HSH Strat wiring switching advice

I

Inkvizitor

New member
Hi guys

If you would be so kind to help me out here, I would really appreciate it.

I have the following:

1 x Dimarzio Super Distortion

1 x Dimarzio PAF Pro

1 x Regular SC Middle pickup (I've been looking for a used Dimarzio Velvet or SD SSL, advice on specific pickup for this combo is also appreciated!)

I also have a Fender Super Switch

Should I

a) Get 3 500k push pulls?

b) A 500k S-1 switch and 2 500k push pulls?

c) Should I throw in one 250k tone pot for the middle or go for 500k on all three?

What will give me the most possible combinations without other unsightly switches on my strat? It's an ash body/rosewood neck deluxe.

I'm not much into blenders by the way, but maybe they are an option too?

Please help my head is about to explode. I need to get this guitar finished! Argh.
 
Re: HSH Strat wiring switching advice

what would you like to get out of the guitar?

the buckers want 500k pots but most single coils sound better with 250k, it might be harsh and very bright with 500k
 
Re: HSH Strat wiring switching advice

In short I'd like as many pickup combinations as possible. I understand an S-1 and Super Switch will give me ten combinations. I was wondering if I could add to that with two push pulls. I don't know much about how the S-1 and Super Switch interconnect, only the basic working of the two so I'm in the dark regarding the possibilities of using the push pulls.

I'm wondering if it is worth the trouble to go all the way. It would be much easier if there was something like a triple shot pickguard for strats (now there's an idea for SD!). I'm not aberse to the idea of going the mini toggle route either actually to get the most out of this.

I'd also like a middle pickup that will quack well with these humbuckers. I don't know how position two on a MIM hss standard strat is wired but I definitely need that sound as well!
 
Re: HSH Strat wiring switching advice

The S-1 switch is basically a 4pDt switch so it has 4 individual swithes in it which all switch at the same time. A push/pull has 2 individual switches. So when you push the S-1 switch it does 4 things at once and when you pull the push/pull it does 2 things at once.

Perhaps you want to do Master Tone (500k) SingleCoil Volume (250k) and Volume for the Humbuckers (500k). Now the pots should be optimized for each pickup, unless you want to go with Master Volume and tones, then I'd go with 500k pots (all three) but 250k volume (and 500k tones) should work just fine, just a little warmer rounder sound from the hum's.

With a 5-way super-switch you can get pretty involved wirings and combined even with the S-1 switch you can go crazy with options on what to do and if you add two push/pull's, well... Then the guy who makes the wiring will go crazy.

Honestly, you probably don't need most of those pickup combinations. I have 3 humbucker Les Paul with 3 Triple Shot's and 4 push/pull's. I can get 190 different combinations out of it. I can't tell the difference between most of them. It has probably 6 or 7 "different" sounds and the others just sound like one of those.

But if you really want all the combinations you can get, I'd go with bridge/bridge&middle/middle/middle&neck/neck with the 5-way the with two push/pull's you could get the humbuckers in series, parallel or either coil indiviually but with this switching bot humbuckers would be in the same condition, meaning if neck hum is in parallel then the bridge hum is in parallel so you don't get them individually to do those thing just at the same time. Then with the S-1 switch you could do some sort of phase switching.

The possibilities are almost endless with those switches. I hope this gave some help to decide:)
 
Re: HSH Strat wiring switching advice

I'm working on a drawing that has these options:

S-1 Up:

1. Bridge Inside Coil
2. Middle & Bridge Inside Coil
3. Middle
4. Middle & Neck Outside Coil
5. Neck Ouside Coil

S-1 Down:

1. Bridge Humbucker
2. Bridge Humbucker & Neck Outside Coil
3. Neck & Bridge Humbuckers
4. Neck Humbucker & Bridge Inside Coil
5. Neck Humbucker

It's like Strat wiring with the S-1 up and like modern PRS wiring with the S-1 down.

It may be tomorrow before it's done.
 
Re: HSH Strat wiring switching advice

Zhaggy said:
Then the guy who makes the wiring will go crazy.
Click to expand...

That idiot will most probably be me :lmao:


Zhaggy said:
Honestly, you probably don't need most of those pickup combinations. I have 3 humbucker Les Paul with 3 Triple Shot's and 4 push/pull's. I can get 190 different combinations out of it. I can't tell the difference between most of them. It has probably 6 or 7 "different" sounds and the others just sound like one of those.
Click to expand...

That's what I believe to be the case as well. I would like to get the most out of it but I understand it may be more trouble than it is worth. Still I'd like some quack, and maybe some out of phase sounds.

Zhaggy said:
But if you really want all the combinations you can get, I'd go with bridge/bridge&middle/middle/middle&neck/neck with the 5-way the with two push/pull's you could get the humbuckers in series, parallel or either coil indiviually but with this switching bot humbuckers would be in the same condition, meaning if neck hum is in parallel then the bridge hum is in parallel so you don't get them individually to do those thing just at the same time. Then with the S-1 switch you could do some sort of phase switching.
Click to expand...

Yeah that's kind of the thing I was wondering, whether global push pulls are doable on an HSH setup w/s-1. The practicality and elegance of the S-1 and super 5 way has a clear advantage though, the push pulls seem like an equation with far too many unknowns.

Zhaggy said:
The possibilities are almost endless with those switches. I hope this gave some help to decide:)
Click to expand...

Thank you Zhaggy it sure proved some of my hopes (and fears) right :lmao:

I've done the 2 p-rails/2 triple shots/parallel push pull/phase push pull thing to another guitar, and it was relatively easy and got everything I could out of a 2 humbucker guitar. Well, most of it does sound kinda similar but there's this devil inside you telling you to squeeze all you can out of a setup. I'm sure you know conisdering that LP you have :D
 
Re: HSH Strat wiring switching advice

Phostenix said:
I'm working on a drawing that has these options:

S-1 Up:

1. Bridge Inside Coil
2. Middle & Bridge Inside Coil
3. Middle
4. Middle & Neck Outside Coil
5. Neck Ouside Coil

S-1 Down:

1. Bridge Humbucker
2. Bridge Humbucker & Neck Outside Coil
3. Neck & Bridge Humbuckers
4. Neck Humbucker & Bridge Inside Coil
5. Neck Humbucker

It's like Strat wiring with the S-1 up and like modern PRS wiring with the S-1 down.

It may be tomorrow before it's done.
Click to expand...

I'd dearly love to see that diagram good sir :yourock:
 
Re: HSH Strat wiring switching advice

I'm making 2 versions of the drawing. I realized that another obvious setup would be to have the humbucker mode like this:

S-1 Down:

1. Bridge Humbucker
2. Bridge Humbucker & Middle
3. Neck & Bridge Humbuckers
4. Neck Humbucker & Middle
5. Neck Humbucker


I'll have 2 versions of each of these setups - 1 with your pickups and one with SD colors.

I will also then add my modified TBX tone control setup to each. That gives you treble cut, no load, and bass cut with one knob. It worls great with humbuckers.

I should have all of that later today.
 
Re: HSH Strat wiring switching advice

Inkvizitor said:
I've done the 2 p-rails/2 triple shots/parallel push pull/phase push pull thing to another guitar, and it was relatively easy and got everything I could out of a 2 humbucker guitar.
Click to expand...

Here's a setup I did recently on a Peavey with 2 P-Rails.

https://sites.google.com/site/phostenixwiringdiagrams/5-way-shoop#expprailshoop

That guitar will get Triple Shots and a Ghost system next. I'll probably miss the simplicity of the rotary switch (I have TS rings on another guitar), but I need to add another (dual) volume for the Ghost system and don't want another hole in the top. :)


The website is still under construction, but there are lots more drawings on that site. Feel free to look around. I hope to have demo videos & pictures of many of the setups eventually.
 
Re: HSH Strat wiring switching advice

I've uploaded a bunch of drawings to my library. I haven't put titles or text to any of it, but the drawings are there. I will add the text in the next few days

https://sites.google.com/site/phostenixwiringdiagrams/hsh-guitars


After double-checking, I see that modern PRS switching is a little different than I rememberd. I like what they're doing. If I had to choose only one of the humbucker & single coil combos, I would also have taken the Bridge humbucker with the Neck single coil. Then, they made Position 4 single coils in parallel. They don't say which single coils they chose, but I'm going to stay with my preferred Neck outside coil & Bridge inside coil.

So, now I have 3 different versions of this idea. Then, I made drawings of those 3 versions with Seymour Duncan humbucker colors and drawings of the 3 versions using DiMarzio colors.

Then, I took one of the drawings and added my modified TBX Tone Control to it (I didn't feel like making 6 more drawings :) ). The pickup wires don't change with the added TBX tone, so it should be pretty easy for someone to adapt any of the drawings if they want to try the TBX mod.
 
Last edited:
Re: HSH Strat wiring switching advice

Oh, and the 500K resistor on the S-1 is optional. I put that in so that if the Middle pickup is too bright with the 500K volume pot, that 500K resistor will parallel it to ground in Position 3 with the S-1 up (the only time the Middle pickup is on by itseslf).
 
Re: HSH Strat wiring switching advice

Phostenix, you are a wiring GOD among men.

I was thinking of Fender's TBX and no-load a lot. Particularly after learning how Iommi has his guitars wired. Thank you to no end sir!
 
Re: HSH Strat wiring switching advice

Inkvizitor said:
Phostenix, you are a wiring GOD among men.

I was thinking of Fender's TBX and no-load a lot. Particularly after learning how Iommi has his guitars wired. Thank you to no end sir!
Click to expand...

I'm not familiar with how Iommi has the TBX setup. I'll check into that.

I've put my TBX mod on a couple of humbucker equipped guiyars and have been very happy with the result.

There's a page on my website with full details on it.
 
Re: HSH Strat wiring switching advice

Phostenix,

I Am wondering if you can suggest how to wire in a second tone pot... Using your wiring below.."

Hsh with S1 and super switch - fat strat."..
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top