Is this wiring possible?

[platinumgeo]

Hi,

I am somewhat new to guitar wiring and modding but here it goes:

I am currently working on a Fender Squire fitted with a humbucker in the bridge and a single coil pickup in the neck. My idea is to install a push/pull switch for splitting the coils of the humbucker, however, I would add an additional switch in order to choose which pickup is active.

So when the push/pull is down, the humbucker is normal and the switch does nothing. But when it is up, the coils become split and then you choose which coil you wish to use (i.e. North coil only/South coil only) using the switch. Ideally, I would want the switch to be an on/on switch with no middle position, so the push/pull would basically act as the middle position on the switch when down.

This would then go to a 3-way pickup selector switch allowing you to have multiple combinations of sounds with the pickups.

I think it would require a DPDT as the mini-switch, however I just can't wrap my head around how you would make this work.

I'd imagine this would be quite a complex wiring situation but I'm willing to give it a go if it is possible!

Sorry if I've explained this poorly.

Thanks for any help and advice!

 

[freefrog]

Re: Is this wiring possible?

Hi, below is my take, botched in 5mn.

Humbucker = Duncan color code.

Green and bare to ground.

Red and white to the center lug(s) of the push pull.

"Up" position of the push pull: lug(s) connected to the switch.


6 poles / 2 positions switch:

Center lug(s) connected to the upper lug(s) of the push pull.

Lug(s) of one side connected to Ground.

Lug(s) of the other side going to the selector, where the black wire of the humbucker is connected too.

Should do what you said.

 

[platinumgeo]

Re: Is this wiring possible?

Thank you for the sketch! It will definitely help! So this would mean the humbucker acts as normal while the push/pull is down? This is all very new to me and I'm just trying to understand why this works as much as possible!

 

[freefrog]

Re: Is this wiring possible?

So this would mean the humbucker acts as normal while the push/pull is down? !

Yes; in this case, the white and red wires will be connected together only so the pickup will work in full humbucker mode.

Good luck in your mods...

 

[Artie]

Re: Is this wiring possible?

If you're going to install a separate switch anyway, why not do an on-off-on and have it split to either coil when it's up or down, and normal in the middle? I have a couple wired that way. Seems far more intuitive and simpler wiring.

 

[atemporal]

Re: Is this wiring possible?

If you're going to install a separate switch anyway, why not do an on-off-on and have it split to either coil when it's up or down, and normal in the middle? I have a couple wired that way. Seems far more intuitive and simpler wiring.

why stop there? I've just wired in a 4-way slide switch to have humbucker (coils in series), coils in parallel (DIY P90), and each coil separately. Took a bit of thinking on how to wire it as a slide switch is not like a blade switch but once I figured it out then it works fine. Combine that with phase switches for each pickup too and it's pretty versatile.

 

[platinumgeo]

Re: Is this wiring possible?

If you're going to install a separate switch anyway, why not do an on-off-on and have it split to either coil when it's up or down, and normal in the middle? I have a couple wired that way. Seems far more intuitive and simpler wiring.

In hindsight, this does seem like a better idea, but I spontaneously bought a push/pull switch along with this new humbucker and couldn't think of a way I would've liked to incorporate it other than this.
I think I will definitely use an on/off/on switch next time for a build like this! :smack:

 

[freefrog]

Re: Is this wiring possible?

If you're going to install a separate switch anyway, why not do an on-off-on and have it split to either coil when it's up or down, and normal in the middle? I have a couple wired that way. Seems far more intuitive and simpler wiring.

Yep, I was about to evoke the same thing after a night of sleep on the other side of the planet. I'm also a fan of on/off/on switches... :beerchug:

 

[freefrog]

Re: Is this wiring possible?

why stop there? I've just wired in a 4-way slide switch to have humbucker (coils in series), coils in parallel (DIY P90), and each coil separately. Took a bit of thinking on how to wire it as a slide switch is not like a blade switch but once I figured it out then it works fine. Combine that with phase switches for each pickup too and it's pretty versatile.

For the record, I've wired an "experimental guitar" with exchangeable pickups connected to a 5 ways switch + a 5 positions rotary switch + an on/off/on coil splitter as evoked by ArtieToo.

The challenge in this case is to remember which position does what... :bigok:

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Is this wiring possible?

why stop there? I've just wired in a 4-way slide switch to have humbucker (coils in series), coils in parallel (DIY P90), and each coil separately. Took a bit of thinking on how to wire it as a slide switch is not like a blade switch but once I figured it out then it works fine. Combine that with phase switches for each pickup too and it's pretty versatile.

Where did you find a 4-way slide switch, and how did you have enough lugs to switch to parallel coils? I haven’t seen a slide switch with any more lugs than a blade switch. I’m guessing you had red and white each on their own common lug and connected ground and hot to certain position lugs? But that should be do-able with a 4-way blade switch also; you just can’t combine pickup selection on the same switch.

 

[atemporal]

Re: Is this wiring possible?

Where did you find a 4-way slide switch, and how did you have enough lugs to switch to parallel coils?

I googled DP4T slide switches and went from there. Available from most of the big electronics component suppliers in various sizes (not seen a standard guitar parts supplier offering them though). I needed micro switches due to the limited cavity size under the pickguard, but they work just fine.

I must admit in my naivety I expected a switch that would work rather more like a rotary than the 5 lugs each side, each connecting in banks of 4 as the switch slides along. It was a headache to figure out how to achieve all four settings as it's not immediately intuitive but it can be done and like most good designs it's surprisingly simple once you've cracked it. I'll post a thread on the build this weekend with pictures and wiring diagrams.

I then combined this with a Freeway 5by5 blade switch giving me 10 pickup combinations (various series, parallel etc) across the HSS using the wiring arrangement for SSS as the separate DP4T switch governs what setting the H pickup is in. Freeway give two options for this with a different setting 10 combo so I used a push-pull pot to toggle in both options giving me the 11th combination. Then I added three phase switches for each pickup for good measure.

All in all that is (2^3)/2 = 4 effective phase combinations, 11 pickup combinations, of which 7 of those can have the humbucker in any of 4 settings.

all 3 pickups are active in 2 combinations (all series and all parallel) with four effective phase settings = (2*4)
the N+M pickups have 2 combinations with 2 effective phase settings = (2*2)
BM, BN each have 2 combinations with 2 effective phase settings each = (2*2)*2
then the three single pickups (no phase switching on those) = (3*1)
TOTAL 23 different settings before considering the H splits. Not all are that good, I'm working through my favourites and will then look at whether a super switch might be a better option for future projects. I think some settings will benefit from a different tone cap so I'm not writing them off yet.

The out of phase two pickup settings give some really good Queen-esque sounds which was part of the aim in starting this.

I'm now playing with treble bleeds and tone options. I'll decide what values I like and either add a rotary to swtich tone caps or just settle on one value. I have a spare 4PDT mounted in the pickguard that I can wire up to offer different treble bleeds, or I might hardwire one option and leave it as a spare in case I get a neck humbucker in future. I'll see what works best.

 

[atemporal]

Re: Is this wiring possible?

For the record, I've wired an "experimental guitar" with exchangeable pickups connected to a 5 ways switch + a 5 positions rotary switch + an on/off/on coil splitter as evoked by ArtieToo.

The challenge in this case is to remember which position does what... :bigok:

If you get the freeway 5by5 you can do all that without the need for the rotary as it mounts in the standard lever position (nb to check the cavity size before ordering - I had to chisel out a bit of mine to get it to fit.)

 

[freefrog]

Re: Is this wiring possible?

If you get the freeway 5by5 you can do all that without the need for the rotary as it mounts in the standard lever position (nb to check the cavity size before ordering - I had to chisel out a bit of mine to get it to fit.)

i have a Free-way in another guitar but it doesn't give me the 25 positions of my Strat switch + rotary (without counting the options offered by the 3 positions splitter).
I've also mounted the rotary because it looks like a normal pot and, simply, because I had it unused on a shelf - not to mention that Free-Way switches are way more expensive in Europe than rotary switches...

That being said, there"s much fun in these various wiring options! I've recently rewired a Burns Bison RI with TWO rotary switches (4 and 5 positions respectively) and it was recreative to do.

 

[atemporal]

Re: Is this wiring possible?

Did your freeway switch crackle when changing between settings? mine does and I'm not happy with that on a new switch.

 

[freefrog]

Re: Is this wiring possible?

Did your freeway switch crackle when changing between settings? mine does and I'm not happy with that on a new switch.

No, mine doesn't crackle. I'd just like it to be a bit stiffer, without that sensation of "spinning ball".

Too bad for your switch... Now, it's a bit of a lotery in which we are lucky or not... I've already faced Fender CTS parts which were faultly albeit brand new, without apparent reason. That's annoying but it happens, regardless of the price paid. :-/

 

[SimonRenaud]

Re: Is this wiring possible?

Hi guys ! I'm trying to wire an LP guitar with a 50's mod, single wire humbuckers and shielded wires. i made a diagram. Is this any good ?
Thks

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Is this wiring possible?

Hi guys ! I'm trying to wire an LP guitar with a 50's mod, single wire humbuckers and shielded wires. i made a diagram. Is this any good ?
ThksView attachment 97960

Looks like you have ground wires running to hot wires. Diagrams exist for this already, there isn’t much need to make your own, unless you just want to learn it better. You might want to start your own thread to work this out.

 

[Artie]

Re: Is this wiring possible?

That diagram is fine as long as you recognize, (as beaubrummels said), that you changed the drawing style of your shielded cable from the ones on the 3-way to the ones on the pickups. As long as you know that the pickup wires have the center conductor going to the pot lug, you'll be fine.

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Is this wiring possible?

It seems like a cumbersome way to go about it. I'd say that what you want is a three-way switch with normal in the middle, and pass on the push/pull or push/push.

I also don't think it's a very helpful feature to have. Having access to the miniscule tonal differences between the two coils will not be anything that results in a more effective tool box in the real world.

There are Triple Shots. If you don't mind the way they look, and don't mind the switching changes being slow, they will give you everything you want, plus a coils-in-parallel option.

 

[SimonRenaud]

Re: Is this wiring possible?

Looks like you have ground wires running to hot wires. Diagrams exist for this already, there isn’t much need to make your own, unless you just want to learn it better. You might want to start your own thread to work this out.

Sorry it was confusing. Just re-did the humbucker connection part. Now it should be good.