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3 pickup Wiring Help... THANKS!

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  • 3 pickup Wiring Help... THANKS!

    Hey all, I've spent a bit of time looking online, but haven't been able to find exactly what im in search for... I'm in need of assistance w/ a wiring diagram for a three pickup guitar. Pickups as follows:
    1) Seymour Duncan SPH90 Phat Cat P90 Electric Guitar Pickup - (Neck Position) - single conductor wire w/ sheath.
    2) Seymour Duncan - 11102-73 - PA-TB1b Original Parallel Axis - 4 conductor wires w/ 1 bare.
    3) Seymour Duncan SPH90 Phat Cat P90 Electric Guitar Pickup - (Bridge Position) - single conductor wire w/ sheath.
    I'd like to use 3 volume controls w/ 1 master tone. I'm open to switch ideas, but have a simple 3-way on hand.

    Trying to save $, otherwise I'd pay for the schematic...
    Its really just the integration of the single conductor wires w/ the 4-conductor wire middle pickup. I thank you in advance for any help!!

  • #2
    Re: 3 pickup Wiring Help... THANKS!

    A 3-way toggle only works for 2 pups. If your guitar can use a 5 position blade switch (Strat type) that would be best. If not, you will need another switch (either separate mini switch or a p/p vol pot) to handle the middle pup.
    For the 4 wire pup...red + white soldered together and taped off, green + bare to ground, black = lead/hot.
    Wire the hot wire of each pup directly to its own vol pot input, then to the selector switch (the middle would go to its p/p pot and the others to the 3-way), then to the master tone and output jack.

    This would give you typical LP type switching of neck and bridge pups. You would be able to add the middle to any of those positions by pulling the p/p up. You could get the middle by itself by 3-way switch in either neck or bridge position with its respective vol rolled off.

    There are lots of ways to wire a 3 pup guitar depending on the switch used and the results you want to get. But this is the simplest.
    Originally Posted by IanBallard
    Rule of thumb... the more pot you have, the better your tone.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: 3 pickup Wiring Help... THANKS!

      No need to pay for the schematic, It's a hobby of mine to draw these out. Guitardoc's idea was exactly what I'd suggest. Treat this like a 3 humbucker guitar where you blend the middle pickup in. The only thing I'd possibly add on is a coilsplit as the phatcats are 1 coil and the parallel axis is a humbucker so the coilsplit would add hum cancellation but, it would take some time to get used to.

      I like the idea of the phatcats. Is the bridge pickup a parallel axis? with two phat cats or exactly like what you've suggested?
      phat cat
      parallel axis
      phat cat

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: 3 pickup Wiring Help... THANKS!

        Hey guys, Thanks for the help! I've opted to go with a 5-way switch. it has 12 possible wire connections. (Megaswitch E-Model - https://www.stewmac.com/How-To/Onlin...tructions.html).

        If you have a moment and got the urge, would you mind confirming your suggestions in a quick draw-up?... I've attached a basic start for a diagram on this post, if you'd find a moment to finish it by completing wiring hook-ups, i'd be sincerely appreciative!!

        The middle pup is the parallel axis.

        Thanks again for the help!!

        Click image for larger version

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        Comment


        • #5
          Re: 3 pickup Wiring Help... THANKS!

          If you're going Schaller personally I suggest their Schaller Megaswitch M model. It has 24 contacts. However it's much better documented. Similar to the Oaks and grigsby (stock fender super 5 ways) or Dimarzio and Korean ones. I've got around 40 super 5 way diagrams as they were really poorly documented or all these techs kept them to themselves. I've drawn them out since what feels like August or so of last year.

          How high in output the Paralell axis is as compared to the other two pickups I'd put the parallel axis in the bridge and try this myself. This treats the pickups like HSS as the phatcats are essentially single coils.

          If it was me
          phat cat neck
          phat cat bridge
          parallel axis
          this provides the most balance, though phase issues or anything else I'm not the person to ask as this diagram on paper seems the most useful if I was to build an HSS build again.

          A500k or B500k volume - B500k is my pick. I think treble bleeds are a waste of money if people are building guitars with all new parts. Stewmacs is a gigantic rip off at 5$
          B250k - B330k neck tone - 0.022uf or 0.033uf tone capacitor
          bridge tone control - B500k tone , 0.047uf capacitor. If the parallel axis is too muddy try a 0.022uf (22nf) tone capacitor
          a standard super 5 way switch - someone will suggest a kind that lines up with my super 5 way switch diagram I'm sure. I've bought 10 of them in my life.

          additionally but not drawn
          I'd add a 1m (1000k) - 1/4w resistor on contacts 2-5 on that empty side of the switch and ground it to the back of any pot. This will make the 500k volume pot go down to 333.3k
          this is a simple parallel resistance calculation. R1×R2/(R1+R2)
          by lowering the impedance of the pot in positions 2-5 you'll get the warmth the phat cat was most likely shooting for.
          go with metal film resistors from Thailand. Chinese new year is this week is why. 100 of them are 1-3$ with free shipping.
          why metal film is they are much more accurate. 1% above or below matters a lot more on a 1000k resistor than a 10k or so. Don't worry about heat or putting them in a wrong way.

          With a standard super 5 way switch such as that discontinued Dimarzio one and similar the switch pattern is 0-12345-12345-0. I've got a conversion below the diagram.

          but as always lets see what others suggest. I'll take a look at that Schaller switch in the mean time. This is essentially what the HSS combo #2 is they mention.


          Last edited by shadowfire90; 01-22-2020, 07:22 PM.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: 3 pickup Wiring Help... THANKS!

            Originally posted by jmcq View Post
            Trying to save $, otherwise I'd pay for the schematic...
            Just curious, pay whom? Is there a service that will do that?

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: 3 pickup Wiring Help... THANKS!

              guitarelectronics.com offers it last time I checked. However this is what forums are for. I can understand graphic designers or so need to pay bills for a properly done diagram too as it took forever to get all the images I use to look presentable instead of some crude sketch on a piece of paper with some markers taken on an old blurry cellphone. However since we're all guitarists I've always looked at this forum as a place to learn above anything else. It'll be a cold day in "heck" before I set an amazon wishlist up or accept cryptocurrency for not even 20 minutes of photoshopping.

              I say stick with a regular super 5 way switch. Luckily these were easy to draw out. I think those Schaller megaswitch E switches are very limited. I would just go with a different type for a ton of extra options as it reminded me of the Cortek switch certain Ibanez use the 3PS1SC5 on H/H setups such as the RG1527

              Anyways I looked into the megaswitch
              neither HSS option 1 or 2 will work with the Phatcat in the bridge with the "schaller megaswitch E"

              The bridge pickup needs 4 wires so looks like with that schaller switch you're stuck with either of these options. If the parallel axis is too high in output use a capacitor on the black wire before it reaches the switch or lower the pickups height.

              the reason wiring #1 won't is position 3 needs what is called a "series link" which is a high brow way of saying coilsplit wires
              notice how coils A / B change in the wirings.
              that being said the Phat cat won't work in either wiring

              I did do two drawings for the best price in the world using a slightly older Schaller switch as a stock image as there is 5 diagrams for these. Aside from 50s wiring or a few tiny variations it's not worth it for me to either google any more for a stock image to base these diagrams off or draw one out in a 3d modeling program or such.

              The older ones the numbers are representative of letters
              A - 1
              B - 2
              to
              J - 10
              K - 11
              L - 12
              ..etc

              both wirings came from here for quick and easy reference






              now magnetic polarity and all you'd have to ask someone else. How high the output of the bridge pickup is you'll really appreciate it as aside from pole spacing which I don't believe in the fact they say "Bridge" for a pickup model is a suggestion. One example is two Dimarzio super distortions in late 70s Dean ML guitars or Michael Romeo of Symphony X with his tone zone and X2N combo.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: 3 pickup Wiring Help... THANKS!

                Originally posted by jmcq View Post
                Hey guys, Thanks for the help! I've opted to go with a 5-way switch. it has 12 possible wire connections. (Megaswitch E-Model - https://www.stewmac.com/How-To/Onlin...tructions.html).

                If you have a moment and got the urge, would you mind confirming your suggestions in a quick draw-up?... I've attached a basic start for a diagram on this post, if you'd find a moment to finish it by completing wiring hook-ups, i'd be sincerely appreciative!!

                The middle pup is the parallel axis.

                Thanks again for the help!!

                [ATTACH=CONFIG]102944[/ATTACH]
                Just out of curiosity, what is that that you have labeled "input" in your diagram? Do you have another input source other than your pickups?
                Originally Posted by IanBallard
                Rule of thumb... the more pot you have, the better your tone.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: 3 pickup Wiring Help... THANKS!

                  Hey! You rock amigos. Thanks for taking the time to work me through this... I'm still working to process your suggestions, but i'll get there =)
                  On my diagram, that should be "output" for 1/4" jack... don't know why I labeled as is.
                  Thanks again! I'll keep you up to date w/ progress.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: 3 pickup Wiring Help... THANKS!

                    Yes, keep us up. We'd like to know. Inquiring minds want to know.
                    Originally Posted by IanBallard
                    Rule of thumb... the more pot you have, the better your tone.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: 3 pickup Wiring Help... THANKS!

                      Hey friend,
                      Would you mind posting the pics and attachments again? They seem to be unavailable.
                      Thanks a ton!

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: 3 pickup Wiring Help... THANKS!

                        Hey friend,
                        Would you mind posting the pics and attachments again? They seem to be unavailable.
                        Thanks a ton!,

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: 3 pickup Wiring Help... THANKS!

                          For starters, I would swap the phat cat bridge with the PATB humbucker. Other than that... I have a great schematic for you.

                          OK I have to draw it out because my notes are illegible for the majority of humans haha! What my diagram does for a 3 pickup guitar with a 5 way switch, 2 volumes and 2 tones is that it allows for EACH pickup to have its own vol/tone set but they alternate for the middle pickup.

                          To put it differently

                          Position 1: bridge. lower controls
                          Position 2: bridge (lower controls) + middle (upper controls)
                          Position 3: bridge (lower controls) + neck (upper controls)
                          Position 4: middle (lower controls) + neck (upper controls)
                          Position 5: neck (upper controls)

                          The section in bold is where the assignment of the pot sets swaps. That way no pickup goes without a set of controls.
                          Last edited by orpheo; 05-14-2020, 01:34 AM.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: 3 pickup Wiring Help... THANKS!



                            This schematic is not complete: I omitted the ground wires as well as potential splits. I also didn't include how to wire up a tone pot because if you (still) don't know how to do that... a: the internet is full with schematics on how to do that and b: if you still don't know how to do something as simple as that, this is already too complex

                            I also included what each position means so you can translate this schematic (DRAWN FOR THE SCHALLER M-SWITCH!!!!!!!) for any other 5 way 4 pole switch.

                            If you have a humbucker in the middle but wish to use the slug coil with the bridge pickup and the screw coil with the neck pickup, remove the jumper from J to B and connect on J and B the respective 'hot' leads from that coil.

                            It might look complex but it is actually quite simple. I use this all the time for my 3 pickup LP's.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: 3 pickup Wiring Help... THANKS!

                              Hey amigo! Thanks for the assistance with the wiring help on this. I had already actually changed positions between the bridge phat cat and PATB.
                              Unfortunately, i cant open these attachments... i'm redirected to a page noting that it's an "invalid attachment". Is it possible to post as pic on screen?
                              Thank you, again!

                              Comment

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