Question regarding a Strat H-S-S - polarity

Crazy_Guitar

Crazy_Guitar

New member
Hello everybody,

I'm rebuilding a Strat-like axe. She has a H-S-S combination and I have bought a set of SD pickups.
My choices were:
  • SD Pearly Gates Plus (Fender replacement)
  • SD STK-4
  • SD STK-4 RW/RP

I would like to wire it the following way:
http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/schematics/schematicspdf/h_2stks4_1v_1t_s5w.pdf
The exception is that I will want to use the "bridge coil" of the Pearly Gates Plus, instead of the "neck coil".

However, my doubt is related with magnetic polarity.
Should I install the RW/RP pickup in the neck position, and not in the middle?
Is the "proximity test" enough to test the relative polarity between the pickups?


I am quite used to re-wireing guitars, but this doubt has come to me and I have found no information whatsoever regarding the magnetic polarity of the STK-4's.


Thanks. Cheers!
 
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Re: Question regarding a Strat H-S-S - polarity

You will save yourself all kinds of headaches by just buying a polarity tester. The one at Stewmac is just $7.
 
Re: Question regarding a Strat H-S-S - polarity

Unless you plan on splitting the stacks, I dont think it going to matter all that much since they're humbuckers. But you should be able to figure how the polarity with your proximity test I supppose. Just keep your leads long and its an easy swaperoo if the first way doesnt work out.
 
Re: Question regarding a Strat H-S-S - polarity

To split so that the bridge-side coil is left on instead of the neck-side coil, wire as follows:

white to ground
black & green become series junction
red is hot to switch

The screw coil (bridge-side) will be humcancelling with a normal RW-RP single coil from S-D. (I don't have direct experience with the STK-4 though.)

this wiring diagram may work better for you. It's much easier too since it uses a standard "5-way" switch. I'm guessing that there really isn't any benefit to splitting the STK-4 pup - the neck & middle should be humcancelling together without you doing anything from the product description. The question I can't answer is which pickup to put in the middle (though my initial guess is the RW/RP).

HTH

Chip
 
Re: Question regarding a Strat H-S-S - polarity

The intention behind splitting the stacks is not to have 3 coils active at the same time (hence, not being hum-cancelling).
 
Re: Question regarding a Strat H-S-S - polarity

Crazy_Guitar said:
The intention behind splitting the stacks is not to have 3 coils active at the same time (hence, not being hum-cancelling).
Click to expand...

Understood - but do you only need to split coils in position 2 (bridge/middle) right? In position 4 (middle/neck), the two STK-4s together should be humcancelling without splitting, but the diagram you linked to will work (and there must be a reason S-D posted it)

To split the bridge pickup to the screw coil (closest to bridge), substitute wires as follows:

green -> white (to ground)
red -> black (hot of slug coil)
white -> green (tie to black for series connection & grounding for coil split)
black -> red

Then get a polarity tester and make sure that the bridge screw coil and the middle pickup are opposite polarities.

Chip
 
Re: Question regarding a Strat H-S-S - polarity

I guess the bottom coil in the STK-4s is some sort of "hum absorving device"... from what I have read, the tone is exclusively produced by the top coil. Hence the pickup having only three conductors.

I have thought the same in position 4 (middle/neck): it is hum-cancelling, but it would be like having two humbuckers in paralell! A Strat has two single-coils in paralell.

Guess I should buy a polarity tester...
 
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