"Master" switch for phase switching/series switching/preamp

[Tatowarrior]

Hi, first post here.
Rn, I am working on the wiring for my first build and I was wondering if there was a way to wire a single switch to operate as a "master" phase/out of phase for whichever pups are on, instead of having one for each pickup like the 50s Jimmy Page wiring scheme. This question also applies for series/parallel and as a bonus, the EMG PA2 boost preamp, do I need to have one PA2 for each pickup? As they are rather expensive I would obviously prefer having to only buy one.
Thanks in advance and I apologize for everything that may be considered basic that I don't know wiring-wise since as I previously said, this is my first build.
P.D.: I plan on using the PA2 as a passive to active device so that I can mix my EMG 81 with passive pickups, feel free to recommend other internal preamps, preferably cheaper.

 

[beaubrummels]

"Master" switch for phase switching/series switching/preamp

"Master" switch for phase switching/series switching/preamp

The phase switch on JP wiring is a master phase switch. Phase only exists between two pickups on at the same time, and the only way to put them out of phase is to flip the phase of only one of the pickups so that both pickups become out of phase relative to each other.

Pickups in series or parallel is the same thing. Both have to be on to hear the effect, but the change only take place with one of the pickups, relative to the other. Unless you are talking about individual pickup coils in series or parallel, in which case I don’t think you would want that on a single master switch because then you are stuck with all pickups either being in series mode or parallel and can’t mix and match as needed.

 

[Tatowarrior]

Re: "Master" switch for phase switching/series switching/preamp

Re: "Master" switch for phase switching/series switching/preamp

Thank you for your reply! I see, I didn't notice that the neck tone pot is for series switching in JP's guitar.
Anyway, I still don't know how to organise my wiring, my idea is to wire an HHH and be able to play around with coil splitting and phase and series switching, so would you recommend me having a different switch for each humbucker? If so, what would happen if I select two coils from two different humbuckers?

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: "Master" switch for phase switching/series switching/preamp

I would have phase switch on the middle pickup, assuming standard 5-way blade switching where the bridge and neck are never on together.

Otherwise you could do a near-variant of the Brian May switching with an on-off for each pickup and a split/series/parallel coil switch for each pickup. You would need 2/3 pickups to have a phase switch if any combination of the 3 will be possible. I would opt for the bridge and neck in that case.

Splitting to specific coils is another level and would require a switch for each pickup dedicated to just coil splitting.

You know, if you are wiring this up just to hear what the combinations sound like, just get a Triple Shot ring for each pickup. Then after you figure out which sounds you like, revisit a custom switching solution.

 

[Tatowarrior]

Re: "Master" switch for phase switching/series switching/preamp

Hi, I really liked the idea of a pseudo-Red Special and looking around I found this Japanese (I think) post of a guy that designed a wiring diagram similar to the red special but adding series and parallel switching. https://starfleet-planning.jimdo.com/レスペ用-新しいpu配線の提案/
Do you think I could do something like this but for an HHH and instead of using the first row of switches for turning on or off the pickups as well as phase switching, only using it for phase switching and having something like a Jazzmaster plate with x3 3-way slide switches for North Coil, Humbucker, South Coil (I believe Dan from the YT channel Guns and Guitars did something like this).
As I was planning on having 6 pots (3 tones and 3 volumes, one for each humbucker) they could be push-pulls and use them instead of the six switches.
But then again, the same question arises, if I have two switches, one for changing the phase and the other for hanging the series/parallel, for each humbucker, what happens when one of the coils of that humbucker is off and another coil from another humbucker is on? would they be in parallel or in series? in phase or out of phase?