HSS with Custom

S

strattyguy

New member
Wiring up an HSS pickguard with the SD Custom bridge and ceramic single coils from Mexi strats, and a 5 way super switch.

Would you rather have:
5 Neck
4 Neck + Mid
3 Neck + inner coil
2 Mid + outer coil
1 Bridge humbucking serial

Or

5 Neck +Mid
4 Neck + inner coil
3 Mid + outer coil
2 Bridge humbucking parallel
1 Bridge humbucking serial
 
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I'd pick A. I did something similar with an HSS Warmoth that I built. The neck was a rw/rp Classic Stack, the middle was a Five Two. All positions were hum-cancelling.
 
Chistopher said:
I would wire it like a normal Strat except the humbucker is split when combined with the middle. No point in making things complicated just because you can
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That's about as far as I would go. In my HSS setup, I don't even split the humbucker with the middle single. It's a Perpetual Burn / Classic Stack Plus / Classic Stack Plus setup. I like how the bridge/middle sound together this way. Some quack but with more punch.
 
ErikH said:
That's about as far as I would go. In my HSS setup, I don't even split the humbucker with the middle single. It's a Perpetual Burn / Classic Stack Plus / Classic Stack Plus setup. I like how the bridge/middle sound together this way. Some quack but with more punch.
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You ever try neck and bridge together but no split?
 
TVFV said:
You ever try neck and bridge together but no split?
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Yup, with a "neck-on" switch. It was ok. I tend to stick to simple schemes. I've done fancy wiring in the past and while it's all fun at home, once I got on stage with it, I was using one or two settings and it was always the two I used beforehand. My Les Paul Trad Pro has the most complex wiring with the stock push/pulls to split each humbucker.
 
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I agree with you guys. I'm going to keep it simple. I've wired a previous pickguard (SSS) with series/parallel switching and a neck on switch, and I never really use those added tones.
 
It occurs to me that when wiring neck-on with a mini DPDT, you could use the other half to split the bridge hum.
You'd get a clearer position 1, and it might even make position 2 usable - S+S+H is mighty muddy...
 
I don't like M+B position, my choice would be:

1: full HB
2: split HB+N
3: M
4: M+N
5: N

I tried once, the split HB + N sounds very jaguary in middle position
 
Keep in mind that a Custom will be likely much louder than the single coils. That might not be an issue for you (for many it isn't), but if you aren't use to a much hotter bridge pickup, the volume balance will be off.
 
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