and (technically 3)? That seems deceptively simple...

If that's what you want, that's pretty straightforward. The push/pull for the bridge coil split can even be used to select between 250K/500K if that's still something you want to do (caveat is that with the push/pull "down" the humbucker is in series and ALL pickups see 500K, and with the push/pull "up" the humbucker is split and ALL pickups see 250K). The blender will allow you to roll-in the neck in positions 1 and 2 and roll-in the bridge in positions 4 and 5.

Another option is using traditional 5-way with two push/pulls - the first controls the splitting and resister as prescribed above, and the second is simply an "on" switch for the neck pickup. That would allow you to retain 2 tone controls, but forces you into 2 push/pulls.

[pentatonicwanker]

I kicked around the superswitch wiring some more, and I'm not seeing a scheme that gets you everything you asked for in the first post. That's not to say it can't be done, I'm just not seeing it.



If that's what you want, that's pretty straightforward. The push/pull for the bridge coil split can even be used to select between 250K/500K if that's still something you want to do (caveat is that with the push/pull "down" the humbucker is in series and ALL pickups see 500K, and with the push/pull "up" the humbucker is split and ALL pickups see 250K). The blender will allow you to roll-in the neck in positions 1 and 2 and roll-in the bridge in positions 4 and 5.

Another option is using traditional 5-way with two push/pulls - the first controls the splitting and resister as prescribed above, and the second is simply an "on" switch for the neck pickup. That would allow you to retain 2 tone controls, but forces you into 2 push/pulls.

I actually like your suggestion with two push/pulls even better than dicking with a blender pot. Sorry for the dumb question but would that be as simple as modifying this wiring scheme but with two push/pulls? https://www.seymourduncan.com/images...H_5W_1V_1T.jpg

Also, would a push/push work the same way was a push/pull? I might prefer the ease of use of that