Could You help?: 3 pickup /3 volume / 3 switch / no tonepots

[samu]

Hello,

I recently got a nice Charvel Model 4 '91. Preamp is dead (it was readily bypassed), and original Jacksons tend to sound (to me) a bit "cardboardish" in mere passive mode. The guitar itself is great and plays really well. I am going to replace the pickups with a set of Duncans providing a bit more beef in the midrange.

I have actually never had real use for tonepots, then again I have found it most useful to have individual volume controls for each pickup. Also (in my mind at the moment), I would think there would be use for individual on/off switches for each pickup, for blending pickup tones, or using one pickup at the time. Well, anyway, those readily available holes in Charvel Model 4 body would at least support the idea.

However, after reading this discussion thread, it made me think that it is not that easy as it would sound like at first.

I humbly admit I have no talent in figuring this out by myself. I am good at following instructions, but that's about it for me with these issues.

Could You guys help me out here?

Samu

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Could You help?: 3 pickup /3 volume / 3 switch / no tonepots

Welcome to the forum.

The Model 4 control layout presents numerous possibilities, including replacing the original on/off pockup switches with on/off/on switches to allow additional ways to connect the three pickups.

You have to decide what you need from the instrument before you finalise your circuit.

 

[samu]

Re: Could You help?: 3 pickup /3 volume / 3 switch / no tonepots

Thanks for Your kind welcome.

I would like to connect those pickups through their respective volumepots and on-off switches. That way I could pre-set the volumes and work with switches only. That's basically the main thing I was after.

It sounds simple, however if connected straight like in that TDPRI thread, turning one pickup off would also turn the whole thing off (or that's how I understand it here).

I wonder would it be possible to work around it with some special switch wiring?

For some reason I have not yet spotted this kind of wiring anywhere.

Samu

 

[ericmeyer4]

Re: Could You help?: 3 pickup /3 volume / 3 switch / no tonepots

Your wiring can be done easy enough. Here is a similar one from the SD's schematic section. It is set up for 3 pickups with on/off switch and a master volume control. http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=3s_1v_3on-offswitches

This diagram can be modified easily enough. Follow the same way SD has the switches wired, but disregard the master volume control. Also, connect the hot wire from your pickup to the first pot lug and a wire from the middle lug to the switch. Repeat for pickups 2 and 3.

Basically you will combine this diagram http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=1hum_1vol and the one I listed above.

I attached a quick mockup. Remember you will need to ground all of the pots and I did not show the connections for those.

 

[samu]

Re: Could You help?: 3 pickup /3 volume / 3 switch / no tonepots

Hey, Thank You for Your most kind Contribution!

I will try this out, and I will report how it worked out.


*****

A bit off-topic, but still. I am absolutely not trolling here, however I have to say this:

I spotted some time ago a couple of wiring diagrams labelled according to my wishes. They were (and still are) available on the website of certain other major guitar pickup manufacturer. These labels pointed (and are still pointing) to pdf-files containing the actual wiring schematics.

In their Wiring Diagrams section for "3 pickup guitar" => "3 Humbucker" => "3 DPDT", there are two wiring diagrams labelled according to 3 pickups / 3 volumes / 3 DPDTs / no Tone. Just what I was looking for. Great!

However if you open the actual files for diagrams, it seems to be that the contents do not quite match the preceding labelling. Well, my hopes were shot down pretty effectively indeed. Damn.


Seymour Duncan has shown for me both quality and consistency in every field of their art, including documentation and support. Now it includes this forum as well.

Thank you.

Samu

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: Could You help?: 3 pickup /3 volume / 3 switch / no tonepots

There's still a couple of Duncan diagrams out there that are like that as well. But I'm not tellin' which ones

And yeah, Jackson's in-house pickups were mostly designed around whatever circuits they were to be paired with (the Gain boost or the mid-sweep, usually) and alone they just don't have any power to speak of.


And as Funk said, you can get on-on-on switches so you can select the splits of each pickup in almost any combination.

 

[samu]

Re: Could You help?: 3 pickup /3 volume / 3 switch / no tonepots

There's still a couple of Duncan diagrams out there that are like that as well. But I'm not tellin' which ones

Well until next time then.

And yeah, Jackson's in-house pickups were mostly designed around whatever circuits they were to be paired with (the Gain boost or the mid-sweep, usually) and alone they just don't have any power to speak of.

I agree with you here. Even my old .22 Boogie and Fender Champ did not respond with them (I have tubeamps only). They indeed sound a bit thinnish.

*****

I once had an Ibanez Roadstar 1300T, the black Gary Moore model. Fantastic archtop guitar, excellent playability, and factory-equipped with the crappiest splitcoil humbuckers ever. I honestly can't tell what went through their minds in the factory.

I finally sold it, and I have been regretting the decision ever since. Back then, I simply was not aware of all these available options, not to mention the fact that the idea of "replacing the pickups with new ones on my own" was completely beyond my recognition. Oh well.

Samu