Pot/Knob Setup. Is this possible?

[ankalar]

Okay, I'm going to replace the humbuckers in my S470 (H-S-H). I don't use the middle single coil at all. When buying it, I told myself, "Hey I'm gonna get an H-S-H because it will be so versatile!" Yeah I guess I was mistaken, I just don't like the sound of the middle position. You get that "ooo" vowel sound from the neck pickup, and a slight amount of trebly-ness from the bridge, I hate it.

I'm thinking of replacing the pots as well with dual cocentric pots. When buying the guitar What I want to do is have each dual cocentric pot control each of the humbuckers' volume and tone. I also want them to be push/pull for coil tapping. I don't want to just render the middle pickup completely useless, and I don't want to take it out all together because it'll look strange. So I would want to wire it to one of the knobs as well.

Is it possible to have the dual cocentric knobs as a push-pull as well? Is it possible to wire the middle pickup to one of these knobs? Also, where would be the best place to get this done? Thanks guys!

 

[southadc]

Re: Pot/Knob Setup. Is this possible?

Okay, I'm going to replace the humbuckers in my S470 (H-S-H). I don't use the middle single coil at all. When buying it, I told myself, "Hey I'm gonna get an H-S-H because it will be so versatile!" Yeah I guess I was mistaken, I just don't like the sound of the middle position. You get that "ooo" vowel sound from the neck pickup, and a slight amount of trebly-ness from the bridge, I hate it.

I'm thinking of replacing the pots as well with dual cocentric pots. When buying the guitar What I want to do is have each dual cocentric pot control each of the humbuckers' volume and tone. I also want them to be push/pull for coil tapping. I don't want to just render the middle pickup completely useless, and I don't want to take it out all together because it'll look strange. So I would want to wire it to one of the knobs as well.

Is it possible to have the dual cocentric knobs as a push-pull as well? Is it possible to wire the middle pickup to one of these knobs? Also, where would be the best place to get this done? Thanks guys!

I've never heard of push/pull concentric pots, maybe someone else has though....

I'd be concerned that the depth of the pot would be too great to get it into my control cavity - the concentric pot is deeper than normal because it's basically one pot on top of another, and then you have to get the switch under it too.

 

[HolyDirt]

Re: Pot/Knob Setup. Is this possible?

I've never heard of push/pull concentric pots, maybe someone else has though....

I'd be concerned that the depth of the pot would be too great to get it into my control cavity - the concentric pot is deeper than normal because it's basically one pot on top of another, and then you have to get the switch under it too.

they dont make dual concentric push pulls

 

[Artie]

Re: Pot/Knob Setup. Is this possible?

Ditto. I've never, ever, in 35 years of electronics, seen a dual-concentric push/pull pot.

And, I would advise against your plan. The dual-volume opens a can of worms that you may not want to deal with. How about this instead:

Keep one volume, and one tone, but make them push/pulls. Use the volume push/pull to split the pups, and the tone push/pull to turn the middle pup on at any time.

Now that would be a nice, versatile set up.

Besides . . . If you ask me to make the diagram, I'm all set. :laugh2:

 

[Quencho092]

Re: Pot/Knob Setup. Is this possible?

Artie knows what he's talking about. Unless its a simple design like a les paul, 2 volume controls are a pain. a 3 way instead of a 5 way would also simplify things: pos 1-neck ,pos 2-neck + bridge, pos 3-Bridge. The push pull knobs get rid of the need for positions 2 and 4.

and my $.02 on the pickups...
ibanez pickups were never really that good at all. I had to rip out the powersounds from my gax and even the crappy 500T i put in made a huge difference in my tone. Another aspect of tone that you might want to take into consideration for your setup on that guitar is the wood/weight. I believe the S series guitars are as light as feathers and are made of agathis or basswood. A warmer sounding pickup would solve this problem, like an alnico II

 

[DeadSkinSlayer3]

Re: Pot/Knob Setup. Is this possible?

S's are made of Mohogany.

Are there any knobs you don't use? I found I never used my tone knob or bridge's volume, so the tone knob does nothing, and the bridge volume acts as a spin-a-split now. Bridge pickup is hardwired to the switch, so in the middle position I can dial in however much neck pickup I need with the bridge pickup, and not having it effect volume.

If you never use the bridge volume, I'd hardwire it to the switch, and have a neck volume/master tone as the 2 knobs. A super switch could take care of your splitting, 1 - bridge, 2 - bridge/neck slug coils, 3 - both buckers, 4 - bridge/neck screw coils, 5 - neck. I'm pretty sure you could do that, I think it'd work out best. Or if you never use the tone pot, let each pickup have it's own volume, and leave a master tone in the cavity (so to tame the brightness you'd get from not having a tone pot at all.

 

[ankalar]

Re: Pot/Knob Setup. Is this possible?

Wow, thanks for the replies, guys! Since there aren't any dual-cocentric, push-pull pots, I think I'll want to go with ArtieToo's suggestion. I'm not completely sure how the middle pickup thing will work. I would love it if you could post the diagram. Is there a such thing as a 3-position blade switch? It would be nice if I could use one of those so I wouldn't have to go through the extra position (that I never use) to get to the next pickup. I hate the sound of more than one pickup being selected at one time with the exception of the Bridge/Middle in a Strat, I really like that tone.

Sorry about that paragraph. I probably jumped around like crazy, thanks ADD!

In the middle of writing this, I thought maybe I could make the volume a push-pull for a kill switch? So now with your suggestions and a little of my own, I'm thinking this:

One tone knob, push-pull for coil-tap
One volume knob, push-pull for kill switch
3-way blade, Bridge/Middle/Neck

ArtieToo, this may be asking a lot, but would you be able to make a diagram like that?

Should I buy the parts online and take them to a shop, or what should I do? How much would it cost to get this done?

 

[Kent S.]

Re: Pot/Knob Setup. Is this possible?

I've never heard of push/pull concentric pots, maybe someone else has though....

I'd be concerned that the depth of the pot would be too great to get it into my control cavity - the concentric pot is deeper than normal because it's basically one pot on top of another, and then you have to get the switch under it too.

State Electronics will make them, but they aren't cheap, and they unless you are a company ordering a couple hundred at a time it's just not worth it.
Push/pull, push/push, dual, triple, quad ganged, concentric, vernier drive, multi pole switches ... they'll make it, but it'll cost you $$$.

 

[Kent S.]

Re: Pot/Knob Setup. Is this possible?

Artie knows what he's talking about. Unless its a simple design like a les paul, 2 volume controls are a pain. a 3 way instead of a 5 way would also simplify things: pos 1-neck ,pos 2-neck + bridge, pos 3-Bridge. The push pull knobs get rid of the need for positions 2 and 4.

I like that idea also, plus you could use a push/push spst switch for the middle. And the second push/pull pot could be a phase switch for either the SC or one of the HB's, good clean with chorus.

 

[Kent S.]

Re: Pot/Knob Setup. Is this possible?

In the middle of writing this, I thought maybe I could make the volume a push-pull for a kill switch? So now with your suggestions and a little of my own, I'm thinking this:

One tone knob, push-pull for coil-tap
One volume knob, push-pull for kill switch
3-way blade, Bridge/Middle/Neck

A 3way strat or tele switch will take care of the switch, although you might have to get a 3way lever from Ibanez if the others won't fit, For the kill switch, you may wish to go with a spst push/push pot, as finding a push/pull in an audio taper is kinda hard (that may soon be changing), the push/pull dpdt will be needed for coil tapping both pups,but a linear taper pot will work out pretty well there. Food for thought...

 

[ankalar]

Re: Pot/Knob Setup. Is this possible?

How much would it cost to get the new volume/push-pull tone pot, 3-way switch, pickups, and push-push switch drilled and set up?

 

[Kent S.]

Re: Pot/Knob Setup. Is this possible?

How much would it cost to get the new volume/push-pull tone pot, 3-way switch, pickups, and push-push switch drilled and set up?

You'd have to shop around or cruise the web to see who has the best deals on parts... Stewmac, All-Parts, WD, Dimarzio and let's not forget some of our forum guys like Lew, and Blackrose!
The Push/push that I referred to is a push/push pot, so no drilling is required. Prices vary from tech to tech on installation and wiring. You probably are looking at about $45 on labour plus parts ... Didn't hear anythng about you changing pups, look up Lew and Blackrose on those, check with each about what switches they have in stock (probably all I'll bet). Give 'em a PM.

 

[ankalar]

Re: Pot/Knob Setup. Is this possible?

Oh I thought you meant a completely new push-push switch, not pot! Sorry about that. Yeah I am going to replace the pickups, they're just stock right now. I think I love you, Kent, thanks for all the help. I'll go about finding the parts now.

 

[Kent S.]

Re: Pot/Knob Setup. Is this possible?

Oh I thought you meant a completely new push-push switch, not pot! Sorry about that. Yeah I am going to replace the pickups, they're just stock right now. I think I love you, Kent, thanks for all the help. I'll go about finding the parts now.

Well, that's an interesting reaction ... :laugh2: You can get a push/push DPDT switch from fender though, you'd need the switch, the mounting block, the little button for the end, you'd have to call Fender and ask intot he price though as I didn't see them listed in a jobbers catalogue, so you might have to order directly from them. That's only if you wanted to go that route though, Try All Parts or Stew-Mac for the SPST push/push pot, DMZ for the DPDT push/pull pot ... everybodt carries the 3 position start and tele switches, you'll probably want strat as some after market ones have a different sized lever (for the tele type knob), and I assume you would want a strat style knob, err, switch tip.

 

[Artie]

Re: Pot/Knob Setup. Is this possible?

Whatever you ultimately decide on, I'll be happy to draw up the diagram.
I'll have to look over this post again when I get home, but I'm not sure that you've decided on the final configuration.

BTW - We all love Kent. :laugh2:

 

[ankalar]

Re: Pot/Knob Setup. Is this possible?

Yeah I didn't know there was a such thing as a push/push pot, but now that I do I think that's what I want. I PMed Lew and he says he thinks he has all the parts in stock, he'll get me the prices when he goes back to work tomorrow. All I need is the diagram and I'll be all set (I hope).

This is what I'm doing:
I'm planning on having one push-pull tone knob/coil tapping, one push-push volume knob/killswitch, and a 3-way blade switch for bridge-middle-neck positions. I'm going to be putting a Custom in the bridge and a Jazz in the neck, not replacing the middle pickup because I don't use it.

PS: Kent, pick me up at 8?

 

[Artie]

Re: Pot/Knob Setup. Is this possible?

This is what I'm doing:
I'm planning on having one push-pull tone knob/coil tapping, one push-push volume knob/killswitch, and a 3-way blade switch for bridge-middle-neck positions. I'm going to be putting a Custom in the bridge and a Jazz in the neck, not replacing the middle pickup because I don't use it.

I'll post a diagram when I get home.

PS: Kent, pick me up at 8?

Great . . . I do the hard part . . . Kent gets the date. :yell:

j/k

 

[Kent S.]

Re: Pot/Knob Setup. Is this possible?

I'm straight; to old for one and to young for the other; and the since they lifted that ban recently I can once again buy larger capacity magazines ... :saeek:

 

[Kent S.]

Re: Pot/Knob Setup. Is this possible?

BTW - We all love Kent. :laugh2:

That's what they used to tell me at one of my old jobs, which apparently made sense because I was always getting screwed! :laugh2:

 

[ankalar]

Re: Pot/Knob Setup. Is this possible?

To show how little I know, I didn't even know I needed capacitors. What are these for in a guitar, and what type do I need?

Kent, either way you swing, everybody has a little gay part to them. Mine happens to be my left hand.