5 way wiring with two pickups

[loadedguitar]

Hi everyone,
I have a guitar that only has one bridge pickup (it has a two conductor wire), and I want to add a hot rail in the neck. I have a normal strat-style five way switch, and I was wondering if I could do some blending options with it.
For example:
5. Pos: bridge only
4. Pos: bridge and neck split (inner coil)
3. Pos: bridge and neck in full humbucker mode
2. Pos: bridge and neck split (outer coil)
1. Pos: neck only in full humbucker mode
Is this possible with this switch? If not, what can I do with this switch? Thank you in advance!

 

[BriGuy1968]

Re: 5 way wiring with two pickups

Hi everyone,
I have a guitar that only has one bridge pickup (it has a two conductor wire), and I want to add a hot rail in the neck. I have a normal strat-style five way switch, and I was wondering if I could do some blending options with it.
For example:
5. Pos: bridge only
4. Pos: bridge and neck split (inner coil)
3. Pos: bridge and neck in full humbucker mode
2. Pos: bridge and neck split (outer coil)
1. Pos: neck only in full humbucker mode
Is this possible with this switch? If not, what can I do with this switch? Thank you in advance!

It might be possible with the standard Strat style switch... I would have to play around with a little bit to know for sure, and I can’t right now because I’m on my way to work.

One thing to consider, though, is that the difference between the inner coil and the outer coil in sound has to do with the coil’s position in relation to the bridge and nut more than anything else when we are talking about a humbucker with matched coils. In this case, a narrow humbucker like a Hot Rail would have virtually no total difference between the two coils because they’re so close to one another... especially in the neck position.

Personally, I would just use a three-way switch and maybe a push-pull to split the neck pickup. However, if you want to use a 5-way, you might consider making position 4 into the neck pickup by itself, but split.

Either way, I would be happy to play around with how to wire the switch… But it would have to wait until this evening after work.

 

[Mincer]

Re: 5 way wiring with two pickups

Thing is, you can't split a 2 conductor pickup unless you add a 4 conductor wire. You'd also need a super switch, and to flip a magnet if you want to keep it all hum-cancelling. I did a similar idea on a 2 HB guitar...I wrote a blog about it. In another guitar, I use a 3 way toggle with a switch to split both HBs. Both are great setups.

 

[loadedguitar]

Re: 5 way wiring with two pickups

Thank you all for you help! I decided, that I will use a three way switch, with a coil split volume pot.