little '59

[cream123]

i have a squier strat and was wondering if it would be a good idea to put 3 little '59 pickups with 3 500k push/pull pots with a 5-way selector (the 5-way selector is to select pickups) the push/pull pots are to cut off one half of each of the humbuckers to get a single coil sound. if you can find such a page where a wiring diagram of this setup is in detail, plz post a reply with a link to the page. i found this idea at this site although this is in pretty good step-by-step detail, i would like a better wiring diagram. plz show a page where a good wiring diagram is located, if you think this is a bad idea plz say so respectfully!
thx for responding respectfully and accordingly,
-cream123
*if you think a different mini-humbucker would give a better tone with the same idea of not butchering the guitar. plz name the pickup, within a reasonable price!
*I meant little '59s

 

[Artie]

Re: little '59

Hi cream; Welcome to the forum. While a lot of folks might mix up the pickup selection a bit more, I think 3 Lil 59's could make a killer sounding Strat. Especially with the option to split.

Keep in mind, that with a standard 5-way, you only need one push/pull to split all three pups, but of course, you couldn't split them all individually. Your idea of using 3 pp's is fine. If it was me, I'd probably go with a master volume/master tone, then use the third pot as a push/pull to split all three, and the pot portion to make Fralin blender.

But its all good, whatever you decide. Wait 'til some others chime in, and after you've settled on something, we'll get a diagram.

Artie

 

[Tony_H]

Re: little '59

Hello Cream, and welcome to the forum!
I have two things to say about your idea.

1. In my personal opinion, the split sound of the Lil' series pickups is too thin. See, these pickups are wound to sound like vintage humbuckers. This means their signal is not very hot in the humbucking series mode (the "standard" mode), and when you split them, it gets thinner and weaker. I am being very personal here: someone else may just love the sound, but I don't. I tried this with a Lil' 59 for Tele and a JB Junior and was never pleased with the sound.

Using a Hot Rails pickup might be a solution here. The HRs are voiced for a much fuller, fatter tone, so when they're split, they still sound fuller.

2. Second, being able to split each pickup individually will surely give you a lot (A LOT) of tonal options. This is a good thing unless you're onstage in the middle of a song and need to change your tone quickly. In that scenario, a simple SINGLE flick of the 5-way switch is much better than having to pull out a tone pot or two and/or flick the switch.

I do not want to discourage you from trying this setup, I just think that there are simpler ways to achieve similar tonal results. If you use a Lil '59 in the neck and bridge slots and put a regular (non-reverse wound, non-reverse polarity) single coil pickup in the middle and use a standard 5-way switch, you can wire the guitar so that you'll have full humbucking sound on bridge and neck pickups alone, split humbucking + single coil in the in-between positions (that Stratocaster "cluck" tone), and a pure single coil tone in the middle position of the 5-way. I believe Steve Vai uses this setup, although he uses DiMarzio pups, and I'm a big fan of this wiring. Sure, you cannot get as many tonal options, but then again: for live situations, the fewer options, the better. This is what experience has taught me.

If you want more details, I'll share them.

Peace
Tony

 

[Artie]

Re: little '59

I was going to pop back in just to say that if you go with your original idea, just do this, times three:

http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/schematics/hr2.html

But . . . I do like Tony's idea better.

Artie

 

[cream123]

Re: little '59

but i could select all 3 at the same time with 3 push/pull pots and choose wether i want different options at the same time, by connecting each push/pull pot to a different pickup and have the switch made so it could select all three at the same time. couldn't I?
nvm ill go with tony h's idea
-thx tony, big help

 

[Tony_H]

Re: little '59

Oh, one more idea: Stewart-MacDonald sells a 5-way switch that they call the SuperSwitch. You can use it and wire three humbucking pickups of the Lil '59 design so that you'll get a full humbucking tone for each pickup selected individually and split single-coil tones in the in-between positions. The wiring diagram was at the Guitareletronics.com website.

 

[Artie]

Re: little '59

Oh, one more idea: Stewart-MacDonald sells a 5-way switch that they call the SuperSwitch. You can use it and wire three humbucking pickups of the Lil '59 design so that you'll get a full humbucking tone for each pickup selected individually and split single-coil tones in the in-between positions. The wiring diagram was at the Guitareletronics.com website.

Actually, you can do that with a standard 5-way:

http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/schematics/hum_sing_hum_vol_tone_spl.html

Just ignore the fact the neck and bridge are full size. They wire up just the same.

but i could select all 3 at the same time with 3 push/pull pots and choose wether i want different options at the same time, by connecting each push/pull pot to a different pickup and have the switch made so it could select all three at the same time. couldn't I?
nvm ill go with tony h's idea
-thx tony, big help

Don't let us talk you out of what you want to do. You can always change it later. We just all have our own 2-cents-worth.

Artie

 

[cream123]

Re: little '59

Oh, one more idea: Stewart-MacDonald sells a 5-way switch that they call the SuperSwitch. You can use it and wire three humbucking pickups of the Lil '59 design so that you'll get a full humbucking tone for each pickup selected individually and split single-coil tones in the in-between positions. The wiring diagram was at the Guitareletronics.com website.

-how much?

 

[Tony_H]

Re: little '59

but i could select all 3 at the same time with 3 push/pull pots and choose wether i want different options at the same time, by connecting each push/pull pot to a different pickup and have the switch made so it could select all three at the same time. couldn't I?
nvm ill go with tony h's idea
-thx tony, big help

Well, most standard 5-way switches that I know cannot select all 3 pickups at once. To do that, you need a mini-toggle or a push-pull pot. There was a diagram in the Support section of the Seymour Duncan website that had a mini-toggle/push-pull pot wired so that it added the bridge pickup to whatever position of the 5-way.

Anyway, seeing that I have actually discouraged you from going for your initial idea, you might try the Stewart-MacDonald SuperSwitch (I believe other vendors sell this thing too, it's just that I happen to know StewMac.) If you already have purchased the Lil '59s, the SuperSwitch is an additional 13.95 dollars. Might be a bummer, but I have three of them and I never regretted it. They allow some cool wirings, some of which I have actually tried (and kept in my gigging guitars because I think they're really cool).

 

[cream123]

Re: little '59

Actually, you can do that with a standard 5-way:






-thx

 

[Tony_H]

Re: little '59

Don't let us talk you out of what you want to do. You can always change it later. We just all have our own 2-cents-worth.

Artie

Good point, Artie!
In fact, I would like to hear what the various tones would be if you could split each of the three pups individually. But I got a little carried away with my "the simpler the better when playing live" approach.

And Cream, you can buy a couple of switches and pots (they cost a fraction of the price of the pups) and experiment. Your ears be the judge!

 

[cream123]

Re: little '59

artietoo, i have two tone pots. how would this be set up?

 

[Tony_H]

Re: little '59

Some links worth checking out:

The schematic using the 5-way 4-pole Super Switch:

http://www.guitarelectronics.com/product/WDUHHH5L1101

This schematic only has one tone pot though. Not sure if I can advise on how to wire two tone pots. I usually use only one volume and one tone pot, the volume pot being in the middle pot hole, and I tape the standard "volume pot" hole the closest to the bridge pup. I don't like the volume pot in this position because it gets in my way.

The Super Switch as sold by StewMac:

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_pickups/Components:_Switches_and_knobs/Super_Switch.html

Some more ideas for using the Super Switch courtesy of StewMac:

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electro...Super_Switch/Instructions/I-3200.html#details

 

[Tony_H]

Re: little '59

ONE BIG OOPS!

The StewMac Super Switch costs USD 19.98 and not 13.95. I am very sorry for the error! I bought mine a couple of years ago, so either the price has gone up or I can't remember it properly. I apologize again.

Oh my... can you trust me now?

 

[cream123]

Re: little '59

alright would a pair of gibson paf mini-pickups work for the neck/bridge?
i found them at ebay

 

[Tony_H]

Re: little '59

alright would a pair of gibson paf mini-pickups work for the neck/bridge?
i found them at ebay

I believe they would work and sound good but you won't be able to split coils on them. Back in the 1970's they didn't make four-conductor pickups, and even now Gibson installs single-conductor pickups stock.

 

[cream123]

Re: little '59

I believe they would work and sound good but you won't be able to split coils on them. Back in the 1970's they didn't make four-conductor pickups, and even now Gibson installs single-conductor pickups stock.

-thx

 

[orko]

Re: little '59

hi guys,

sorry to hijack this thread, well kinda, but i have recently purchased a little 59 for my fat tele bridge position. I was looking to match up another SD pick up with it. Any ideas?

I thought miby the SH-1 '59 to give it a nice vintage neck sound and then i have the little 59 for a ballsy bridge but how would they work together?

Dave