Best place to find out how to coil split

SJ318

New member
Hi
Newbe question. For my 1 humbucker stage guitar, where is the best thread that shows how to split a 4 wire Duncan 59/Custom? 1 vol. 1 tone.
I did try obvious search questions but never found the simple schematic to just do it. What pot?
What tabs, what wires where. That kind of thing.
I know this has been talked to death, but I was never interested till now.
Thanks,
Steve B.
 
Last edited:
Re: Best place to find out how to coil split

Hi
Newbe question. For my 1 humbucker stage guitar, where is the best thread that shows how to split a 4 wire Duncan 59/Custom? 1 vol. 1 tone.
I did try obvious search questions but never found the simple schematic to just do it. What pot?
What tabs, what wires where. That kind of thing.
I know this has been talked to death, but I was never interested till now.
Thanks,
Steve B.

This is fairly easy. Being a dimarzio guy (as far as passive pups go, I have duncan actives tho) I have found the dimarzio diagrams really comprehensive :
http://www.dimarzio.com/sites/default/files/diagrams/4Conductor.pdf
The theory is very simple.
 
Re: Best place to find out how to coil split

The idea is to split to one coil by grounding out the other one. Here is a diagram.
 
Re: Best place to find out how to coil split

With a SD HB, standard wiring is black wire goes to the input to the volume pot, green to ground, red/white connected to one another. For a coil split red and white go to a common lug on your switch and the other side of the switch goes to ground. So when the switch is not engaged, the 2nd coil is in circuit. When the switch is engaged the 2nd coil is grounded
 
Re: Best place to find out how to coil split

Hank, Mincer, greekdude -
Damn, Thank you I was on line for an hour and could not find any of that, especially got NOTHING searching the SD site.
That was maddening, SDuncan is horrible for this stuff, or I don't have the secret decoder ring.
greekdude, thanks, but that D'iMarzio site is all too complicated, for me. But please know I appreciate it. Sincerely.
QUESTION 1. the push /pull pot I would buy would have that "connection" plate already on the bottom?
QUESTION 2. the tone pot I can just leave as is?
QUESTION 3. is it possible to get a smooth or fast turn 500K Volume knob, like the Duncan YJM, or the SD Smooth turn?
" " " " 4. on the bridge, is slug or screw pole best? Opinions?
Thank you all very much. Really. I wanna do this.
Steve B.
 
Re: Best place to find out how to coil split

QUESTION 1. the push /pull pot I would buy would have that "connection" plate already on the bottom?
QUESTION 2. the tone pot I can just leave as is?
QUESTION 3. is it possible to get a smooth or fast turn 500K Volume knob, like the Duncan YJM, or the SD Smooth turn?
" " " " 4. on the bridge, is slug or screw pole best? Opinions?
Thank you all very much. Really. I wanna do this.
Steve B.
1. Yup.

2. Yup. Although i would suggest replacing the tone pot for a push pull design instead of the volume control. Push pulls are a bit fragile & considering the number of ground connection points happening on a usual volume pot enclosure surface, you might end up overheating the pot assembly for too long and melting the interna plastic push pull assembly. Otherwise go for it.

3. Alpha & Bourns pots that I've had were fast/smooth in rotation. Dimarzio ones might be CTS made, not sure if those turn as freely sine I've tried norma CTS stuff & they were stiff to turn with my pinky finger.

4. Try both ways, it's a personal choice really.
 
Re: Best place to find out how to coil split

I agree with Hank. As far our diagrams, it isn't intuitive at all, I will say. I liked the way it was before, but I had to adapt. Now it is no big deal finding the right ones I need, but it took a little time to figure it out.
 
Re: Best place to find out how to coil split

Hank, Mincer,
Great info, thank you.
Question, if I used the tone knob for the push/pull, how would it change the wiring of (or to) the volume pot?
The wiring that I would use would be the Duncan wiring Mincer showed me, but I cannot find the schematic for
a tone pot being the push/pull with the volume neatly drawn out way the 1 volume is neatly laid out.
Huge thanks.
Steve B.
 
Re: Best place to find out how to coil split

Hank, Mincer,
Great info, thank you.
Question, if I used the tone knob for the push/pull, how would it change the wiring of (or to) the volume pot?
The wiring that I would use would be the Duncan wiring Mincer showed me, but I cannot find the schematic for
a tone pot being the push/pull with the volume neatly drawn out way the 1 volume is neatly laid out.
Huge thanks.
Steve B.

It makes no difference at all just send the red and white to it as normal and ground it to the volume pot where all the other earth leads meet.
 
Re: Best place to find out how to coil split

This would be exactly the same. Just move the switch wiring- the push/pull and the pot are independent, so it doesn't matter which pot you use.
 
Re: Best place to find out how to coil split

kramersteen and Mincer -
Thanks, guys.
Really, my next "big thing". A guitarist needs something to do that is different, especially if it is cheap, and double especially
on this where a single coil sound would actually be used since it is a 1 bridge p'up and my main guitar.
I want the "inner" or slug coil, as that would give a little more vibration and usable tone.
At least in my head any way, is the slug the 59 or the Custom? Easy enough to look up I suppose, but if you already know, I'll take your word for it. Not sure if it says an the pickup info, just they are different.
You guys are life savers!
Steve B.
 
Re: Best place to find out how to coil split

From what I remember, the 59 coil is the screw coil. It splits to the Custom coil. The website page is wrong.
 
Back
Top