Adding 3 hot rails with one split to a 7-WAY STRAT

N

Nyuu

New member
Hello there, and nice to meet you !
After overly using this forum as a simple visitor up to now, I decided that maybe it was time to register and discuss a bit instead of just the usual long trial and error process :amish:

So, I have a beautiful MIM Strat I love.
It has a 7-way config ( a push/pull to a volume knob and basically it adds bridge to anything)
It has 2 TBX and good PIO and whatsoever.

The thing is I finally decided to put 3 new pickups, and they happen to be single coiled sized humbuckers : Hot Rails.
Everything is fine, but I have no space left for "simple solutions" to split the humbuckers to "single coils".

What I want : one small toggle switch to at least split all the humbuckers at once !

I believe my best option is to pierce my pickguard and add a 3PDT ON OFF ON ? Am I right ?
What do you believe, and how should I PROPERLY wire that ?
I believe, since it is "ON OFF ON", I could add another feature ? (such as out of phase or I don't know?)
What do you experimented people think? :)

Best Regards
PS: I currently have something that looks like this except I have 2 TBX 7 WAYS.jpg
 
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Re: Adding 3 hot rails with one split to a 7-WAY STRAT

Welcome to the forum.

I would use a 4PDT on/on switch. One pole per pickup. The fourth pole goes unused.

A1 A2 A3 A4
B1 B2 B3 B4
C1 C2 C3 C4

A1 A2 A3 = Linked to each other and ground.
B1 = Coil split link from bridge PU
B2 = Coil split link from middle PU
B3 = Coil split link from neck PU

All other terminals unused.
 
Re: Adding 3 hot rails with one split to a 7-WAY STRAT

OK thank you very much !! Looks like my solution was not good then.
So with that, I'll be able to go from 3 humbuckers to 3 singlecoils with just one switch, correct?

I'm sorry to abuse a little, but would it be possible for me to have a schematic for that? (I'll probably figure it out in 1 month when I receive the 4PDT and pickups, but knowing which wire goes where in advance is always good)
And what do you thing of out of phases and the likes, too complicated/not that interesting with my config?
 
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Re: Adding 3 hot rails with one split to a 7-WAY STRAT

And if I may add something,
someone told me that It'd be better to put the hot rails in parallel instead of just splitting them, how would one achieve that, and is it any better?
(So: one switch making the 3 hot rails not really splitted single coils, but something slightly different)

Sorry again for all the questions :)
 
Re: Adding 3 hot rails with one split to a 7-WAY STRAT

Simultaneous series/parallel switching of six coils will require eighteen terminals. (6P2T on/on switch.)
 
Re: Adding 3 hot rails with one split to a 7-WAY STRAT

I can't draw diagrams but I know this can be done with the following components.

Keep the TBX, replace the neck tone with the volume pot and wire it like a tone pot,
you can choose which pickup, neck or bridge the push-pull will work on.
Then get yourself a Fender S-1 switch to coil split all three pickups.

Someone here withe skills can surely draw it up for you
 
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Re: Adding 3 hot rails with one split to a 7-WAY STRAT

Funkfingers said:
Simultaneous series/parallel switching of six coils will require eighteen terminals. (6P2T on/on switch.)
Click to expand...
OK I see, it makes sense !
Thank you very much.
I guess all I need now is to find which color goes where and to actually pay and receive everything. I'll probably use aliexpress for the switch, not much luck in my country.

And maybe I'll try the SD hot rails with alnico V, it looks like they do that in the CS now !

Will S-T said:
I can't draw diagrams but I know this can be done with the following components.

Keep the TBX, replace the neck tone with the volume pot and wire it like a tone pot,
you can choose which pickup, neck or bridge the push-pull will work on.
Then get yourself a Fender S-1 switch to coil split all three pickups.

Someone here withe skills can surely draw it up for you
Click to expand...

Thank you. But I'm not sure I understand how it actually works ! Will I lose anything ?
 
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Re: Adding 3 hot rails with one split to a 7-WAY STRAT

Just guessing about your set up but stardard 7 way goes:
Push/Pull Down switch position 1 = brdg, 2 = brdg + mid, 3 = mid, 4 = mid+neck, 5= neck;
in the up position 1 = brdg+neck, 2 = all three pups, 3, 4 and 5 same as above.
If that is the case you have 3, 4 and 5 in the switch up position available for additional configurations.
If my assumption is correct let me know and I may be able to help you get what you want with the existing switches.
 
Re: Adding 3 hot rails with one split to a 7-WAY STRAT

Wow! What you said really interests me!
in the up position 1 I have: Bridge, 2: Series Bridge + Middle, 3: Same (series B +M), 4: All Three Parallel, 5: Neck+Bridge

Basically, I would say that Pos 1 and 2 are "useless" as I already have them somewhere
So only 2 available, but I could actually live without splitting one of the pickup for now !
Or, well, maybe series B+M might be useless as of now with 3 humbuckers...? So maybe 3 pos.

Your solution might help me to try the split option first without piercing, and then decide what to do after.

And then maybe later, I could use the 4PDT for adding parallel to the humbuckers ? Or inverse: split for 4PDT and add a parallel switch on the useless pos I guess...
 
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Re: Adding 3 hot rails with one split to a 7-WAY STRAT

Nyuu said:
Wow! What you said really interests me!
in the up position 1 I have: Bridge, 2: Series Bridge + Middle, 3: Same (series B +M), 4: All Three Parallel, 5: Neck+Bridge

Basically, I would say that Pos 1 and 2 are "useless" as I already have them somewhere
So only 2 available, but I could actually live without splitting one of the pickup for now !
Or, well, maybe series B+M might be useless as of now with 3 humbuckers...? So maybe 3 pos.

Your solution might help me to try the split option first without piercing, and then decide what to do after.

And then maybe later, I could use the 4PDT for adding parallel to the humbuckers ? Or inverse: split for 4PDT and add a parallel switch on the useless pos I guess...
Click to expand...
Here is a diagram that may help you:
00001strtfromstrt talk.jpg
 
Re: Adding 3 hot rails with one split to a 7-WAY STRAT

@leevc5 Thank you very much !


Once I can try the hot rails, I'll see what's good for using the advice in this thread.
I ordered a 4PDT too, so I've got all the options I guess :)
You people are nice and this forum is definitely interesting and a good help!
 
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