Ok to combined Stack pickups without splitting?

[txbdan]

I'm wiring up my HSS build with a JB in the bridge and two STK-S6 in the middle and neck. I was planning on using the toneshaper kit and diagram shown here:

ToneShaper Wiring Kit, Stratocaster, Auto-Split (HSS2)

Our wiring kits for Stratocasters have everything you need to complete the job the right way! Great parts, great documentation. Best on the market!

toneshapers.com

It assumes standard single coil neck and middle pickups.

I was also looking at the Seymour Duncan wiring diagram that came with the STK-S6 pickups and it splits these in the 2 and 4 combined positions. I this necessary or "better" enough to try and merge these two concepts together? The SD concept would work, the main difference I think is just that the Toneshaper diagram switches in a parallel 470k resistor when on the single coils so the 500k volume works like a 250k and I think it also assigns the tone knobs differently making Tone 2 dedicated to the humbucker.

I wish these diagrams had an actual schematic. Trying to figure these circuits out is baffling. And I'm a EE. ha

Edit: this diagram might work if I could merge it with the toneshapers' tricks

2STK_SCH_S5W_1V_2T.pdf

 

[jeremy]

you dont need to split, there is a slight difference in tone, but not enough for me to worry about

 

[txbdan]

Actually, would this work? I added the red wires form the STKs to the pole of the switch that grounds things. I put them on position 4 and jumped to 2 so that all the pickups get split in those positions.

Do I need to reverse polarity on the middle pickup? The Seymour Duncan documentation doesn't show that

 

[txbdan]

Sorry, I forgot to hit post on that reply, I see you posted first. Ok I'll wire without splitting for now and see how it goes. Thanks

 

[Artie]

I wish these diagrams had an actual schematic. Trying to figure these circuits out is baffling. And I'm a EE. ha

Ah. A man who speaks my language. Here it is in good ole fashioned schematic format:

 

[txbdan]

Ah. A man who speaks my language. Here it is in good ole fashioned schematic format:

It’s like a breath of fresh air. Nice work!

 

[txbdan]

I got my guitar all wired up using the ToneShapers diagram above but without my attempts at splitting the STK-s6s as that wouldn't work. So only the JB gets coil split in position 2. I'm not using the big tan resistor since the split JB should have plenty of output.

There is definitely no hum in positions 5, 4, and 3. There is some position 2 and even 1 which is pure JB. Is it expected in position 2 since the middle pickup is not split and the JB is split? I measured the resistance at the output jack of all positions and they seem to be wired right.

I also notice the volume knob falls off pretty quick and is basically off at position 5.

I'm not immediately in love with the STK-S6s, but they're growing on me. They sound bright enough, but almost a little thin and characterless, like a PA or something. Kind of HiFi. Still playing with pickup heights and stuff.

 

[Mincer]

Yeah, if any position has an odd number of coils, you will still get hum. Even a position with an even number of coils, but they aren't matched, you will still get hum.

 

[txbdan]

So these STK-S6s are supposed to be sort of wooly or dull? I keep feeling that my neck position is pretty bright. Sort of sounds like the first few minutes of brand new strings where everything is sort of brittle and crisp sounding. I turn the tone knob all the way down and it sounds like a warm bluesy sort of sound. It's running a 250k tone pot and a 500k in parallel with a 470kohm resistor for the volume per that diagram. I'm tempted to take the guitar apart and inspect things, but im pretty darn sure I wired it up right. The only thing I didnt do is connect the pot cases together because im using a new fender pickguard with a foil back on it. Should be ok I think.

 

[Mincer]

As long as you dig the sound, it doesn't matter what other people think those pickups sound like. The guitar itself can drastically change how a pickup might sound to someone. I generally don't like the Jazz, but one guitar I had was so dull sounding, that the Jazz actually sounded 'right' to me- even though I generally didn't like that pickup in any other guitar I tried.

 

[txbdan]

As long as you dig the sound, it doesn't matter what other people think those pickups sound like. The guitar itself can drastically change how a pickup might sound to someone. I generally don't like the Jazz, but one guitar I had was so dull sounding, that the Jazz actually sounded 'right' to me- even though I generally didn't like that pickup in any other guitar I tried.

Yeah, I'm saying I don't dig it. hah. It's ok, but sounds sterile and clean and bright. Kind of like if I mic'ed my unplugged guitar and played it through a PA. Even with tone all the way down it's not as warm and full as I think a Strat neck should be. That said, I haven't owned a Strat in awhile so maybe I'll check out some Strat videos on YouTube and see if it's in the ball park.

 

[Mincer]

Are they like that individually, in combination, or both? Can you verify you are getting the correct readings from each pickup? We wanna make sure they are in phase and both coils from each pickup are working.

 

[txbdan]

They're like that single. I checked the resistance at the output jack and each positions seems right. I can tap each pickup with a screwdriver to make sure the right ones are on at the right time. I should have taken pics of the pickguard before I installed it. I'm not totally convinced anything is wrong per se, but I might give it a look this weekend to double check.