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Will this wiring diagram work? HSS with Fender Dual 250k/500K pot

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  • Will this wiring diagram work? HSS with Fender Dual 250k/500K pot

    I'm putting together an HSS Strat and I'm going to use the fender dual 250k/500k pot. I'm very new to wiring but with the resources I've found online I think this will work. Honestly surprised there isn't a wiring diagram with a normal 5-way switch and the standard volume-tone-tone layout. I'm having the dual pot be a master volume. I'm having one of the tone be a 500k pot for the humbucker and the other tone pot be 250k for the two single coils. I have all pickups going through the A side of the switch. I have a jumper connecting the A and B sides. I have the humbucker going from the B side into the 500k volume pot and the 500k tone pot is wired 50's style. I have the hot line going out of the volume pot into the output jack. I have both single coils going from the B side into the 250k volume pot and the 250k tone pot is wired 50's style. I have the hot line going out of the volume pot into the output jack. The only thing I don't know will work is if I have two different hot lines going into the output jack.

    Any feedback is greatly appreciated! If this diagram is wrong, can someone help me fix it?



    Click image for larger version

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  • #2
    You have a couple issues here. Your volume and tone controls are shorted together at the output jack. So, both volumes, and both tones, will affect all three pups, regardless of what's selected on the 5-way. In other words, if you select only the bridge pup, either volume control, will affect the volume, and either tone control will affect the tone. There's no good way to make a passive mixer, but your best bet is to reverse the input and output connection on the volume pots. So, reverse the connections on the center and left terminals on the volume controls, will help a bit.

    Next, and assuming that the lower-left and upper-right, are the commons on the 5-way, I wouldn't jumper them together. Use one side for the N/m, going to their volume pot. Then use the other side of the switch for the bridge, going to it's volume control. Those two changes should get you closer to what you want.

    Keep in mind, when the switch is in the B/M position, you will still have some interaction.

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    • #3
      Like this?

      The interaction of the B/M position essentially is the 250k pots quacking with the 500k pots and what I'm looking for.

      Attached Files

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      • #4
        Closer. But you've eliminated the "common's" on the 5-way. Your 5-way does nothing. Move the N/M purple wire to the bottom lug, and the greenish-yellow Bridge wire to the top lug. I'm talking about the two wires that go the center lugs of your volume pots.

        Like this:

        Click image for larger version

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        Last edited by ArtieToo; 01-09-2025, 07:15 PM.

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        • #5
          Gotcha. My thought process was that because the common was always activated, it would always do every pickup. It makes sense that because they're not bridged, the common will only activate when the switch is on the pickup on the individual common's side. I believe I fixed the issues you mentioned with the diagram below
          Attached Files

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          • #6
            You're almost there. Look closely at your tone controls. They are both hardwired between the output jack and ground. The connection to the volume pots is completely inconsequential.

            Do what I show here, with two options. If you do as I show, you will have some interaction only when in the B/M position, with the N/M tone always having some affect, even when the bridge is selected, by going through the N/M volume pot. If you move the N/M tone connection to where the finger points, you'll have both tone pot interaction only when the B/M position is selected. The tones will be independent when bridge is selected by itself. Also, when N or N/M is selected. You'll lose tone control when middle is selected by itself.

            You just have to decide which compromise you can live with.

            Click image for larger version

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            • #7
              Gimme a sec. I think we can even do one better.

              P.S. Your caps are connected wrong. I'm studying the diagram to make sure it's correct. Gimme a sec.
              Last edited by ArtieToo; 01-10-2025, 07:24 AM.

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              • #8
                In this diagram, it's important that "A" and "B" are the two common terminals. Stew-Mac sells a switch that has them reversed.

                By using this diagram, when you select N / N&M / M you have total isolation from the bridge vol/tone pots. It will sound exactly how a Strat should sound. In the bridge position, you'll have the equivalent of a bridge-only axe, with isolation from the N/M vol/tone.

                The only odd interaction will be when you select M & B. There's no good way around that. I think this is a good compromise. You could still reverse the input/output of the volume pots for that M/B position, but I wouldn't. It's just an option.

                Click image for larger version

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                • #9
                  Thank you so much for the help! If you don’t mind, I’m still trying to understand the why of how it works so let me know if there’s anything wrong with my logic.

                  - The tone and volume pots are wired together (think gibson style) but they also go through the switch which allows them to be selected on/off

                  - The humbucker goes through the V500k “input” lug, comes out the “output” lug, so only the humbucker is effected by the V500k. Then it goes to the switch (and tone pot) on the B side position 1. The out line goes from the B “common” to the output jack, completing the signal from the pickup to the jack

                  - The N/M pickups go to the switch on the A side positions 2 and 3. The A “common” goes to the V250K “input” lug, which allows the N/M to be always controlled by the V250K. Because the sides are not jumped together, it allows both sides to be controlled by different volume pots. The line then comes from the V250K “output” lug into side B positions 2 and 3. Because the B side common is always on and goes to the output jack, whenever 2/3 is selected the signal will be complete

                  - Also I totally knew I should have done the caps like you did Idk why I put them on the wrong lug

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                  • #10
                    Yeah. I think you got it. You use one side of the switch to select the N/M. You use the other side to select the N/M "system", or the bridge "system." And, of course, there's some unavoidable overlap in the M/B position.

                    Looks good on paper. If it blows up, I plead the 5th.

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                    • #11
                      Wouldn’t ya know, she works! I forgot to take a photo of what it looked like under the hood with everything wired up, but I put in a tester strat I have. When I get the build finalized I’ll take and post a photo. Thank you again for all the help and knowledge!

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                      • #12
                        Cool. Glad to be of help. Pics are always fun.

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