HSS players: How do you split?

Push/pull for hotter humbuckers and auto-split off of a standard oak grigsby 5 way for PAF class pickups.
 
I like either an S1 switch in the volume knob, or to auto split. Push/pulls with Strat knobs are difficult to grab.
 
I started out fitting push-pulls thus:

Volume - add neck to bridge, and by extension enable all three pickups in parallel
Middle tone - phase invert the middle pickup
Second (bridge) tone - coil split the bridge.

My logic here was that the functions controlled by the push-pulls mimicked the order of the pickups.

After fitting push-pulls, then figuring out I for one, couldn't get a decent enough grip on Strat shaped knobs to pull on them, I switched to push-pushes.

I eventually wired my HSS strat with an auto coil split in P2, and wired the second tone pot as a blender for the neck. The push-push remains to phase flip the middle, however.

On my SSS Strat the first (middle) tone phase flips the middle and the second tone is wired as a blender as well.

On my HH Strat I wired it for two independent volumes and a master tone. I used a 5-way Superswitch to give auto coil splits in P2 and P4. So far I've left P3 as both humbuckers, both coils, in parallel. I might have a tinker and change the second tone pot to be a push-push for a series / parallel in P3. Haven't decided on that yet and haven't designed the wiring for that either, however.
 
In a HSS setup, auto-split with the middle single-coil or no split at all.
I have a HH Strat setup with a single volume control and single mini switch to split them both.
 
i almost never put a p/p for the volume knob. i use the volume all the time so dont want anything on that knob that i might accidentally flip. the first p/p always goes on the 2nd tone knob. if i want another it goes on the 1st tone knob. frequently if im doing that much switching, ill use a master volume, a on/on/on switch where the 1st tone should be, and a master p/p tone in the 2nd spot.
 
I would probably just wire the tap to the in between setting (2 or 4 - I always forget which side you count from)

Both of my strats are HSS with a freeway 10-way switch. The volume pot is a master volume that also serves as a momentary kill switch. Tone 1 is a no-load master treble cut with a push-push blower switch. Tone 2 is a master bass cut that’s a push/pull phase switch for the neck pickup. It makes for a lot of tonal options lol
 
Back
Top