Push/Pull for HSH Strat?

[Rampant Pony]

Hey, folks.

I'm building a partscaster and planning to run Jazz/JB in the neck and bridge and a single coil in the middle. I'm cool with the normal 5 position switching, but I'd like to be able to switch on either the neck or bridge humbucker with a push/pull pot. Thus giving me the ability to run all 3 pickups together or the neck and bridge together should I choose to. That being said, when I look up info for 7 position strats I only find info for doing it with 3 single coils, and if I look up info for using a push/pull with a humbucker I only get wiring and info about taps/splits but what I'm wanting to know is can a push/pull pot be used just for switching a humbucker on/off? Thanks in advance for any advice you folks can give me.

p.s. I apologize for how stupid a question this probably is to more experienced wire-ers

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Push/Pull for HSH Strat?

You absolutely COULD use a p/p to switch a pup on or off. But you wouldn't want to with a normal Strat 5-way. If you were playing in position 4 (neck and middle-bridge off) and wanted to go to just bridge pup (normally position 1) you'd have to switch the 5-way to position 1 AND switch the p/p for bridge on.

However, I believe there would be a way to do that if you use a super switch which could bypass the p/p in position 1, 2 and 3. Thus you could have all three pups in position 4, and bridge plus neck in position 5 with the p/p engaged.

[Rampant Pony]

Re: Push/Pull for HSH Strat?

You absolutely COULD use a p/p to switch a pup on or off. But you wouldn't want to with a normal Strat 5-way. If you were playing in position 4 (neck and middle-bridge off) and wanted to go to just bridge pup (normally position 1) you'd have to switch the 5-way to position 1 AND switch the p/p for bridge on.

Also, thanks thusfar for your help.

However, I believe there would be a way to do that if you use a super switch which could bypass the p/p in position 1, 2 and 3. Thus you could have all three pups in position 4, and bridge plus neck in position 5 with the p/p engaged.

Okay, I think that makes sense and is probably why I don't see it commonly discussed. So how is the push/pull able to engage the neck only on a S/S/S strat? Is it through a super switch?

[MikeS]

Re: Push/Pull for HSH Strat?

You absolutely COULD use a p/p to switch a pup on or off. But you wouldn't want to with a normal Strat 5-way. If you were playing in position 4 (neck and middle-bridge off) and wanted to go to just bridge pup (normally position 1) you'd have to switch the 5-way to position 1 AND switch the p/p for bridge on.

Not sure I follow this... wiring the push/pull as a "neck on" would still give you the option to play in position 4 and only have to dial the lever back to 1 to get the bridge only, without touching the push/pull. Positions 4 and 5 are unaffected by the "neck on" switch, so what I described would be normal behavior with the "neck on" is not engaged.

For Rampant Pony, do you want to split the humbuckers at all? If not, then simply follow the 7 position diagram. For the humbuckers, the black wires go to the switch, the greens to ground, and the red/white get connected and taped off. You can incorporate a limited number of auto-splitting functions with a standard Fender 5-way, too, just let us know. A superswitch isn't going to be necessary unless there's a very specific of split tones you're after.

[Rampant Pony]

Re: Push/Pull for HSH Strat?

For Rampant Pony, do you want to split the humbuckers at all? If not, then simply follow the 7 position diagram. For the humbuckers, the black wires go to the switch, the greens to ground, and the red/white get connected and taped off. You can incorporate a limited number of auto-splitting functions with a standard Fender 5-way, too, just let us know. A superswitch isn't going to be necessary unless there's a very specific of split tones you're after.

No, sir. I generally like my humbuckers to be humbuckers and single coils to be singles. So all I'm looking for is 1-bridge, 2-bridge/middle, 3-middle, 4-middle/neck, 5-neck. Then a push/pull to either the neck or bridge to let me use 6-bridge/neck together, 7-bridge/middle/neck. That could change in the future, but seems like the right place for me to start. Are all push/pull pots essentially created equally? Local music shop carries the Fender one and a WD for half the price. I have no issue spending the extra money but won't bother if it's not worth it.

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Push/Pull for HSH Strat?

Not sure I follow this... wiring the push/pull as a "neck on" would still give you the option to play in position 4 and only have to dial the lever back to 1 to get the bridge only, without touching the push/pull. Positions 4 and 5 are unaffected by the "neck on" switch, so what I described would be normal behavior with the "neck on" is not engaged.

My comment was based on the bridge pup being the one connected to the p/p for on-off. But the same thing would happen with the neck is on the p/p but in the reverse switch positions.

[eclecticsynergy]

Re: Push/Pull for HSH Strat?

Okay, I think that makes sense and is probably why I don't see it commonly discussed. So how is the push/pull able to engage the neck only on a S/S/S strat? Is it through a super switch?

No superswitch needed, just the standard five-way. Since you aren't using any splitting on your humbuckers the wiring would be exactly like doing it on an SSS guitar.

All this mod does is connect the neck pickup with the wire going to the volume pot. The push-pull turns that connection on or off. Doesn't even require a DPDT switch - you'll only be using two of its six terminals.

Guys used to do this mod by adding a simple SPST, the way Gilmour did. Nowadays most prefer a push-pull to avoid drilling, keep the control area uncluttered, and preserve the original appearance.

[Rampant Pony]

Re: Push/Pull for HSH Strat?

No superswitch needed, just the standard five-way. Since you aren't using any splitting on your humbuckers the wiring would be exactly like doing it on an SSS guitar.

All this mod does is connect the neck pickup with the wire going to the volume pot. The push-pull turns that connection on or off. Doesn't even require a DPDT switch - you'll only be using two of its six terminals.

Guys used to do this mod by adding a simple SPST, the way Gilmour did. Nowadays most prefer a push-pull to avoid drilling, keep the control area uncluttered, and preserve the original appearance.

The reasons in that last sentence are exactly why I'm wanting to use a push/pull. Thanks for the info!

[MikeS]

Re: Push/Pull for HSH Strat?

My comment was based on the bridge pup being the one connected to the p/p for on-off. But the same thing would happen with the neck is on the p/p but in the reverse switch positions.

Oh I see... I approached this as an "on" switch, not on on-off. I'd wire the 5-way in the traditional way and then add jumpers from the bridge pickup and common lugs over to the push/pull so that it's never turning the bridge pickup off in positions where it would normally be on.