4 Pickup Stratocaster...is this doable??

[esqueleto.23]

Re: 4 Pickup Stratocaster...is this doable??

Just had a new idea for the HSH wiring. I think it could work with just a 5-way switch and one push-pull knob. I'd put the bridge hb in the middle position of the 5-way switch, basically because it's the pickup I would want to use in different combinations with the other two. And also use the tone pot(?) as a push/pull to split the bridge. This should work alright, no? Options would be something like this:

1. Neck HB (D+E)
2. Neck & Bridge HBs (A+B+D+E)
3. Bridge HB (A+B)
4. Bridge HB & Middle (A+B+C)
5. Middle (C)
Plus these options with the bridge split:
2.2 Neck & split Bridge (A+D+E)
3.2 Bridge split [to Custom] (A)
4.2 Middle & split Bridge (A+C)

Probably wouldn't bother splitting the neck, as it is a rather low output pickup...although it could be interesting to combine one coil from the Alnico II with the Custom coil.

 

[Mincer]

Re: 4 Pickup Stratocaster...is this doable??

Check out a Steve Morse guitar: https://reverb.com/item/2234445-mus...id=pla&pla=1&gclid=CMGJ2634kM0CFQetaQodwoYGLw

I was gonna say Steve has been doing this sort of thing for years, but his wiring system is convoluted to say the least. He does a great job with it, but man, if you ever play a Steve Morse guitar, you need some sort of Venn diagram to figure it all out.

 

[Brandenburg]

Re: 4 Pickup Stratocaster...is this doable??

Just had a new idea for the HSH wiring. I think it could work with just a 5-way switch and one push-pull knob. I'd put the bridge hb in the middle position of the 5-way switch, basically because it's the pickup I would want to use in different combinations with the other two. And also use the tone pot(?) as a push/pull to split the bridge. This should work alright, no? Options would be something like this:

1. Neck HB (D+E)
2. Neck & Bridge HBs (A+B+D+E)
3. Bridge HB (A+B)
4. Bridge HB & Middle (A+B+C)
5. Middle (C)
Plus these options with the bridge split:
2.2 Neck & split Bridge (A+D+E)
3.2 Bridge split [to Custom] (A)
4.2 Middle & split Bridge (A+C)

Probably wouldn't bother splitting the neck, as it is a rather low output pickup...although it could be interesting to combine one coil from the Alnico II with the Custom coil.

Pretty basic... Just woke up and eyes havent even focused yet but I think this should be what you want thus far. Not going to add color to it yet as you are still undecided as to what you want I think. Added a split for the neck on the Volume.. dont like/need.. Just take the white and red wire and solder/heat shrink them together

 

[Juanhanglo]

Re: 4 Pickup Stratocaster...is this doable??

Just had a new idea for the HSH wiring. I think it could work with just a 5-way switch and one push-pull knob. I'd put the bridge hb in the middle position of the 5-way switch, basically because it's the pickup I would want to use in different combinations with the other two. And also use the tone pot(?) as a push/pull to split the bridge. This should work alright, no? Options would be something like this:

1. Neck HB (D+E)
2. Neck & Bridge HBs (A+B+D+E)
3. Bridge HB (A+B)
4. Bridge HB & Middle (A+B+C)
5. Middle (C)
Plus these options with the bridge split:
2.2 Neck & split Bridge (A+D+E)
3.2 Bridge split [to Custom] (A)
4.2 Middle & split Bridge (A+C)

Probably wouldn't bother splitting the neck, as it is a rather low output pickup...although it could be interesting to combine one coil from the Alnico II with the Custom coil.

Most, if not all of this (and your previous post) can be accomplished with a standard 5way, a bridge on switch, and a coil cut switch.

I use this frequently.

You get:

AB
AB + C
C
C + DE
DE

WITH BRIDGE ON SWITCH

AB
AB+ C
AB + C
AB + C + DE
AB + DE

the coil cut simply eliminates coils B and D in the above diagrams.

Using a super switch allows you to assign certain tone pots to certain positions. I like to leave the strat 2 and 4 positions without a tone control.

 

[esqueleto.23]

Re: 4 Pickup Stratocaster...is this doable??

Pretty basic... Just woke up and eyes havent even focused yet but I think this should be what you want thus far. Not going to add color to it yet as you are still undecided as to what you want I think.

Thanks a lot for the diagram and all of the other advice!

Most, if not all of this (and your previous post) can be accomplished with a standard 5way, a bridge on switch, and a coil cut switch.

Wow - that's a lot of possibilities there! What kind of switch would the coil cut switch be?

 

[esqueleto.23]

Re: 4 Pickup Stratocaster...is this doable??

Been doing a bit more research over the past couple of days. Mainly looking into the output of the pickups and how they would combine. Getting closer to settled on the pickup combination - Alnico II Pro Neck HB, Antiquity Surfer Neck for the middle position, and 59/Custom Hybrid Bridge HB. Neck HB is 7.5 ohm, middle single would be 6.5, and bridge is 11.2 as HB and 7.1 split. So I'm thinking this would give some pretty good combinations, also considering the warmth of the neck hb, the strat 'chime' of the middle, and the added power of the bridge.

And in terms of wiring, I'm thinking that a classic 5-way switch, with a bridge always-on switch, and a push pull tone knob for the bridge would give me just about all the combinations I could ask for. It would be 11 combinations in all, with 10 that I'm pretty sure would be quite interesting and unique, and only one that I'm not so sure about - the middle with the bridge hb (C+AB), because of the difference in output (6.5 vs. 11.2).

I'm wondering here about a series/split/parallel switch that Bradenburg posted with his diagram before. My understanding is that the two coils within a humbucking pickup are most often wired in series. And then when two pickups are wired together in a guitar, it is often done in parallel. (Got that here: http://tinyurl.com/z6ng36r.) So I assume that with a series/split/parallel switch for each humbucker, what would change is the current flow within each humbucker (i.e. so that you can choose series or parallel [or split]), but when combined the pickups would still be connected in parallel with each other. Is that at all correct?



The only tone that I'm interested in, but don't think that it's possible to achieve is B+D or B+E. As I'm already splitting the bridge humbucker for coil A, which I want much more than coil B, my understanding is that I wouldn't be able to achieve coil B on it's own as well. Is this correct?

The other thing I'm wondering is about the middle pickup. Usually on an SSS guitar, the middle pickup is reverse wound to cancel hum in the middle positions. In my case, it will only be combined with one other 'single coil' - the split bridge. But, as I am quite set on having this tone and making it sound good, would I want to get a reverse wound pickup? I'm thinking of the Antiquity Surfer, and was going to get the neck, but I guess if it would make a difference I could go for the middle reverse wound instead. But would this change the sound of the pickup on its own?

 

[Hank-]

Re: 4 Pickup Stratocaster...is this doable??

The 59/C uses two different coils, so i think it won't split an even half 7.1ohm. You can get B+D or B+E, depends on how many switches you can put in there. If the humbuckers are mounted on pickup rings then the " triple shots" might be worthwhile getting.
http://www.seymourduncan.com/accessory/triple-shot-flat

 

[esqueleto.23]

Re: 4 Pickup Stratocaster...is this doable??

The 59/C uses two different coils

The custom is the hotter of the two coils. Seymour Duncan says it's 7 and ToneReport says 7.1. I imagine the '59 would make up the difference and be around 4.

You can get B+D or B+E, depends on how many switches you can put in there. If the humbuckers are mounted on pickup rings then the " triple shots" might be worthwhile getting.
http://www.seymourduncan.com/accessory/triple-shot-flat

Really interesting - thanks for that!

 

[Mincer]

Re: 4 Pickup Stratocaster...is this doable??

The combination of the pickups you have chosen is really good. However you wire that is gonna sound great.