Middle pup for HSH and wiring options

[Embers]

Hi I'm new to the forum and hoping to get some help from others with some more experience.

I have a US hardtail Strat that I want to convert to HSH. I am looking at JB (TB-4) for bridge and Jazz (SH-2) for neck. I am leaning towards an SSL-5T RW/RP for the middle. I want humbuckers only for positions 1,3 and 5 (like switching on a Les Paul 3 way) and for 2 and 4 I want to use the middle with the split buckers (like 2 and 4 on an SSS Strat). I don't plan to use the SSL-5 by itself. I almost always use either 2 and 4 on my Strat and so this configuration would effectively give me two guitars in one with a wide tone pallet.

The reason for looking at the tapped version of the SSL-5 is that when combined with the JB it could use the full wiring and when combined with the Jazz it could use the tapped wiring. I think this should be possible with a 5 way super switch only. I'd like to keep it as simple as possible as the guitar also already has a Roland GK-Kit hex pickup.

Am I on the right track? Would the full SSL-5 be a good match with the JB? Would the tapped SSL-5 be a good match with the Jazz? Can all of this be done with just a superswitch?

 

[Lazer111]

Re: Middle pup for HSH and wiring options

Bumping for answers... I'm interested in this too, although I have a custom /59 hybrid in the bridge. Was considering a dimarzio red velvet in the middle to... Any thoughts? I hadn't thought of the OP's tapping option on the Ssl-5 that an interesting idea...

 

[jake_xms3_punk]

Re: Middle pup for HSH and wiring options

I would wire it up with a 3 way switch (bridge, bridge & neck, neck, LP/tele style) and use two push/pull pots or mini switches to split the buckers and one more to add the middle pickup into the circuit no matter which position the 3 way is. This way you would have more options and could get all 3 pickups on, neck & bridge together full or split etc

 

[Lazer111]

Re: Middle pup for HSH and wiring options

I would wire it up with a 3 way switch (bridge, bridge & neck, neck, LP/tele style) and use two push/pull pots or mini switches to split the buckers and one more to add the middle pickup into the circuit no matter which position the 3 way is. This way you would have more options and could get all 3 pickups on, neck & bridge together full or split etc

Hmm also an interesting option, although switching on the fly might be harder. Any take on how the 2 and 4 positions will sound? Decent or not real authentic etc? Has anyone put an SSL-5 in a H-S-H that can report on the results?