SG wiring question, confused

[megalo]

If i use the 2 tone,2 volume, 3 way wiring schematic on SD site
would the end result be that the 3way switch down is bridge up is neck and midlle position splits the humbuckers and uses 1 coil from each humbucker?

The way it is set up now, switch in bottom position turns on bridge and up is neck but middle position is neck only too. It just sound thinner than switch in up position. I was under the ipression that middle position was combining both neck and bridge.

To use both pickups at same time do they have to be split? sorry if thats a tupid question. I would like to have some versatilty as this is my only guitar.
basically i want to be able to A) use either humbucker on its own
B) combine both humbuckers C) split both humbuckers. Now heres another question. When yoiu split humbuckers do you usually just use 1 coil from each humbucker or can you split 1 humbucker and use it by itself as 2 single coils?

If anyone can clear this up for me it would help alot. Im assuming i would need some push/pull pots + 3 way switch to have all these options correct?

megalo

 

[Artie]

Re: SG wiring question, confused

You are correct that in the middle position, both pickups should be selected. I believe that SG's use the old lever-style 3-way switch. Its fairly common for one of the "leaves" to be bent back slightly with age, causing exactly the problem you're having. With the switch in the middle, it doesn't quite make contact with one lever, (so one pup is off). When you move the handle to that position, you make the contact.

If you know what you're doing, and you're careful, you can gently bend the lever back into place. Idealy, you should replace the switch.

As for splitting the pups, normally, you'ld just use one coil of either humbucker. You can do this in either of several different ways. You can use one push/pull pot to select the opposing coils of each pup, so that you have both split, but maintain humbucking operation when the 3-way is in the middle. This only requires one push/pull pot.

Or, you can use two push/pull pots and split either pup independently.

You can take this a bit farther, and add two on-off-on DPDT switches, and have either coil, of either pup, at any time. This probably wouldn't look very good on an SG though.

Let us know which you prefer, and we can steer you to the proper diagram. (Or make a custom one.)

Artie

 

[megalo]

Re: SG wiring question, confused

You can use one push/pull pot to select the opposing coils of each pup, so that you have both split, but maintain humbucking operation when the 3-way is in the middle. This only requires one push/pull pot.



ok so if i used just 1 push pull pot to basically cancel out 1 coil in each humbucker then i would have have my 3 switch set in middle for that to work correct? then just push/pull it off to use both humbuckers full at same time together when still in middle position.

did i get that right?
thanks for your help also

jeremy

 

[Artie]

Re: SG wiring question, confused

Yeah, basically like this:



Click the image for the full size version.
Note, that I made two of the wires in blue, to make it easy to see where they go. (One to ground, one to hot.)

Artie

btw - in that diagram, there's only one volume and tone, but the concept is the same.

 

[megalo]

Re: SG wiring question, confused

ok thanks a bunch i think with that diagram and the other one with 2 tone volume i should be alright thanks.