Grounding problems with Single coils B+N in Series

[WhoGivesAPluck]

Every diagram I've seen thus far explains that to put two single coils in series, you tie the ground from one, to the hot from the other, and that creates the series, So on a push pull pot when pushed it adds the ground from the bridge to the hot from the neck, but it's not grounded now...and it sounds like crap :/ Any ideas?

 

[jeremy]

Re: Grounding problems with Single coils B+N in Series

seems like you probably wired something wrong. ive wired two singles in series before and the non-series tones didn't change at all

 

[WhoGivesAPluck]

Re: Grounding problems with Single coils B+N in Series

So if the ground wire from the bridge is tied into the hot from the neck, then what grounds them? the circuit doesnt need a ground?

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Grounding problems with Single coils B+N in Series

The ground wire from the neck pup grounds both of them when in series.

 

[uOpt]

Re: Grounding problems with Single coils B+N in Series

Every diagram I've seen thus far explains that to put two single coils in series, you tie the ground from one, to the hot from the other, and that creates the series, So on a push pull pot when pushed it adds the ground from the bridge to the hot from the neck, but it's not grounded now...and it sounds like crap :/ Any ideas?

No, you cannot have ground wires involved in in-series.

You can only put pickups in-series if they have a ground/shield/mass separate from both ends of the coil wires. Fender Strat single coils work since they have no ground/mass and no shielded wire. 3-conductor (2+shield) work. 2-conductor as in shield plus 1 wire do not work for in-series without separating out the wires.

So, what wires are you looking at there? You didn't say what kind of pickups are involved, but you say "ground" so it probably is something with a shielded wire.


ETA: none of this has to do with bucking hum.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Grounding problems with Single coils B+N in Series

Well, let's clarify...

If you've got the hot wires of both pups going to the switch, in order to make the B and N pups in series you have to disconnect the hot wire of the neck pup from the switch and disconnect the ground wire of the bridge pup from ground and connect them together. This gives you ground>neck pup>hot wire(N)>ground wire(B)>bridge pup>hot wire(B)>switch.

But to get true humbucking you should connect both hot wires and the Bridge ground wire then becomes the hot to the switch.

 

[WhoGivesAPluck]

Re: Grounding problems with Single coils B+N in Series

Thanks everyone for the help, the pickups are out of a american 57 reissue, I don't think I fully understood the series/parallel wiring when I did it, and had an extra wire in there somewhere, last night I spent some time looking at diagrams and when I rewired it sounds Soooo good The problem I was having I THINK was on the push pull I
had H & G on the two bottom lugs, and a volume wire in the wrong spot, where now I have a H & G, both on one side, middle and top, Where now I know it could actually work quite a few ways...H & G on the two middle lugs with the two top/ bottom ones tied together, I just had to spend some time trying to understand HOW it worked, then the rest fell into place, Thanks again! everyone who helped me in this one!

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Grounding problems with Single coils B+N in Series

You're welcome.

Congrats on getting it figured out. Understanding HOW things work is 95% of the solution.