I give up, this wiring diagram doesn't exist!

[Ronnie Balz]

Ok, it certainly exists but I sure haven't found it. I have two humbuckers, a volume knob and balance knob. I'd like to have a single mini-toggle switch that switches BOTH humbuckers from series to parallel. Or maybe someone could point me to this more typical setup: a volume / tone / 3-way switch with a mini-toggle to switch BOTH between series and parallel.

I'm 100% sure somebody in this forum knows how to do that!

 

[beaubrummels]

Are you talking pickups in parallel/series, or pickup coils in parallel/series? The solution would be very different.

 

[Ronnie Balz]

Are you talking pickups in parallel/series, or pickup coils in parallel/series? The solution would be very different.

Oh, yes, good point. Coils in series/parallel. So, switch up, front HB coils in parallel, back HB coils in parallel. Switch dn, front HB coils series, back HB coils series.

 

[Jack_TriPpEr]

Oh, yes, good point. Coils in series/parallel. So, switch up, front HB coils in parallel, back HB coils in parallel. Switch dn, front HB coils series, back HB coils series.

To do that w just a single switch, you'll need a 4 pole double-throw (4PDT), on-on type. Typical switches have just 2 poles. You need 2 poles for each humbucker, hence 4 in total. This 4DPT switch is going to look like to 2DPT switches side by side, lug wise.

Wiring diagram wise, you'd be doing the following for each of the two humbuckers on that switch.

 

[Jack_TriPpEr]

https://guitarelectronics.com/2-way-4-pole-on-on-mini-toggle-switch/

 

[Ronnie Balz]

To do that w just a single switch, you'll need a 4 pole double-throw (4PDT), on-on type. Typical switches have just 2 poles. You need 2 poles for each humbucker, hence 4 in total. This 4DPT switch is going to look like to 2DPT switches side by side, lug wise.

Wiring diagram wise, you'd be doing the following for each of the two humbuckers on that switch.

Thanks for this Jack_TriPpEr but while I'm pretty good with wood, I'm very remedial with the electronics and I'm still not following. That diagram only has 3 poles on each side, not 4. And there's only the one humbucker. By "doing the following for each of the two humbuckers on that switch" do you mean the wires solder to the same poles? Then it goes off to the switcher? That can't be right so I must be misunderstanding still.

 

[jeremy]

4pdt switches are out there and thats what you need.

as far as the wiring, think of the switch as two dpdt switches, each pup gets wired to one half the 4pdt switch. the two pups wires are kept separate.

in the diagram, that is a dpdt switch with one pup. youd basically do that twice

 

[Ronnie Balz]

4pdt switches are out there and thats what you need.

as far as the wiring, think of the switch as two dpdt switches, each pup gets wired to one half the 4pdt switch. the two pups wires are kept separate.

in the diagram, that is a dpdt switch with one pup. youd basically do that twice

But that diagram Jack_triPpEr posted with the single HB has wires going to both the left and right sides. ?? If I'm understanding you correctly—clearly I'm not!—then should those wires all be on one side?

 

[Artie]

I think Jack means this:

 

[jeremy]

thanks for the pic artie.

does that make sense now?

 

[Ronnie Balz]

does that make sense now?

Sorry to be so dense but I'm still confused. ArtieToo's pic looks like I need two DPDT switches. I'm trying to switch both HB's with one switch.

 

[jeremy]

the four pole, double throw switch (4pdt) is basically two double pole, double throw (dpdt) switches in one

 

[Artie]

This switch. Although, select the handle and color you want. It's two DPDT switches, in one case, with one handle.

https://guitarelectronics.com/2-way-4-pole-on-on-mini-toggle-switch/

 

[Ronnie Balz]

Ah, the lights just came on. Thanks everyone!