Classic Stack Plus '59/Custom Hybrid in SSH Strat Questions

[wagz]

Hello, everyone. I'm gathering info and opinions about the STK4n and STK4M pickups and the '59 Custom Hybrid humbucker in a SSH combination.

1a. If I run both of the STK4's in split on the #4 position, how big a a difference in tone and noise rejection is there between splitting them or wiring them both in hum canceling mode?
1b. Do you have any clips, recordings, or examples of these pickups wired in split? I'm just trying to decide whether or not it will be worth it to split these pickups.

2. If I run the STK4m (RWRP) in split mode together with the '59/Custom Hybrid also split to use the louder Custom coil on the #2 position, will it be hum canceling? I want to clarify whether or not one of the '59/Custom Hybrid's coil is already RWRP.

3. Do any of you run the '59/Custom Hybrid in parallel? If so, how does it sound?

4. Can any of you point me in the direction of a master volume master tone SSH Strat schematic that would:

a. - auto-split the Classic Stack Pluses in the 2 and 4 positions of a 5-way switch
b. - toggle the bridge bucker from series/parallel/split
c. - also include a neck or bridge ON switch that would allow the two outside pickups or all three pickups.

4b. Would it be possible (or even suggested) to remove the middle pickup from the master tone, so that it isn't loaded down by the pot?

5. Since I do want to use the all-three-pickups and just-the-outside-pickups sounds, should I just leave the Classic Stacks in humbucking mode for every position? I want to make this guitar noiseless in as many positions of switch as possible. Obviously, I will get noise when splitting the bridge humbucker on switch position 5.

 

[wagz]

Re: Classic Stack Plus '59/Custom Hybrid in SSH Strat Questions

I think that this might work, as far as splitting in position #2 and removing the middle tone control.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Classic Stack Plus '59/Custom Hybrid in SSH Strat Questions

I would use the stacks noiseless in every position. If you want to split them and have them hum-cancelling, one would have to be rw/rp. If you want the neck to autosplit, as well as the bridge, when both are on (to keep it humcancelling) it will depend on what coil of the humbucker you want to split to if it will cancel hum or not.

 

[wagz]

Re: Classic Stack Plus '59/Custom Hybrid in SSH Strat Questions

Thanks, Mincer! So, is it worth it at all to split the stack plus pups? I already asked my boss to order the STK4N and STK4M. So, the mid will be RWRP. What about the pots? Since i will be using a humbucker, should I go 500k, or 250k?

 

[Mincer]

Re: Classic Stack Plus '59/Custom Hybrid in SSH Strat Questions

Well, if you are using 2 stacks, I wouldn't bother splitting them. In my HSS, I used slightly different pickups (a Five Two for the middle) and a slightly odd switching scheme. I used 500k for volume, 250k for the tone for neck & middle, and 500k tone for bridge. I wrote a blog about what I used here.

 

[wagz]

Re: Classic Stack Plus '59/Custom Hybrid in SSH Strat Questions

Ok. Cool. I think I'm just going to wire them in noiseless mode, then. If you don't find the 500k volume to be too bright with the Classic Stack Plus, maybe I won't, either.

You have a very interesting wiring going on with your guitar. I'm not quite ready to get rid of the middle position of my Strat. I am considering removing the tone control from the middle position, and it seems that doing that would make a wiring like yours more "sparkly". But, maybe I won't need to remove the tone from the middle pickup if I use a 500k master tone.

Thank you again for your help, Mincer!

 

[Ascension]

Re: Classic Stack Plus '59/Custom Hybrid in SSH Strat Questions

running any pair of buckers together will get some hum. I am running 3 guitars with true singles in the middle and all 3 are dead silent tapped with the single in pos 2 and 4. 2 are HSS one is HSH. In my Modern player tele I'm running a 59/Custom tapped with a Single in the middle in my 95 Washy MG 120a JB with a pair of SSL1's both are dead silent in pos 2 and 4 with RW/RP singles in the middle. i also prefer the tone of singles in pos 2 and 4 to any bucker regardless in it's a true single or tapped bucker.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Classic Stack Plus '59/Custom Hybrid in SSH Strat Questions

Ok. Cool. I think I'm just going to wire them in noiseless mode, then. If you don't find the 500k volume to be too bright with the Classic Stack Plus, maybe I won't, either.

You have a very interesting wiring going on with your guitar. I'm not quite ready to get rid of the middle position of my Strat. I am considering removing the tone control from the middle position, and it seems that doing that would make a wiring like yours more "sparkly". But, maybe I won't need to remove the tone from the middle pickup if I use a 500k master tone.

Thank you again for your help, Mincer!

No problem! I never use the middle position alone, and always favored the outside 2 pickups over it. I also don't like additional switches- I want 1 move to get to the sound I like. Let me know how this project turns out!

 

[dotsdad]

Re: Classic Stack Plus '59/Custom Hybrid in SSH Strat Questions

I split my stks4s. The neck+middle sound is fantastic!

 

[Will S-T]

Re: Classic Stack Plus '59/Custom Hybrid in SSH Strat Questions

Keeping it simple without splitting any of the pickups you could try this.

Standard 5way switch, master vol and tone, second tone pot uses the Bourns no-load blender pot.
It blends in the bridge in position 4 to give you all three, in 5 gives you bridge and neck.
In position 2 it blends in the neck to give you all three and in 1 gives you neck and bridge.
The pot at ten is completely out of the circuit. Pot is available at Stewmac BTW.

With a more powerful bridge HB, I'd use the blend pot to dial in the bridge as little or much of it
with the neck and all three for a more balanced output.

You still have the master vol and tone pots to use push-pulls if you wish to split any or all pickups.
Pot values you can experiment with in your preferred and most used positions.

I still prefer the Schaller E Model Megaswitch as used by Mincer for it's simplicity
and auto splitting of the correct bridge coil in positions 2 b+m and 3 b+n.

 

[wagz]

Re: Classic Stack Plus '59/Custom Hybrid in SSH Strat Questions

i also prefer the tone of singles in pos 2 and 4 to any bucker regardless in it's a true single or tapped bucker.

Me, too. Two full size strat or tele singles usually makes for a fuller, punchier sound, IMO. It could have something to do with the relatively low output of many low to medium output 'buckers. I've been able to get a pretty cool split sound out of some (too hot!) humbuckers, though.

No problem! I never use the middle position alone, and always favored the outside 2 pickups over it. I also don't like additional switches- I want 1 move to get to the sound I like. Let me know how this project turns out!

I can understand that. But, I'm not quite ready to quit the middle single pickup. I will update this thread after I complete the project, God willing.

I split my stks4s. The neck+middle sound is fantastic!

!!! This is what I wanted to know about. Do you have any clips or video of your what your guitar sounds like with this wiring? Vids with the Stack Plus pickups
in the 2/4 positions seem to be scarce enough.

Keeping it simple without splitting any of the pickups you could try this...

That's and interesting wiring. But, I'm pretty sure that I want to auto-split the stack pluses, though. I'll probably try and do the Suhr HSS auto-split thing with the resistors, too. Mincer had a good point about efficiency. I want to get the normal Strat 5-way sounds, but with a neck-on and/or bridge-on switch, and a switch to toggle series/parallel whenever the humbucker isn't being automatically split.

My Strat is currently wired in an HSH config with Zexcoil pickups. I have switches to silent-split (parallel) the 'buckers, a phase switch for the neck, Master Vol, Master tone, 50's wiring, and a 3 position rotary switch that totally rewires the guitar in each position. That switch adds n+b, n+m+b, and also three different series sounds. It wasn't fun, wiring it like this. But, it works and does so many sounds. Now that I've tried this wiring, I've been able to narrow down what I actually like and will use. Now, I just need a wiring diagram that combines the Suhr HSS diagram with this Stack diagram, adding a neck-on or bridge-on, and a parallel switch for the humbucker:

Diagram

*Edited

 

[wagz]

Re: Classic Stack Plus '59/Custom Hybrid in SSH Strat Questions

* Update*

I now have the 59/ Custom Hybrid. The Classic Stack Plus pickups are on order. Since my fingerboard is 16", I have ordered them with flat pole-pieces.

Question: Do any of you use these Stack Plus pickups with 500k pots? I was thinking that if I used 500k pots across for vol, and both tones, I could simplify my wiring by using a normal 5 way start switch, with a split for both stacks, a neck-on switch, and a series/parallel for the bridge bucker.

 

[Artie]

Re: Classic Stack Plus '59/Custom Hybrid in SSH Strat Questions

1a. If I run both of the STK4's in split on the #4 position, how big a a difference in tone and noise rejection is there between splitting them or wiring them both in hum canceling mode?

For what it's worth, I'm running a pair of STK-4's n/m with an STK-6 in the bridge. I didn't bother to split any of them and I get the classic Strat quack in the #2 and #4 positions. YMMV.

 

[wagz]

Re: Classic Stack Plus '59/Custom Hybrid in SSH Strat Questions

For what it's worth, I'm running a pair of STK-4's n/m with an STK-6 in the bridge. I didn't bother to split any of them and I get the classic Strat quack in the #2 and #4 positions. YMMV.

Cool. I think that I'll install a switch to split these for those rarer cases in which I feel the need to turn off the hum-canceling on the neck and middle pickups. The single coil tone in this intro sounds great before he kicks in the hum-canceling.