H/S/H vs. H/H. Also some general neophyte questions

[chart72]

Hey, so my dad and I are building a guitar (our first) and are about 70% done with the woodworking. I already have the hot rodded humbucker set with the sh-4 and sh-2n models. The original plan was to have H/H, 3 way switch, 3 dual concentric pots. One for volume on each pickup, one for tone on each pickup, and one for the black ice distortion mod for each pickup. Today while I was not paying attention in school I realized that I could also do a H/S/H configuration, 5 way switch, and a dual concentric for vol/tone on each pickup, and have the black ice on the single. if the single went through no volume or tone pots, it would always be @ 10, right? I was thinking that If I wanted to add distortion to the humbuckers I could just do a front/middle or middle, or back/middle combo and have the distortion turned up on the single coil. Would that work? And if I wanted to control the tone or volume on the middle pickup, then I can just put it in a combo position (Is there a name for that?). So my main questions are: What are the advantages of a H/S/H config.? Are there any reasons to leave it as H/H? Would my idea even work?
I also have a few more unrelated questions.
1. Does there have to be a cap on the vol. pot?
2.My guitar is going to be entirely maple (My dad bought the wood as an xmas present, not my choice). Will this sound terrible/way too bright?
3.We're doing a bolt on neck, and we have the classic gotoh bridge and tailpiece found on most Gibsons. What's the deal with the neck angle? Do I need one?
4. Has anyone tried the black ice mod? How does it sound? Any recommendations for relatively cheap other on-board distortion?
Anyways, any help would be appreciated.
Thanks!

 

[Grandturk]

Re: H/S/H vs. H/H. Also some general neophyte questions

The biggest advantage of the H-S-H setup is setting up the notch - 2 & 4 - positions on the 5 ways switch to split the coils of the neck and bridge humbuckers and combine them with the middle single. This gives you the classic strat cluck sounds in the notch positions - think Little Wing & Sultans of Swing. Ibanez's H-S-H setups have this down pat.

As for your own build - I'm a less is more player - give me 1 volume and maybe a tone control (maybe - I rarely use it).

 

[Grandturk]

Re: H/S/H vs. H/H. Also some general neophyte questions

1. Does there have to be a cap on the vol. pot?
2.My guitar is going to be entirely maple (My dad bought the wood as an xmas present, not my choice). Will this sound terrible/way too bright?
3.We're doing a bolt on neck, and we have the classic gotoh bridge and tailpiece found on most Gibsons. What's the deal with the neck angle? Do I need one?
4. I Had one more question, but I forgot it...

1 - no. The only time you might want to use a resister on the volume pot is as a so called "treble bleed" which keeps the sound bright while you turn down the volume.

2 - Minimally, and nothing that can't be dialed out on the amp.

3 - Yes - you will need to angle the neck if you're using a TOM bridge.

 

[chart72]

Re: H/S/H vs. H/H. Also some general neophyte questions

Okay, so you're saying that if I don't use it to split coils, its not really doing anything worth our trouble? And as for the setup of the pots, I really am just doing this to try it all out. Worst comes to worst, I just don't use 'em.

edit: just saw your second post. Thanks for the help!

 

[Grandturk]

Re: H/S/H vs. H/H. Also some general neophyte questions

Also - sometime H-S-H just looks cool. I've got two strats now that are H-S-H with a 3-way switch and I never use the middle single.

 

[chart72]

Re: H/S/H vs. H/H. Also some general neophyte questions

cool. I think ive decided just to do h/h, but has anyone used the black ice mod before? I couldnt find anyone that used it that gave a good descriptions.

 

[Diego]

Re: H/S/H vs. H/H. Also some general neophyte questions

If I was really set on having cleaner sounds with two humbuckers, I'd just add a push pull pot and use them in parallel/coil split.
HSH looks too crammed, and no need to carve out extra wood.

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: H/S/H vs. H/H. Also some general neophyte questions

cool. I think ive decided just to do h/h, but has anyone used the black ice mod before? I couldnt find anyone that used it that gave a good descriptions.

do you mean this?

here is the sound bite of someone playing one

http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.php?showtopic=41354&hl=schottky+diode

 

[dr. ad]

Re: H/S/H vs. H/H. Also some general neophyte questions

you can rout the body for a recessed TOM and have the strings go through the body instead of into the tailpiece, this would prevent you needing to angle the neck and may make for a simpler build. check out the warmoth site for illustrations

 

[chart72]

Re: H/S/H vs. H/H. Also some general neophyte questions

here is the sound bite of someone playing one

http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.php?showtopic=41354&hl=schottky+diode

Ewwww. I need either a better alternative or just to forget that altogether. I read something about paralell clipping on these forums, is that something that can be changed by using diodes instead of stewmac's version? If so, would it make a difference?

you can rout the body for a recessed TOM and have the strings go through the body instead of into the tailpiece, this would prevent you needing to angle the neck and may make for a simpler build. check out the warmoth site for illustrations

Excuse my ignorance, but what's a TOM? Do you mean install a trem system? We already have the other bridge and tailpiece, and we are trying not to waste too much money. If you don't mean that, are you talking about the guitars where it's a hardtail, but the strings come up thru ferrules instead of thru a tailpiece? How would that change the need for a neck angle?

 

[Grandturk]

Re: H/S/H vs. H/H. Also some general neophyte questions

Ewwww. I need either a better alternative or just to forget that altogether. I read something about paralell clipping on these forums, is that something that can be changed by using diodes instead of stewmac's version? If so, would it make a difference?

My recommendation - forget any onboard gadgets. If you legitimately want a preamp, look into decent active preamps such as offered by EMG and various other companies. Remember, if it doesn't use a battery, anything you add into your signal bath is only capable of cutting, not adding to your signal. In general - you should want the cleanest signal path possible coming out of the guitar.

Use your amp and pedals to get funky.

Excuse my ignorance, but what's a TOM? Do you mean install a trem system? We already have the other bridge and tailpiece, and we are trying not to waste too much money. If you don't mean that, are you talking about the guitars where it's a hardtail, but the strings come up thru ferrules instead of thru a tailpiece? How would that change the need for a neck angle?

TOM = Tune-O-Matic. The Gibson style bridge/tailpiece setup. There's two kinds the ABR-1 and the true TOM. The ABR-1 was first and has a retaining wire to keep the saddles from falling out. The TOM was introduced about 20 years after the ABR-1. Both work about the same way.

 

[chart72]

Re: H/S/H vs. H/H. Also some general neophyte questions

Any opinions on the artec QDD2? It sounded pretty good to me, but i want it in concentric form, if possible. Also, what about the modboards from guitarfetish? Those looked pretty nice.

Grandturk- Thanks for the clarification. So the idea is to recess the bridge, and use the string ferrules?

 

[chart72]

Re: H/S/H vs. H/H. Also some general neophyte questions

also, what about an emg afterburner? a little more expensive than i was hoping, but it looked pretty good.