Coil splitting...

[JRCorp]

Without jacking a recent thread on Split/Parallel, I want to ask for help with advice on which setup might be best for me, as well as how I'd wire coil-splitting with my guitar.

I have a Washburn WI-14, with an SH2N Jazz (neck) and an SH4 JB, not yet wired in; I picked up 4 new pots, 2 of which are push/pull, and a new 3-way switch.

I had initially gone towards the series/parallel switching, but after reading some stuff here, I'm starting to wonder. I guess I want to have serious tone options. When I first bought the pickups, I hadn't intended on doing any modifications, but I figured that if I have new stuff, why not go for it?

Recently, I'm getting into another phase of being obsessed with Hendrix. This happens to me once every few years or so; I know it must seem cliche for a guitarist, but he's been my favorite, I've tried to collect anything worth listening to by him, I'm reading a biography for the 3rd time, etc. So eventually, I'd love to get a lefty Strat, flip it, and set it up that way, but in the meantime, I guess having single-coil tone would be nice.

Again, I was trying for series/parallel, but people here seem to like coil-splitting more. I think this is the right diagram for what I'm trying to achieve, but looking at this diagram, I want to lean towards using the outside coils. Would I be wrong for going this way? I feel like having the coils in slightly more extreme position, I'd be better off, plus I could adjust the poles. The problem for me is figuring out the wiring for it.

Suggestions, advice, anyone? Thanks for your patience, as I'm new to this whole aspect of the guitar.

 

[super rad stuff]

Re: Coil splitting...

i'd say do it for the neck but not the bridge. with the neck the coil you are splitting to is in the same spot a strat neck pu would be and you'd get a slightly warmer tone. as for the bridge, you would be splitting to the coil closer to the bridge where there is less vibrations from the strings, resulting in a weaker signal than you might be looking for.
imo a JB split to slug(standard way) does a great strat impression, but with more punch to it.

however..... if you were to install phase switches, you would be able to pick which coils you want since reversing the phase switches the coils' signal around and cutting to the other coil.

 

[JRCorp]

Re: Coil splitting...

I understand what you're saying at first, but the phasing still goes over my head. I'd totally go for coil-splitting at this point, I just want to understand how I'd wire it up. That diagram from SD is for slugs only, and I have no idea of how to get to the adjustable coil. Having a setup of one slug, one adjustable sounds even more complicated.

Is there anyone here who draws up diagrams? I'd very much appreciate that, though I don't want to cause trouble.

My only other issue is whether using the push/pulls for volume or tone would be easier. I was going to do series/parallel with the push/pulls in volume position, as I figure that's easier to reach with the hand.

 

[super rad stuff]

Re: Coil splitting...

sorry about that, just don't worry about the phase thing then. push pulls can be any pot you want them to be, but i generally like having coil cuts on volumes, and secondary functions(phase, series, etc) on tone push pulls. for what you want to do, just switch around the neck pickup's lead wires like it shows on the coil cut explanation diagram, and wire up the bridge pickup as it says on the full diagram. i can't draw it up, but it would go something like this...

neck pickup: black/green to push pull, white/bare to ground, red to hot.
bridge pickup: red/white to push pull, green/bare to ground, black to hot.

ground being either to the output jack's outer ring, or the wire to the inside of the guitar connected to the bridge. hot is the volume pot's lug.

 

[JRCorp]

Re: Coil splitting...

Thanks a lot, that's a big help. I'm guessing that to use the push/pulls as volume knobs, I just need to literally move those wires over? I don't know, I'll have to look at some diagrams and try to figure it out some. I probably could draw one out if I wanted to, I just want to be in the comfort zone of using something as pretty as one off the SD site.

Just one thing - In looking at the color codes diagram, I see that B&W are North, R&G are South. In this diagram, North is also slug, South adjustable. Is this always true? I'm just double-checking before I draw something up and get to work. What I am getting at is that when the pickups are in the guitar, the adjustable is to the outside. So going by the diagram there, it'd be from top to bottom (on guitar): Neck: South North, Bridge: North South. Right?

 

[JRCorp]

Re: Coil splitting...

So I did it up again today, and the main problem is that the knobs are all backwards again. This time, I did it forwards as far as I could tell, too. Maybe I'll just swap the wires around on the pots, when I get the time and feel up to it. I just want to play for now, 'cause it sounds great.

 

[JRCorp]

Re: Coil splitting...

Thanks, Hermetico. I had suspected as much, and just hoped it'd be that easy. For now, the guitar sounds good, and most importantly, it works. So I'm going to take a break with working on it and play a bit. I have a pretty easy schedule at work this week, so with Tues and Weds off, I think I might go at it then.

I also made the mistake of wiring the push/pull switches backwards. This also isn't a big deal, and I'll fix this too.

Give you an update soon. The way this is going, I want to buy replacement parts bit by bit and really fix this guitar up.