Looking for help coming up with a wild H-S-S wiring scheme

[troxy]

If you're reading this I really appreciate you taking time out of your day to possibly help out another human. So thanks in advance, even if you can't help me (or don't want to after reading this lunacy).

I'm a big fan of my partscasters. Specifically, this abomination.

I'm trying change the wiring in this strat and I'm getting way out of conventional territory and I lack the fundamental understanding of how all this mess works to design my own wiring.

This is a huge departure from what I've done in the past. I've always wired my strats up S-S-S and just followed diagrams. I'm realizing now that I haven't ever really learned anything about this by following the diagrams. At this point in time I've just gotten to the point of knowing just enough about this stuff to know what I want to accomplish but I cannot figure out how to design a circuit myself.

So, this is what I'm wanting/trying to do.

H-S-S strat with 2 volumes, and 2 tones (the volume and tones are the dual concentric pots from fender) with the following features

• I'm using dual potentiometers for the volume and tone. These are stacked pots where one is 500k and one is 250k. All the single coil stuff is going to run to a 250k and the humbuckers will be 500k.
• I'm using a 5-way super switch, I would like to have the following options when switching;
  • Position 1; humbucker
  • Position 2; humbucker w/ middle
  • Position 3; humbucker w/ neck
  • Position 4; middle w/ neck
  • Position 5; neck
• I have two 4PDT mini switches (ON/ON) that I want to add. (I'm not sure these switches will work, willing to find a different style that will)
  • 1st mini switch will split the humbucker
  • 2nd mini switch will take all positions where I have pickups wired in parallel and switch them to series.

These are the pickups I'm using;

• Seymour Duncan StagMag
• Seymour Duncan Secret Agent
• Seymour Duncan SSL-1

I willing to hear suggestions of diagrams that might get me close, or in the ballpark. The two mini switches aren't a must, but if I can't do the humbucker split mini-switch then I'd want the following switching configuration;

• Position 1; humbucker
• Position 2; humbucker split w/ middle
• Position 3; humbucker split w/ neck
• Position 4; middle w/ neck
• Position 5; neck

I appreciate any advice or wisdom you fine folks can impart on me.

 

[troxy]

I've also heard to do the series wiring the way I'm wanting I might need to use a 6PDT switch. These are harder to find, but I'm eyeing one of these.

 

[beaubrummels]

Welcome to the forum.

You don't need 4PDT to split a humbucker. A simple SPST would do it.

I can't picture a 4PDT being able to put any of 3 different pickups in series depending on what the selector is set to. That's a tall order that I don't think will ever work.

A 5-way super switch should be able to do all the options for switching you want, either just the pickup choices and the auto-splitting version.

 

[troxy]

Welcome to the forum.

You don't need 4PDT to split a humbucker. A simple SPST would do it.

I can't picture a 4PDT being able to put any of 3 different pickups in series depending on what the selector is set to. That's a tall order that I don't think will ever work.

A 5-way super switch should be able to do all the options for switching you want, either just the pickup choices and the auto-splitting version.

Thanks! I bought the 4PDT switches because of this article over at Premier Guitar. But it is pretty over my head.

I'm thinking now I might just get a SPST switch for the humbucker and wire it up without any of the splitting. Then I can split the bucker in any position I want. Now I'm trying to figure out how to make the "4" different pots work with the switching.

For the series wiring I might do a freeway switch at some point.

 

[Artie]

A Stag Mag is a good pup to split. (Or run parallel.) It was designed for that. If it was me, I'd run your 1st switch, (use a DPDT), to run the Stag Mag series/parallel. Use the Superswitch to auto-split the SM in B/M and B/N modes. Then, optional, add one more DPDT to put two coils in series to make a virtual humbucker. But to keep things simple, decide which two coils: instead of them all. For example, N/M, or M with one coil of SM, or N with one coil of SM. Something like that.

I also hate to talk someone out of what they're wanting, (I love weird wiring), but with an HSS, I don't think twin volumes makes much sense. It can be done, but a simple master vol/master tone would probably be more practical. The Stag Mag works fine with a 250k pot.

Those are just my thoughts. Let us know what you decide, and we can draw it up.

 

[eclecticsynergy]

I concur with ArtieToo - not only is a dual concentric volume pot unneccessary, but it will also be more cumbersome to adjust on the fly.
Dual tone pot makes sense though, one for the humbucker and one for the singles.

You certainly don't need a 4PDT switch to split the humbucker, but since you already have one on hand you can use it.
Unless you also have an SPST or SPDT sitting around, in which case that would make more sense (and take up less space).

 

[Chistopher]

The only purpose for a crazy complex wiring is to learn how to do it. There's not much reason otherwise, as they aren't too much fun or convenient to use live.

 

[Mincer]

I can see doing some kind of crazy wiring scheme to see what you like, then hard-wiring those sounds to a 5 position switch. But I hate having a bunch of sounds I'll never use, or having more than 1 move to get to a sound I like. Some people just like variety, though. It depends on how you like to work.

 

[ThreeChordWonder]

Quick hand drawn sketch showing how you can wire the switches for coil splitting and series/parallel.

I will be back in front of a computer mid week and will be able to draw this up properly. I will have to figure out how to add the volumes and tones as best I can.

 

[Lucius Paisley]

Quick hand drawn sketch showing how you can wire the switches for coil splitting and series/parallel.

I will be back in front of a computer mid week and will be able to draw this up properly. I will have to figure out how to add the volumes and tones as best I can.

You forgot to carry the 1.

 

[Artie]

It would also help to know the current control configuration of the guitar. Is it typical 3 pot holes and a switch slot? Were you going to drill holes for switches? Will the Secret Agent be hidden under the pickguard?

 

[ThreeChordWonder]

You forgot to carry the 1.

Oh yes, thank you.

Note 1.

If you are thinking of using an RWRP single coil with my wiring diagram, stick it in the neck not the middle.

 

[troxy]

Man, what great replies! I haven't been online much since I posted, so I will have to come back and parse through all the information.

The point of using the secret agent is to hide it under the guard in the middle position.

I'm leaning toward installing the StagMag series/paralell switch (just for the bucker), and a coil split switch. Both mini switches. The 5-way I'm using is the fender super switch. I bought a guard that didn't have holes drilled yet so I can configure them how I want.

The positions would be:

1. Bridge
2. Bridge/Middle
3. Bridge/Neck
4. Neck/Middle
5. Neck

I went ahead and also ordered a schematic from the folks over at guitarelectronics. I'm interested to see their take on this idea. I'll share what I get from that.

 

[Mincer]

Man, what great replies! I haven't been online much since I posted, so I will have to come back and parse through all the information.

The point of using the secret agent is to hide it under the guard in the middle position.

I'm leaning toward installing the StagMag series/paralell switch (just for the bucker), and a coil split switch. Both mini switches. The 5-way I'm using is the fender super switch. I bought a guard that didn't have holes drilled yet so I can configure them how I want.

The positions would be:

1. Bridge
2. Bridge/Middle
3. Bridge/Neck
4. Neck/Middle
5. Neck

I went ahead and also ordered a schematic from the folks over at guitarelectronics. I'm interested to see their take on this idea. I'll share what I get from that.

I think there is a Schaller MegaSwitch that naturally gives those positions on the switch. Those are the positions I use on a 5 way.

 

[troxy]

So, to try and gain a bit more understanding I'm working this one pickup at a time starting with the humbucker.

Because I'm adding the series/parallel switch in conjunction with a coil splitting switch I figured that would make the most sense.

This was kind of my starting point.

https://guitarelectronics.com/1-humb...oil-tap-south/

Then I took a look at this SD article in order to modify it so that the coil tap works for north/full/south so I have all three options available on that switch. (the DPDT on-off-on switch section specifically).

https://www.seymourduncan.com/blog/t...witches-part-2


This diagram is me still doing a bit of guess work, so I won't be surprised if you all tell me I'm way off base. Next I'll work on adding in the two single coils and the switch before moving on to the pots. I'm still mulling over using the dual concentric pots or opting for two 250k pots.

 

[troxy]

Thanks again to everyone for the advice and instruction! A lot for me to unpack here.

Over the thanksgiving holiday I was able to put a couple days in to get this thing wired up and I'm happy to say I'm pleased with the results. It was a massive pain trying to get it all to fit, but I DID get it to fit!

If you're interested in hearing any of the sounds you can hear samples in this video I recorded to show them to you guys.