astrobushido
New member
Hi guys,
I do need some help in order to achieve with my guitar the sound palette I am after.
I asked my luthier to modify one of my guitars in order to have all the pick-up combinations that I want.
He bought a MegaSwitch Version M (http://guitar-parts.biz/hp485319/Megaswitches.htm) but we are unsure how will we make it work for the requirements we have.
The guitar has three pick-ups installed:
• Bridge – Wilkinson W90SKB – humbucker in P90 format featuring two stacked P90 pick-ups.
More info: The Wilkinson W90SK pickups are stacked double coils for a slightly hotter output, which can also be reverted to standard single coil pickup configuration. The W90SK is a stacked version of the W90 passive ceramic magnet unit. The stacked W90SK offers improved hum cancelling response. http://www.jhs.co.uk/wilkinson.html#picks
• Middle – Wilkinson W90M – traditional P90 single coil
• Neck – Wilkinson W90N – traditional P90 single coil
It will have a single Master Volume pot and a single Master Tone pot.
My idea is to switch pick-up wirings with a 5-way switch similar to a Strat (main switch) but also to have some secondary switch (e.g., a mini-switch or push-push pot in one of the controls – MV or MT) that would allow me to switch the bridge pick-up from its single-coil P90 configuration to its stacked humbucker mode.
Thus, the default mode of the main 5-way switch would give me the following combinations (from bridge to neck):
1. Bridge P90 single coil
2. Bridge and Middle P90 single coils – same wiring as position 2 on a Strat (the two single coils combined in a parallel wiring and electrically in phase)
3. Bridge and Neck P90 single coils – same wiring as the middle position on a Tele pick-up selector (pick-ups wired in parallel and electrically in phase)
4. Middle and Neck P90 single coils – same wiring as position 4 on a Strat (the two single coils combined in a parallel wiring and electrically in phase)
5. Neck P90 single coil
Then, with a flick of the secondary switch (mini-switch, push-push pot, etc.), the main 5–way switch would reconfigure itself to provide the exact same pick-up combinations as above, with the only difference being that the first position would convey the stacked humbucker sound of the bridge pick-up instead of the single coil sound. To be more clear, the pick-up combinations would then be (from bridge to neck):
1. Bridge stacked P90 humbucker.
a. The two coils of the humbucker shall be wired in parallel rather than in series like a regular humbucker, since this particular pick-up, in a serial humbucker configuration, is too fat for my taste.
2. Bridge and Middle P90 single coils – same wiring as position 2 on a Strat
3. Bridge and Neck P90 single coils – same wiring as the middle position on a Tele
4. Middle and Neck P90 single coils – same wiring as position 4 on a Strat
5. Neck P90 single coil
My questions are:
• Is this possible?
• How should we wire the pick-ups to the MegaSwitch Version M and to the other secondary swich in order for this to work as intended?
• What secondary switch would you recommend us to install in order for this to work? Can you recommend any switch (preferably a two-way mini-switch) suited for this secondary duty?
• If this is not possible to achieve the way I intend, what would you recommend as the closest alternative?
I am really looking forward to hear from you since we already explored a number of alternatives but can’t seem to figure out how to achieve this.
I am certain that your insight and experience will prove to be rather useful.
Thank you very much for your support and attention beforehand.
Cheers :headbang:
Vasco
I do need some help in order to achieve with my guitar the sound palette I am after.
I asked my luthier to modify one of my guitars in order to have all the pick-up combinations that I want.
He bought a MegaSwitch Version M (http://guitar-parts.biz/hp485319/Megaswitches.htm) but we are unsure how will we make it work for the requirements we have.
The guitar has three pick-ups installed:
• Bridge – Wilkinson W90SKB – humbucker in P90 format featuring two stacked P90 pick-ups.
More info: The Wilkinson W90SK pickups are stacked double coils for a slightly hotter output, which can also be reverted to standard single coil pickup configuration. The W90SK is a stacked version of the W90 passive ceramic magnet unit. The stacked W90SK offers improved hum cancelling response. http://www.jhs.co.uk/wilkinson.html#picks
• Middle – Wilkinson W90M – traditional P90 single coil
• Neck – Wilkinson W90N – traditional P90 single coil
It will have a single Master Volume pot and a single Master Tone pot.
My idea is to switch pick-up wirings with a 5-way switch similar to a Strat (main switch) but also to have some secondary switch (e.g., a mini-switch or push-push pot in one of the controls – MV or MT) that would allow me to switch the bridge pick-up from its single-coil P90 configuration to its stacked humbucker mode.
Thus, the default mode of the main 5-way switch would give me the following combinations (from bridge to neck):
1. Bridge P90 single coil
2. Bridge and Middle P90 single coils – same wiring as position 2 on a Strat (the two single coils combined in a parallel wiring and electrically in phase)
3. Bridge and Neck P90 single coils – same wiring as the middle position on a Tele pick-up selector (pick-ups wired in parallel and electrically in phase)
4. Middle and Neck P90 single coils – same wiring as position 4 on a Strat (the two single coils combined in a parallel wiring and electrically in phase)
5. Neck P90 single coil
Then, with a flick of the secondary switch (mini-switch, push-push pot, etc.), the main 5–way switch would reconfigure itself to provide the exact same pick-up combinations as above, with the only difference being that the first position would convey the stacked humbucker sound of the bridge pick-up instead of the single coil sound. To be more clear, the pick-up combinations would then be (from bridge to neck):
1. Bridge stacked P90 humbucker.
a. The two coils of the humbucker shall be wired in parallel rather than in series like a regular humbucker, since this particular pick-up, in a serial humbucker configuration, is too fat for my taste.
2. Bridge and Middle P90 single coils – same wiring as position 2 on a Strat
3. Bridge and Neck P90 single coils – same wiring as the middle position on a Tele
4. Middle and Neck P90 single coils – same wiring as position 4 on a Strat
5. Neck P90 single coil
My questions are:
• Is this possible?
• How should we wire the pick-ups to the MegaSwitch Version M and to the other secondary swich in order for this to work as intended?
• What secondary switch would you recommend us to install in order for this to work? Can you recommend any switch (preferably a two-way mini-switch) suited for this secondary duty?
• If this is not possible to achieve the way I intend, what would you recommend as the closest alternative?
I am really looking forward to hear from you since we already explored a number of alternatives but can’t seem to figure out how to achieve this.
I am certain that your insight and experience will prove to be rather useful.
Thank you very much for your support and attention beforehand.
Cheers :headbang:
Vasco
