help with unique pickup configuration?

[seavote101]

Hello, I’m new to the forum but I have wired and rewired guitars of mine in the past. I’m having trouble finding a wiring diagram for the pickup/control configuration I want and was hoping I could find an answer here.
I have a 2 pickup tele with a 3-way switch. I would like 2 volume controls and the switch to allow neck/both/bridge configurations. I cannot find this configuration on the web, and it is not an option in the drop-down windows on the Seymour Duncan site.
With my limited electronics knowledge I’ve hooked up a wiring scheme that works for this configuration, but the pickup volumes are not working independently. For example, if I turn the volume of one pickup down the volume of the combined signal goes down. Is there a way to get the pickup volumes to work independently? Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!!
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[beaubrummels]

Welcome to the forum

Individual pickup volumes come between the pickup and the switch. Master volumes come between the switch and the output jack. Just look at a Gibson two volume diagram for the volumes part.

 

[freefrog]

Hello,

As implied by Beau', what you need is to follow LP wiring diagrams with independant volume controls.

To put it simply, you just have to swap output and "hot" input lugs on both volume controls: connect the hot wire of each pickup to the center lug of its volume pot. Connect the outer lug of each volume pot to the switch (at the opposite of the lug soldered to ground, of course). You'll then be able to mute each pickup with its volume control without muting the other pickup in center position.

Explanation there: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLDOUzDwhfg

FWIW. HTH.

 

[crguti]

I have a 2 pickup tele with a 3-way switch. I would like 2 volume controls and the switch to allow neck/both/bridge configurations. I cannot find this configuration on the web, and it is not an option in the drop-down windows on the Seymour Duncan site.

:scratchch

 

[crguti]

btw, it's normal that in that configuration, in the middle position if 1 volume goes down the other pickup also goes down.

 

[freefrog]

btw, it's normal that in that configuration, in the middle position if 1 volume goes down the other pickup also goes down.

Yes. Reason why I've provided a solution in post 3, FWIW.

 

[Chistopher]

Hello,

As implied by Beau', what you need is to follow LP wiring diagrams with independant volume controls.

To put it simply, you just have to swap output and "hot" input lugs on both volume controls: connect the hot wire of each pickup to the center lug of its volume pot. Connect the outer lug of each volume pot to the switch (at the opposite of the lug soldered to ground, of course). You'll then be able to mute each pickup with its volume control without muting the other pickup in center position.

Explanation there: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLDOUzDwhfg

FWIW. HTH.

The ol' variable resistor trick. I would assume the way pot value effects treble roll off as the volume is turned down would behave quite differently in this configuration.

 

[freefrog]

The ol' variable resistor trick. I would assume the way pot value effects treble roll off as the volume is turned down would behave quite differently in this configuration.

Agreed. But it does what seavote101 wanted.

I'll try to share some 5spice sim of both circuits when time will permit.

When I was young (IOW: a terribly long time ago), I had wired the master volume pot of my first home made Strat like that. I didn't realize my error before to open the guitar because it seemed to require a treble bleed cap.

 

[seavote101]

Thanks for all the help. I’ll use the hookup diagram but I will also read the linked pages so I can understand the circuit. I always run my tone on 10 so I was thinking I might find this configuration more useful. Thanks again

 

[Artie]

I came up with a solution to the "passive mixer" problem, some time back, but nobody does it but me. It's unconventional and the pot, (dual 1Meg), can be hard to find. The only one I've found is from Alpha. On "10", it's electrically identical to a 500k on "10." For 250k pots, you'd use a dual 500k pot. As you roll the volume down, the "load" actually increases to 1 meg, negating the need for a treble bleed. (Or 500k in the dual 500k pot for singles.)

 

[Artie]

One of the cool things about this mod, it doesn't matter which lug you use for input or output. The control is symmetrical, so clockwise is always "up" and CCW is always "down", regardless of which lug you use. Makes it nice when wiring deep in an LP cavity.