Coil tapped SSL-5 pickup using 250K Linear potentiometer as a Blend switch

[dd3keegs]

I recently purchased a SSL-5 tapped Bridge Stratocaster pickup for my 77 Fender Stratocaster. I've wired the Volume and 1st Tone pots as normal for with a 5way switch for S-S-S configuration. I've replaced the 2nd Tone potentiometer with a 250k linear pot. Just trying to confirm my wiring this pot with the SSL-5. I've soldered the Red and White to the 1st and 3rd eyelets on the pot. The 3rd wire to ground. And I wired the 2nd(middle) eyelet of the pot to the bridge position of the 5-Way switch. IDK, If this is the correct wiring to use the potentiometer as a blend for the tap from half to full? The pickup sounds a little anemic at low(as to be expected at 1/2 the ohms) and full position, when compared to the Middle(6.4ohm) and Neck(6.2ohm) pickups? I cannot find a wiring diagram for this online. Have I wired the SSL-5 correctly? It doesn't seem to bump the 2nd coil tap until 7-10 on the pot? I think the SSL-5 at full throttle should be 13.7 Ohm, but it sounds weaker than the other 2 pups. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[freefrog]

I've soldered the Red and White to the 1st and 3rd eyelets on the pot. The 3rd wire to ground. And I wired the 2nd(middle) eyelet of the pot to the bridge position of the 5-Way switch.

What I understand from your explanation is that @ 10/10, your "blend" pot puts 250k between tap wire (red) and output (white)... @ 5/10, you have 125k between red and output but also 125k between white and output. It's only @ 0/10 that you've something directly plugged to the switch without resistance interacting with the output (this "something" being the tapped section of the pickup).

As if you played your pickup through a lowered volume pot during most of the blend pot curve.

Add a jumper between lugs 2 and 3. Keep the red wire on lug 1. It should already work in a better way, with a loss of "only" 2dB @ resonance... if you want more brightness with the blender pot full up, use a 1M pot instead of your 250k.

Also: the blender having an effect only on extreme settings is normal in the situation described. A log blender or a regular tone pot including a push-pull switch for coil tapping might be a better solution.

Non limitative list. Maybe I'll come back to edit/complete this post when time will permit it.

HTH.

I edit my reply to add a few things:
1) welcome on this forum;
2) putting the white wire + output on lug 3 (10/10 position), red wire on lug 1 then the jumper between lugs 1 and 2 would reverse how the blender works but might also improve the sound of the tapped pickup, for reasons that I won't dig here (and having to do with some parasitic properties of coils + wiring);
3)I had posted a 2d answer with 5spice sims below but have mixed up some experimental data so the pics were misleading. I'll share a corrected version later if time permits (too tired and busy right now).