Guitarmusic
New member
Has anyone used on before? I was going to buy one and was wondering what experiences anyone had?
Seymour Duncan Liberator Volume Pot
- Thread starter Guitarmusic
- Start date
Jack_TriPpEr
New member
There are numerous posts about people's experiences with the Liberator. Did you use the Search function?
If you swap out pickups a lot, it will help. You have to solder it in to start, but then it makes it easy to try out a bunch of different pickups without soldering. I will say that it is sort of big, and if your control cavity is pretty packed, you might have to get the pot out of the cavity to wire things in. If that's what you need in your project, it does fine. It is a pretty unique product.
Guitarmusic
New member
I went back and checked out some things, Thank you!
Guitarmusic
New member
It'll be the only pot in the strat which sounds like a best case scenario. I'm going to give it a shot.
Guitarmusic
New member
I have been looking at wiring diagrams for the Liberator and had a question about using a 5 way super switch with the Liberator? I was hoping to have a HH Strat with the following wiring setup:
Position 5: Bridge series
Position 4: Outer coils of Neck and bridge
Position 3: both humbuckers
Position 4: inner coils
Position 5: Neck series
Has anyone ever tried a wiring scheme like this using the Seymour Duncan Liberator?
From what I understand of the Liberator, it acts as a "hub" for the pickups to be wired into while having a separate section of the Liberator go to the pots and switches in the guitar.
The guitar will only have 1 volume knob and no tone switch. I was hoping to use a 5 way super switch, but can use a 3 position switch instead if the wiring scheme described above is not possible. I would like to be able to use the outer and inner coils, but is not totally essential.
Position 5: Bridge series
Position 4: Outer coils of Neck and bridge
Position 3: both humbuckers
Position 4: inner coils
Position 5: Neck series
Has anyone ever tried a wiring scheme like this using the Seymour Duncan Liberator?
From what I understand of the Liberator, it acts as a "hub" for the pickups to be wired into while having a separate section of the Liberator go to the pots and switches in the guitar.
The guitar will only have 1 volume knob and no tone switch. I was hoping to use a 5 way super switch, but can use a 3 position switch instead if the wiring scheme described above is not possible. I would like to be able to use the outer and inner coils, but is not totally essential.
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Jack_TriPpEr
New member
Yes, it's possible. The Liberator has a wire extension for each of the 8 wires coming into it from the two 4-conductor pickups that you would be using, so there really isn't any reason that the Liberator would limit what wiring diagram/scheme you would want.
If you already have a wiring diagram that you'd want to use, post it here and i can review and confirm that its error free, plus advise you on how to mod it to accomodate the connections to and from the liberator. If you don't have a diagram already, i could mod one from my collection to accomodate the Liberator.
[Edit: just reread your earlier post where you said you have a strat. Nevermind the caution below, i happen to know that a strat's cavity is tall enough to accomodate the taller superswitches.]
Before buying a superswitch, take a measurement of the height dimension in your control cavity. Some make/models of superswitches can be too tall for some thin guitars, so you'll want to know which superswitches will and won't fit in your particular guitar before you buy one.
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Guitarmusic
New member
Ok, thank you. I am using a guitar body from Warmoth. I'll check it out and see what the height looks like. I might actually have a super switch lying around somewhere too. I am using one Seymour duncan Pickup and one Dimarzio Pickup so I would need a diagram that helps explain both. I'll try and find some wiring diagrams and see what I can find. First I'll look for the super switch. Thank you!
Jack_TriPpEr
New member
Ok. Fyi: each pickup will need to be a 4 wire version (vs old school 2 wire version) to do the kind of coilsplitting that you want to do.
since i have to mod the diagram to accomodate the Liberator anyways, it'll be quicker and easier if i just pick a diagram from my existing collection. So really the only thing I would need from you at this point is:
1. What is the model of each pickup, and which one do you want to put in the neck position and which do you want to put in the bridge position?
2. what is the make/model of superswitch you will be using? Some of them have the lugs arranged differently from other types, so i would want to design the look of it in my diagram to match qhat you have.
Guitarmusic
New member
Ok, I finally ordered the Super Switch, this is the model:
https://www.cedist.com/products/switch-fender-pickup-selector-5-way
The neck pickup will be the Screamin Demon
The Bridge Pickup will be the Dimarzio Norton
I hope this helps, it is very nice of you to offer your help in this way. I am not in a big rush because I have several parts I am still waiting to come in for the guitar.
ItsaBass
New member
It's a bit clunky in form and in use...but it works. I have two in my pickup tester guitar, which is all about speed/convenience of swaps, and minimizing variables.
I would not recommend one for "normal" use. There's no point. Its only good purpose is for dedicated pickup testing, IMO. If you are not a gear blogger or testing products for a pickup manufacturer, you have problems if you are swapping that much.
I would not recommend one for "normal" use. There's no point. Its only good purpose is for dedicated pickup testing, IMO. If you are not a gear blogger or testing products for a pickup manufacturer, you have problems if you are swapping that much.
Jack_TriPpEr
New member
I think that is a little extreme in an assessment of which use cases justify a Liberator. I don't think Seymour Duncan would have invested the R&D and money to mass produce the Liberator if they likewise thought it was only justfied for use by gear bloggers, etc. It seems instead the intent was to find a way to make it easier for untapped *potential* aftermarket pickup users to take the plunge by making the process of installation easier. If you mean to say that in actual practice , its still a bit clunky in satisying that goal, i would agree there.
I think the Liberator has usefulness outside of gear bloggers. If you are a musician that works with several different projects, or a theater musician playing for many shows, or even someone who likes to change pickups out every few weeks, it makes things easy. It is a little big for some cavities, and it might not save a lot of time with guitars with pickguards, but it is a useful tool.
Artie
Peaveyologist
Other folks have probably already made this point, but just to be clear: there's no correlation between the Liberator and any specific wiring scheme. The Liberator simply connects as if it were your pickups, regardless of the wiring scheme. Then, the pups just connect to it.
I have mixed emotions about the Liberator. I bought one just so I could hold it in my hand and see how it's configured. It's never been installed in anything because my solder skills are "up to snuff", so to speak. But I do see one shining example of its use:
Let's say you're someone who wants to try various pups in your Les Paul. (Just as an example.) And lets say you're neither good at soldering, or have the equipment. You take it to a good tech and let them wire up the whole guitar, with the Liberator. Now, you can swap to your hearts delight with just the supplied screwdriver.
My 2-cents worth.
Other folks have probably already made this point, but just to be clear: there's no correlation between the Liberator and any specific wiring scheme. The Liberator simply connects as if it were your pickups, regardless of the wiring scheme. Then, the pups just connect to it.
I have mixed emotions about the Liberator. I bought one just so I could hold it in my hand and see how it's configured. It's never been installed in anything because my solder skills are "up to snuff", so to speak. But I do see one shining example of its use:
Let's say you're someone who wants to try various pups in your Les Paul. (Just as an example.) And lets say you're neither good at soldering, or have the equipment. You take it to a good tech and let them wire up the whole guitar, with the Liberator. Now, you can swap to your hearts delight with just the supplied screwdriver.
My 2-cents worth.
That's really where this thing shines. It isn't anything other than that. As far as that wiring scheme, the Liberator just makes it easier to put the pickups in, but to do that, you will still need a Super Switch, and flip one magnet to keep it all hum-cancelling.
Jack_TriPpEr
New member
Mincer, "need" to flip magnet in order to achieve hum-canceling? Not accurate. Magnet flipping is just one way to do that. And i would argue more invasive and labor-requiring than another alternate, which is to rotate the pup 180 degress and then wire it so you get the coil that you want, to be split. In the last 6 months or so, I have helped people out on this forum a few times with custom diagrams that used that method.
It's ok if someone prefers the flip-the-magnet method. But its not helpful to the community, some of them newbies, to propogate the idea that it's the only method.
Well, that changes the look and possibly the tone (just a bit). Once you know how to do it, it isn't a big deal. You need to do it if you don't want to flip your pickups. I have come across many people who don't want to do that, especially with covered pickups or pickups with logos, as it radically changes the look (which is what they tell me).
I know it might not be a big deal to some, but upside down logos or pickups just might not be the look someone wants. So, I can agree to say 'this is only possible if you flip a magnet or want to flip the whole pickup around.'
Jack_TriPpEr
New member
No problem. It gives me the opportunity to create a diagram that features the Liberator , which i can use as a template in the future for other diagrams.
Do either of your two humbuckers have logos on them? Or a cover with a design onnit? If yes, please specify. The reason I ask is that to get the two splitcoil pairs in Positions 2 and 4 to be humcanceling, i could either A) design the diagram to rotate one of the pickups 180 degrees, plus design the wiring connections in a certain way, or B) if the pickup candidate has a logo or design pattern that would make it look odd turned around like that, the diagram could be designed with the intent that you would instead partially disassemble the pickup beforehand, flip the magnet over, and then reassemble the pickup. In followup replies i and other members here could cover HOW to do Option B if that is the one you want. There is a third option, where if you don't care about 60 cycle hum being present in Positons 2 and 4, then we don't have to do anything special at all.
Let me know your thoughts, questions, etc.
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