5-Way Super Switch - HH Config Wiring Help

[jaybird]

Are any of you fine (wiring) peeps able to help a brutha out?

On my latest build, I went with an Alpha/Omega HH pup config... for a super strat type setup.

I got a 920D S5W wiring kit... (it has the 5-way super switch) -- but for whatever reason, the super switch is confusing the hell out of me, and I can't find a schematic in google that gives me what I want.

All I'm tryna do is for the positions:

1) Bridge Series
2) Bridge (South) + Neck (South) in series.
3) Bridge + Neck (series)
4) Bridge (North) + Neck (North) in series.
5) Neck Series

This has the 1-volume, 2-tone setup...

I usually just do a standard 5-way SSS or HSS-type setup... but this is my first attempt at doing any type of splitting of coils.

And documentation has been non-existent for a simpler setup...

Thanks in advance for your advice!

 

[Mincer]

Welcome to the forum!

This is similar to wiring that I use on a few guitars. Do you want #2 & #4 to be hum-cancelling?

 

[jaybird]

Mincer I mean, less hum is always a good thing, right? LOL

This is honestly my first adventure into a true HH setup, and I've always shyed away from doing "split coil" humbuckers... cause I would instead just grab a single coil for that.

But if you do split the humbuckers and run in series, is the hum drastic?

I know for this specific one, I'm not looking for the parallel sound. (sorry for the newbie response!)

 

[Mincer]

Well, on my guitar, #2 & #4 are the inner, and then outer coils. I have them both hum cancelling, which requires flipping a magnet on 1 pickup. But for me, it was important that they were hum-cancelling, and that they were those specific coils. If you want 2 neck-side coils, and then 2 bridge-side coils, you wouldn't have to do that. If whatever wiring scheme you choose isn't hum-canceling, you'd get hum like wiring 2 single coils in series. That is, you'd hear it, especially with high gain.

 

[Artie]

3) Bridge + Neck (series)

Do you want the two humbuckers to be in series with each other? As in, all four coils in series? Or do you mean the more normal, each 'bucker in series, but both in parallel to each other?

 

[jaybird]

Ah ok... yeah as of right now it's not too important.

Yeah you're setup... is what I've been finding in most schematics... is the outer coils and inner coils... schematics.

but all I'm wanting to do is to north and north, and south and south in 2 & 4. By any chance do you understand the super switch enough to point me in right direction?

Or heck... do I even need the super switch? Maybe that's over complicating the setup?

 

[jaybird]

Ah good question... I would say the "normal" way ArtieToo ... so essentially the 1 + 3 + 5 position reacts like a typical "LP" style 3 way.

 

[Artie]

I always get confused by the "north" and "south" designation, because I'm not sure if you mean magnetic N/S or map N/S. Ie., neck side / bridge side coils. Could you substitute "stud" and "screw" in your list?

 

[jaybird]

lol I get confused too ArtieToo -- On the Alpha/Omegas both are screws... so basically "north" means the upper coil and "south" means lower coil...

I added a quick photo I made in canva. It get's confusing cause on schematics the positions are basically reversed for wiring, than "playable positions"...

 

[Artie]

My bad. I didn't even notice that both bobbins are screws. I'll draw something up. Probably have it tomorrow.

 

[ThreeChordWonder]

The north and south refers to the polarity of the magnet. Most humbuckers have a single bar magnet in them. Unlike the magnets you maybe played with in school, where the north and south poles are at the (short( ends of the bar magnet, in a humbucker magnet they're down the (long) sides.

The pickup has two coils and two sets of magnetized pole pieces. One set of pole pieces sirs on or over the north pole of the magnet, the other the south. So the coils are known as north and south. In a Seymour Duncan humbucker, the screw pole pices are usually in the south coil. S for screws, s for south. Easy to remember.

 

[Mincer]

Artie is the one to do this! I don't think you have to flip a magnet to get what you want...someone will set me straight if you do!

 

[eclecticsynergy]

Artie is the one to do this! I don't think you have to flip a magnet to get what you want...someone will set me straight if you do!

I think you're right - normally inners & outers are opposite polarity, so this arrangement pairs natural opposites.

Myself, I love inner-coils-parallel which does require flipping one of the mags for hum rejection.
But the OP's preference shouldn't need it.

 

[Artie]

This should do it. And all positions will be humbucking.

 

[ThreeChordWonder]

Remember, if you reverse the polarity of one of the pickups by flipping the magnet over, you also have to wire it in backwards so you get the full RWRP effect. So in standard SD wiring, the green becomes the hot and the black becomes the ground. If you don't, then the pickups will be out of phase.

To the OP I would recommend wiring the arrangements in parallel rather than series because humbuckers in series can get real dark and muddy. And the wiring is a lot easier too

 

[ThreeChordWonder]

PS with the pickups in parallel, wire the knobs for 2 independent volumes and one tone. That way if you want to turn off one pickup in P2 or P4 all you have to do is turn its volume down. With pickups in series you have to use push-pulls wired for bypasses to achieve the same thing.

 

[Artie]

When I do a mag flip, I like to flip each coil, (figuratively), so that grounding the black/green link gives you the stud coil. But both ways work.

 

[jaybird]

ArtieToo thanks so much for the diagram!!! -- you're amazing... so when I went to go lay it out... it looks like the "prewired 1 volume and 2 tone knobs" was throwing me off a bit... So I included one more "not as good as your" mock up lol

The top part of the image is what is currently prewired....

So I took what you did, and attempted to combine it with what is wired to keep the "2 tone pot" in the circuit. If you have a quick minute... would you mind taking a gander to seeing if it looks correct?

- Essentially what I'm thinking I have to do... is remove the ground from the the two top "commons"...
- Remove the volume output from the two bottom commons.
- then pretty much bridge everything across the top row of lugs, except for the first slot.
- add the grounding that you showed.
- Bridge the 2 rows in the positions you have labeled.
- ANd then I'm assuming just run two wires to the volume knob, that are connected to the same lugs as the output to the (2) tones?

So on the combo mockup... black is what stays from the original wiring... and organ is what I'm adding/modifying?

I'll upload the actual pickguard too if it'll help.

 

[Artie]

I can edit my original easier. So, you want master volume, then a tone control for each humbucker?

 

[Artie]

Like this: