HSH Wiring query

[ak301]

Hi all,

Long time lurker, first time poster.

I've just put together an ash bodied partscaster and am after improving the wiring on it.

I got the scratchplate pre-wired off of eBay with three Bare Knuckle Pickups. Specifically a Mule hum in the bridge, a Mother Milk SC, and an Emerald in the Neck
Instead of tone pots it has two push/pulls that appear to split the coil and blend in the other coil when pulled out. It's nice but doesn't really work for me.
I have a HH Strat and a HSS Strat that both have some features I'd like to incorporate into this new guitar.

The HH has coil taps on the tone pots and the HSS a series/parallel on the lower tone pot, which I use a lot.

I'd also like to be able to switch the middle SC in and out so I can go dual humbucker or dual coil tap, etc.

I've done quite a bit of research on the various options and threads online, and found one on here where a HSH Strat had been wired on a 3x way switch with coil taps on the two tones.

So, what I would like is as follows:

• Bridge wired to the lower tone pot - Which coil taps on a push/push
• Middle and Neck wired to the middle tone - Which coil taps on a push/push
• Volume with a treble bleed - This also as a push/push on the bridge as a series/parallel
• Something to switch the middle pickup in and out - I was thinking something subtle like Gilmour has on his Black Strat, a little button near the pickup selector, to add in the neck pickup.

I had thought about using an S1 switch. But the scratchplate came with the sort of knobs you find on a Jackson, Charvel, Suhr, which I find I really like on this guitar, so want to keep them.
It'd be great if there was something similar out there as I'd like to keep the guitar looking as 'normal' as possible whilst having plenty of useful options, as the guitar's come out way better than I'd hoped and is really playable. So I want to get the electrics optimised.

So, are my ideas feasible, and would someone kindly put together a wiring diagram?

Regards
Tony

 

[orpheo]

Re: HSH Wiring query

you can have almost all of that, except for the series/parallel. you can't have a split under 1 push pull and series/parallel under the other. not really, anyway. besides, it doesn't really do that much tonally, compared to a series/split option.

as for the added middle single via an extra switch.

Why not opt for a 6 way blade switch. They're readily available (posted about that some weeks ago). I'd go that route and have 1 push pull pot for the neck and bridge simultaneously.

if you're hell bent on having a parallel setting to, just use this diagram:

Just the push pull sections, of course. The rest is a matter of rearranging the controls. that way you can have the splits, series AND parallel and as an added bonus you get the other coil too, if you want it to. for both humbuckers.

a treble bleed is easy too.

 

[ak301]

Re: HSH Wiring query

Thanks for the response.

Revising my options then, how's about this:
Bottom tone control wired to the bridge pick up as a push/push with series/parallel
Middle tone as a master tone for neck and middle on a push/push which splits the neck
Volume with a treble bleed as a push/pull which brings the middle coil in/out

Is that feasible?

 

[ak301]

Re: HSH Wiring query

you can have almost all of that, except for the series/parallel. you can't have a split under 1 push pull and series/parallel under the other. not really, anyway. besides, it doesn't really do that much tonally, compared to a series/split option.

as for the added middle single via an extra switch.

Why not opt for a 6 way blade switch. They're readily available (posted about that some weeks ago). I'd go that route and have 1 push pull pot for the neck and bridge simultaneously.

if you're hell bent on having a parallel setting to, just use this diagram:

Just the push pull sections, of course. The rest is a matter of rearranging the controls. that way you can have the splits, series AND parallel and as an added bonus you get the other coil too, if you want it to. for both humbuckers.

a treble bleed is easy too.

I've re-read this and you've got me thinking about incorporating this.

 

[orpheo]

Re: HSH Wiring query

I got an idea that's even smarter.

My issue with all of those wishes is that you're likely to end up using none of the options because it involves push pull pots to engage the desired tones. Those things when pulled are notoriously wiggly and you just won't get a solid feel under your finger tips. So...

I would use this instead:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/4P4T-4-Pol...e:g:JMgAAOSwNDhbzXOI:rk:3:pf:1&frcectupt=true

a 4 pole 4 position switch.


LOL I had to think for like 5 minutes 'why the heck do I even want a 4 pole 4 position rotary again?'. But now I remember. because of this schematic:

The idea is that you use 2 poles (with 4 positions) for the neck hum and the other 2 for the bridge. You have 4 coils to run instead of 2 as shown here, hence the 4 poles. Easy peasy.

so.... I'd do this to be as versatile as possible.

master volume with treble bleed
4 position rotary to get your left coil,right coil, series, parallel options
master tone (perhaps even the Fender TBX to up the ante in terms of tone and versatility)

6 position blade switch so I get the lone middle single too.

ALL without having to retort to the notoriously wiggly and unreliable push pull pots.

 

[orpheo]

Re: HSH Wiring query

Some background to my thinking here.

I prefer to think of all those options as tonal presets. I want a reliable system that gives me the presets: inner coils, outer coils, parallel, series, whatever. Having to use a push pull pot just makes it cumbersom.

If you need me to really make a drawing out of it, lemme know. [BadJoke]My hourly rate is approximately 1 bottle of Laphroiag 10 year old scotch [/BadJoke]

 

[ak301]

Re: HSH Wiring query

I got an idea that's even smarter.

My issue with all of those wishes is that you're likely to end up using none of the options because it involves push pull pots to engage the desired tones. Those things when pulled are notoriously wiggly and you just won't get a solid feel under your finger tips. So...

I would use this instead:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/4P4T-4-Pol...e:g:JMgAAOSwNDhbzXOI:rk:3:pf:1&frcectupt=true

a 4 pole 4 position switch.


LOL I had to think for like 5 minutes 'why the heck do I even want a 4 pole 4 position rotary again?'. But now I remember. because of this schematic:

The idea is that you use 2 poles (with 4 positions) for the neck hum and the other 2 for the bridge. You have 4 coils to run instead of 2 as shown here, hence the 4 poles. Easy peasy.

so.... I'd do this to be as versatile as possible.

master volume with treble bleed
4 position rotary to get your left coil,right coil, series, parallel options
master tone (perhaps even the Fender TBX to up the ante in terms of tone and versatility)

6 position blade switch so I get the lone middle single too.

ALL without having to retort to the notoriously wiggly and unreliable push pull pots.

That's potentially awesome!

So, would I used this instead of the pickup selector?

I can see the advantages of using the rotary switch

 

[orpheo]

Re: HSH Wiring query

No. The 4 way rotary is Only for the series/parallel/left coil/right coil. I listed the controls literally above. Now below, with a slight typographical modification.

Pot position 1: master volume with treble bleed

Pot position 2: 4 position rotary to get your left coil,right coil, series, parallel options

Pot position 3. master tone (perhaps even the Fender TBX to up the ante in terms of tone and versatility)

Pickup selector switch blade : 6 position blade switch so I get the lone middle single too.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: HSH Wiring query

Hi all,

Long time lurker, first time poster.

I've just put together an ash bodied partscaster and am after improving the wiring on it.

I got the scratchplate pre-wired off of eBay with three Bare Knuckle Pickups. Specifically a Mule hum in the bridge, a Mother Milk SC, and an Emerald in the Neck
Instead of tone pots it has two push/pulls that appear to split the coil and blend in the other coil when pulled out. It's nice but doesn't really work for me.
I have a HH Strat and a HSS Strat that both have some features I'd like to incorporate into this new guitar.

The HH has coil taps on the tone pots and the HSS a series/parallel on the lower tone pot, which I use a lot.

I'd also like to be able to switch the middle SC in and out so I can go dual humbucker or dual coil tap, etc.

I've done quite a bit of research on the various options and threads online, and found one on here where a HSH Strat had been wired on a 3x way switch with coil taps on the two tones.

So, what I would like is as follows:

• Bridge wired to the lower tone pot - Which coil taps on a push/push
• Middle and Neck wired to the middle tone - Which coil taps on a push/push
• Volume with a treble bleed - This also as a push/push on the bridge as a series/parallel
• Something to switch the middle pickup in and out - I was thinking something subtle like Gilmour has on his Black Strat, a little button near the pickup selector, to add in the neck pickup.

I had thought about using an S1 switch. But the scratchplate came with the sort of knobs you find on a Jackson, Charvel, Suhr, which I find I really like on this guitar, so want to keep them.
It'd be great if there was something similar out there as I'd like to keep the guitar looking as 'normal' as possible whilst having plenty of useful options, as the guitar's come out way better than I'd hoped and is really playable. So I want to get the electrics optimised.

So, are my ideas feasible, and would someone kindly put together a wiring diagram?

Regards
Tony

First of all, welcome as a new poster to the forum.

It's not "coil tap"...it's "SPLIT". There is a vast difference between the two.

If you can't understand the terminology, how can you expect to understand the complexities of wiring?

Sorry for the rant, but this is a pet peeve of mine. Too many people misuse this term.

 

[ak301]

Re: HSH Wiring query

Would the following be easier to put together:

Bridge - Wired to lower tone knob. Push/push switch with series/parallel (parallel on the up)
Middle - Wired to middle tone knob for tone control
Neck - Also wired to middle tone knob for tone control - This is also a push/push which SPLITS the neck humbucker in the up position
Volume pot - Push/pull, when pulled out engages the neck, ala Gilmour mod, with a treble bleed

Is that possible, as it seems to cover everything I'm after