making a single conductor four

[Jonny C]

I'm thinking about taking apart my neck seth and modifying it to a four conductor sos I can have an coil tap switch. (I did mend it the other day when one of the coils was shorted out of the circuit, but the tone was great and I miss it so.) Is this a good idea? i.e. Is there chance of irreparible damage? I'm cool with electronics and it seems pretty straightforward.

Also, as long-shaft pots are so hard to install on an LP, I was thinking of fixing a microswitch hidden under the scratchplate. Has anybody here ever tried this, or know somewhere where I can get some advice?

 

[Thames]

There's always a risk of unrepairable damage when you work inside a pickup, but it can be done.

But splitting a pickup such as a Seth will sound really thin... those coils are under 4k.. really weak and thin signal... but you may like it....

 

[Jonny C]

But splitting a pickup such as a Seth will sound really thin... those coils are under 4k.. really weak and thin signal... but you may like it....

That's OK, I've already heard it split.

Concerning the mini toggles, what I'd plan to do is make a small hole in the bridge pup surround (guitar's an LP) and then take the wires out through there beneath the scratchplate. I'd then have to fix the switches to the scratchplate invisibly... I'm thinking strong glue (araldite?); any other suggestions?

Does anybody know of a website perhaps that'd have some pictures/info on 4-conductor modifications and/or hiding toggle switches?

 

[Kent S.]

If you're carefull there isn't much danger to the pup, concerning the mini switch a simple option would be to hook the coil tap line to the empty lug on that pup's tone pot, as long as ground is hooked to the wiper (some are wired differently), then the tone functions normally up to about 8.5 or so, then the at 10 it cuts on coil out (you can even blend it a bit). It works great as long as you only want to use the coil tap with your tone at 10 (since you can't turn the tone down and tap it. The reason I mention it is that it is a cool way of using what you already have on the guitar
without drilling extra holes, or instlling push/pull (push) pots.
It also doesn't seem to effect the tone much at all having your normal tone setting on about 8.5, I'd at least give it a shot since you have it already there ... then if you don't like it, just unsolder the connection, and install whatever switch you wish ... :bigok:

 

[Benjy_26]

I'd be interested in modifying a single conductor 59' for coils split too. How do you actually go about it?

 

[Benjy_26]

Bump-o-saurus!

 

[Jonny C]

...the tone functions normally up to about 8.5 or so, then the at 10 it cuts on coil out (you can even blend it a bit). It works great as long as you only want to use the coil tap with your tone at 10 (since you can't turn the tone down and tap it. The reason I mention it is that it is a cool way of using what you already have on the guitar

That does seem like quite a good idea - I was a little concerned about "spoiling" the guitar by adding a switch (even if it was going to be invisible). The fact that the tone control would be out of action when the coils are split is fine anyway: with a 500k pot attatched it wouldn't serve as anything much more as a volume control anyway.

Thanks for your advice . I might also look into pots that have a switch that operates when a pot is, say, fully clockwise, as these might actually fit inside a les paul cavity (unlike push/pulls).

 

[Jonny C]

Bump-o-saurus!

?

As soon as I get round to converting mine to 4-conductor, I'll post a description of how I did it. I don't want to give the wrong advice before I know that it works!

 

[Kent S.]

That does seem like quite a good idea - I was a little concerned about "spoiling" the guitar by adding a switch (even if it was going to be invisible). The fact that the tone control would be out of action when the coils are split is fine anyway: with a 500k pot attatched it wouldn't serve as anything much more as a volume control anyway.

Thanks for your advice . I might also look into pots that have a switch that operates when a pot is, say, fully clockwise, as these might actually fit inside a les paul cavity (unlike push/pulls).

I've put push/pulls in LPs (standard) before, so I'm not understanding the catch there ... but I'll take your word for it as I'm sure different years may have had more or less wood taken out, and as far as the shield plate ... I've tossed those with no problem (well, actually put it back in the guys case ). The switching pot is a good idea, and you may be able to find that in a long shaft ... of course you can always remove a bit of wood from the inside. Try the spare lug pot trick with what you got in there first ... I think you'll like it ... and like i said ... If you don't, your not out anything ...

 

[Kent S.]

I'd be interested in modifying a single conductor 59' for coils split too. How do you actually go about it?

First get some four conductor cable, If you got a cover then thats gotta come off, and it would be a good idea to repot it. First see where the braid gets soldered (the base plate and one wire from the coils ), that wire will be your green, the wire that's soldered to the center conductor will be your black. Now, open the connection between the two remaining coil wires (the joined ones) ... gently, put your meter on the new *black* wire, touch the other probe to one of the two wires, when you get a resistance roughly half the pups resistance (well, rather than infinity) you've found the finish wire of that coil, that will be your white, the remaining wire is your red of course, put everything back together but test each coil to make sure all your solder connections are good to go. The drain wire (bare) on the four conductor cable gets soldered to the baseplate ... do not join that with the green at the pup side of the cable, leave it independent so the green could be made hot without making the shield hot for phase reversal and what not. Your Black and white are your stud coil, and your green and red are your polepiece coil.
you know have a four conductor pup. For normal operation just follow your SD colour codes. ... Last step would be potting and replaceing the cover if applicable.
StratDeluxer has great step by step info on that ...

 

[Benjy_26]

Thanks a bunch for the info, Kent!