Mixing two SD stacks with Fender middle

[amdkj]

I thought this was a common question, but I've searched and found multiple completely contradictory answers about polarity, wind direction, and phase with various SD stack pickups when using them alongside Fenders.

I have a strat with three Fender single coils, RW/RP in the middle. I want to replace at least the bridge and neck with stacks, likely STK-S7 Vintage Hot Stacks because I like a warmer tone as well as hum-cancelling. I want positions 2 and 4 to be in-phase; I know they won't be hum-cancelling, and that's fine.

To have the neck & bridge SD stacks in-phase with the Fender middle, do I use the Fender middle RW/RP single coil, or do I move the current neck single coil into the middle? Either way, do I need to change the wiring order in any way? (I've seen some people say you swap the green and black wires even on a stack pickup to switch phase, but in the stacks there aren't any green wires.)

 

[Teleplayer]

You will need to swap the connection polarity of the middle pickup, even if you swap the Fender neck p/u in it’s place.

I suggest you can get hum cancelling in notch positions 2 and 4 if you use a diagram for HSH auto-split wiring like you would find on an Ibanez RG. However you will have to forgo the dual tone control wiring in that case. I assume the Fender middle pickup is South-up magnetic polarity, but you can check if you have a magnetic compass. The SD stack plus are typically North up for the neck and bridge positions.

 

[Clint 55]

I want positions 2 and 4 to be in phase. I know they won't be hum-cancelling, and that's fine.

:?: Why won't they be hum cancelling? Simply choose the opposite polarity Fender pickup for the middle and wire it the opposite direction as the Duncans. Then do auto split wiring for the Duncans in position 2 and 4.

 

[beaubrummels]

To mix Duncans with Fender singles (or DiMarzio or any single that follows Fender's current wind direction), you need to reverse the hot and ground of either the Duncans or the Fender pickups (but not both) to have them work correctly together.

The explanation is here (this really should be stickied, if it isn't already)
https://www.seymourduncan.com/blog/latest-updates/pickup-polarity-and-phase-made-simple

To make it hum-cancelling in 2 and 4, wire auto split on the Stacks when combined with the Fender single, as Clint said.

 

[amdkj]

^I read that page before, but it doesn't mention stacks. When I searched these boards (and others) there were many conflicting posts by many people, some saying SD stacks are south-up and others saying north-up. There were even a few old results saying that the 'plus' stacks and the non-plus stacks are opposites. Hence why I felt the need to ask.

I wrote off auto-splitting because on the wiring page all the diagrams which show stacks auto-splitting use a super 5-way, and I already learned the hard way that I don't have room for one. It's a weird MIJ Fender with modern deep pickup routes but a really shallow and tight control rout, so I'm pretty much stuck with the YM-50 encased switch.

Anyway, I'm not fussed about noise in 2, 3 and 4; I only ever use those clean. It's the bridge and neck alone that I use with distortion, so for the sake of simplicity I'll stick a compass on the Fenders to see which has the right polarity (didn't occur to me it could be checked so easily, thanks) and swap those wires. Thanks.

 

[Clint 55]

I wrote off auto-splitting because on the wiring page all the diagrams which show stacks auto-splitting use a super 5-way, and I already learned the hard way that I don't have room for one. It's a weird MIJ Fender with modern deep pickup routes but a really shallow and tight control rout, so I'm pretty much stuck with the YM-50 encased switch.

:?: Bruh. Why would you need a super switch to auto split? Auto split is a standard diagram with regular switches, either fender or import.

 

[amdkj]

Well, okay, but I didn't see anything like that on the Seymour Duncan wiring pages, like I said. They only show stacks auto-splitting with a super 5-way.

 

[Clint 55]

Bruh. All possible wiring schemes ever are not included in the official seymour duncan diagrams. Do you not see the functional auto splitting device in the diagram I posed? Are you averse to me giving you the correct info? :eek13: Auto splitting is very simple, it does not require a super switch. Almost anyone on the forum would know that. There are 2 independent sets of lugs on standard 5 way switches, either fender or import. You use the unused side to do the auto splits. You stick the red splitting wire from each pickup on lug 1 and 5 then ground lug 3. So position 2 and 4 connects ground to the pickup grounding wire and therefore splits.

 

[jeremy]

slow your roll man, many people are new to wiring and how things work. lets be helpful