Any problem using a 5-way switch for a dual humbucker 2 volume 1 tone?

[rstiltskin]

SD doesn't have a diagram for my particular case. Does that means it won't work? I had both pickups working but wasn't sure if the middle position would turn both pickups on. As soon as I grounded the master tone, I had no sound from either pickup. When I disconnected the ground the pickups work again but with a hum. The diagram that shows a 3-way blade switch was confusing as it shows the hot wire from the output jack going to four different connections on the switch. I'm having trouble understanding how to transfer that to a 5-way.

 

[Mincer]

Welcome to the forum!

What do you want positions 2 & 4 to do?

 

[rstiltskin]

Nothing. I just happen to have a 5-way switch.

 

[jeremy]

a 3 way and 5 way are not the same, you can wire a 5 way with two buckers though. i assume its a normal 5 way, not a super switch or anything like that?

 

[rstiltskin]

a 3 way and 5 way are not the same, you can wire a 5 way with two buckers though. i assume its a normal 5 way, not a super switch or anything like that?

No, not a super switch. It's a Fender 5-way with the 2 commons jumpered.

 

[jeremy]

so if you wanted just the normal neck/both/bridge you could only use two of the three contacts (not including the common) and would have one redundant position and one dead/silent position. if you look at the switch the 2 and 4 positions, they basically join the 1&3 or 3&5 switch positions. do the pups youre using have 4 conductor wiring?

 

[rstiltskin]

so if you wanted just the normal neck/both/bridge you could only use two of the three contacts (not including the common) and would have one redundant position and one dead/silent position. if you look at the switch the 2 and 4 positions, they basically join the 1&3 or 3&5 switch positions. do the pups youre using have 4 conductor wiring?

Both pickups have 4 conductor wiring. I understand about positions 1&3 or 3&5 but I didn't understand the rest of your post. I have the the neck pickup connected to the 5 position of the switch and the bridge connected to the 1 position. The hot wire from the output jack is also connected to the switch but I'm not sure which connection is the right one since the SD wiring diagram doesn't show a 5-way. And yes, I want neck/both/bridge.

 

[rstiltskin]

I still haven't solved this but I have another question. What causes humbuckers not to be hum-cancelling? It sounds to me like neither pickup is hum-cancelling but volume and tone are working.

 

[Mincer]

A bad ground can do that. It might not be the pickups.

 

[rstiltskin]

A bad ground can do that. It might not be the pickups.

Sounds like you're talking about a grounding problem instead of a 60 cycle hum. My question is how would a humbucking pickup be wired to a 5-way switch in such a way that there was no hum cancelling?

 

[Mincer]

Sounds like you're talking about a grounding problem instead of a 60 cycle hum. My question is how would a humbucking pickup be wired to a 5-way switch in such a way that there was no hum cancelling?

Can you verify that both coils of both pickups are on and working (tap the poles with the end of the screwdriver).

 

[GuitarDoc]

That hum would only occur if the pups were split. Do what Mincer suggested to make sure both coils are working.