Calling all wiring gurus.. hsh strat/paul

[rainsong86]

I have an hsh guitar with a 5-way switch, wired with strat pickup selections. It has a push/pull on the master tone pot to split both of the buckers.

I want to be able to have a strat config when the coils are split, yet have rhythm/treble buckers in parallel in the middle position like with a les paul. So in essence the pickup selection in 3rd position would change from neck, bridge buckers to just middle pickup when push/pull is up.

Is this incredibly complex, or even possible? The guitar (epiphone nighthawk) does have an 8 tab 5-way switch. I also have a 20-pole dimarzio 5-way super-switch I can use.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Calling all wiring gurus.. hsh strat/paul

Do you want the neck and bridge buckers split in positions 2 and 4? The p/p wouldn't be able to split the buckers AND select between buckers or middle sc pup. So you'll need a super switch and a p/p to do what you want.

Is this the switch position sounds you want?

with p/p down:
1. bridge (full humbucker)
2. bridge (split) + middle sc.
3. bridge (full) + neck (full)
4. neck (split) + middle sc
5. neck (full)

And in "Strat" configuration with p/p up (the p/p is used to select either the middle single coil pup or the two humbuckers, so position 3 is the only difference between these two explanations):
1. bridge (full)
2. bridge (split) + middle sc
3. middle sc
4. neck (split) + middle sc
5. neck (full)

If you want the neck and bridge pups also split in positions 1 and 5 in the "Strat" configuration (second explanation), then you'll also need another p/p or mini toggle switch.

 

[rainsong86]

Re: Calling all wiring gurus.. hsh strat/paul

Thanks for the reply guitardoc. I'll put my changes to your reply in caps. I would need..

with p/p down:
1. bridge (full humbucker)
2. bridge (FULL) + middle sc.
3. bridge (full) + neck (full)
4. neck (FULL) + middle sc
5. neck (full)

With p/p up:
1. bridge (SPLIT)
2. bridge (split) + middle sc
3. middle sc
4. neck (split) + middle sc
5. neck (SPLIT)

So the p/p would not only split both the buckers but also switch the middle 5-way selection from neck+bridge to just middle single coil when up. So 20-pole super switch it is?

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Calling all wiring gurus.. hsh strat/paul

Well, just one p/p won't split the humbuckers AND select the middle sc or the buckers, even with a super switch. You will still need two switches (in addition to the super switch) to do that.

 

[rainsong86]

Re: Calling all wiring gurus.. hsh strat/paul

Maybe I will just settle for changing the middle position of the 5-way to bridge/neck. You're saying I'd need to use a super-switch just to do that? The current switch has 8 poles and does the classic strat pickup selection

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Calling all wiring gurus.. hsh strat/paul

Maybe I will just settle for changing the middle position of the 5-way to bridge/neck.

"Settle"? That's actually a little bit more complicated than having the middle position as middle pup only. Not much more...just a little.

You're saying I'd need to use a super-switch just to do that?

Not necessarily, it depends on everything you want to accomplish. No, you won't need a super switch if you only plan on having your humbuckers active like in a Les Paul (you could ADD the middle single coil to any/all positions if you add a separate toggle or p/p switch). Yes, you'll need a super switch if you plan on having your middle single coil active in positions 2 and 4 but not in position 3.

The current switch has 8 poles and does the classic strat pickup selection

Could you post a pic of it?

 

[rainsong86]

Re: Calling all wiring gurus.. hsh strat/paul


So currently the guitar does this
with p/p down:
1. bridge (full humbucker)
2. bridge (FULL) + middle sc.
3. middle sc
4. neck (FULL) + middle sc
5. neck (full)

With p/p up:
1. bridge (SPLIT)
2. bridge (split) + middle sc
3. middle sc
4. neck (split) + middle sc
5. neck (SPLIT)

And I'd need to change to a superswitch to do this
with p/p down:
1. bridge (full humbucker)
2. bridge (FULL) + middle sc.
3. bridge (full) + neck (full)
4. neck (FULL) + middle sc
5. neck (full)

With p/p up:
1. bridge (SPLIT)
2. bridge (split) + middle sc
3. bridge (split) + neck (split)
4. neck (split) + middle sc
5. neck (SPLIT)

And would need an extra push/pull (in addition to the existing coil split push/pull on my tone knob) to do this?
with p/p down:
1. bridge (full humbucker)
2. bridge (FULL) + middle sc.
3. bridge (full) + neck (full)
4. neck (FULL) + middle sc
5. neck (full)

With p/p up:
1. bridge (SPLIT)
2. bridge (split) + middle sc
3. middle sc
4. neck (split) + middle sc
5. neck (SPLIT)

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Calling all wiring gurus.. hsh strat/paul

Oh yeah. At least.