Some questions on pickup wiring.

S

sepultura

New member
Folks, I've got three SD mini-humbuckers for my strat (hot rails bridge, cool rails and little 59 neck/mid). All three allow coil split. I'd like to wire them up with with minimal change to my existing hardware, and don't want to have to do any woodwork on the guitar.

I'd like to use the same fender 5-way pup selector switch, so I'd have :

1. neck HB
2. neck HB + mid HB
3. mid HB
4. mid HB + bridge HB
5. bridge HB

Plus the option of coil split: I'd use three toggle switches or maybe push-pull pots to enable coil split on the HB's. Ideally I'd like to have:

neck + mid : inner coils
mid + bridge : inner coils

However that would require using different coils for the mid HB depending on whether it's used together with the neck or bridge pup in order to achieve hum cancellation. That would make the circuitry complex.

Instead, I'm thinking of coil split this way - Wire up two DPDT push pull pots which will split the coils as follows:

Neck : north
Mid : south
Bridge : north

With this config, if I use coil split, I'll get:

1. neck (north)
2. neck (north) + mid (south) => outer coils
3. mid (south)
4. mid (south) + bridge (north) => inner coils
5. bridge (north)

Question: Will both combinations (2) and (4) do hum cancelling? If yes, then this is the way I'm headed.

Thanks in advance!
 
Re: Some questions on pickup wiring.

All your combinations will indeed be humcancelling.

BTW, you'll be using single-coil sized 'buckers, not mini's.

Mini-humbuckers are what came stock on Gibson Firebirds and LP Deluxe models. :burnout:
 
Re: Some questions on pickup wiring.

Thanks for the clarification on mini humbuckers. Am I right in saying that if you use a combination like
neck (north) and mid (north)
that would not be hum cancelling?

And do I need to be concerned about polarities and the like? Both my Little 59 and cool rails say they're for the neck, but I'm guessing that has to do with the sensitivity rather than polarities, so does it matter which pup I install in the mid / neck?
 
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Re: Some questions on pickup wiring.

sepultura said:
Plus the option of coil split: I'd use three toggle switches or maybe push-pull pots to enable coil split on the HB's. Ideally I'd like to have:

neck + mid : inner coils
mid + bridge : inner coils

However that would require using different coils for the mid HB depending on whether it's used together with the neck or bridge pup in order to achieve hum cancellation. That would make the circuitry complex.
Click to expand...

Actually, thats not complex at all. Look at how they do the splitting in this diagram:

http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/schematics/hum_sing_hum_vol_tone_spl.html

What you'ld do different, is run that ground, thats on the righ-hand side of the switch, to one side of a push/pull. The other side would be connected to the red/white of the middle pup. The side with the middle pup would then go to another push/pull that would select north or south middle coil.

(I'll draw a diagram when I get home.) ;)

So, you'ld use one PP to split the pups, and the other to select north/south of the middle. And, as I think of it, I believe there might be an even easier way. I'll get back to this afternoon.

Artie
 
Re: Some questions on pickup wiring.

Yup . . . thats the same thing I came up with, except mine includes a push/pull pot so that you can choose whether to split or not. Also, that functionality can be duplicated using the standard 5-way and a push/pull. The only difference is, that if you use the standard 5-way, when in the split position, the #3 position will be split also. (Only if the PP is pulled.) Its a small compromise to make if you want to save on the cost of the Superswitch.

Film at eleven. :)

Artie
 
Re: Some questions on pickup wiring.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but both of those diagrams will not allow him to have N+M and B+M as full humbuckers, right?

Sepultura, it seems in order to do what you'd want you'd need 3 push/pulls. One will split both the bridge and neck, one will split the middle and one will select which coil of the middle is active. If you went with your other idea and use North coil on the Neck, South coil on the Middle and North coil on the Bridge, one push/pull could split the neck+bridge, and one could split the middle.

On this topic, too bad there isnt a TPDT push/pull pot to either split or tap three pickups at once.
 
Re: Some questions on pickup wiring.

The diagram that I'll be posting in a few hours will allow all of that by adding just one push/pull to the standard 5-way. The use of a Superswitch simply allows a "convenience" position. (Not having to flip 2 levers for one particular function.)
 
Re: Some questions on pickup wiring.

I was thinking about it at lunch, that you could probably do it all with one superswitch and one push/pull.
 
Re: Some questions on pickup wiring.

Actually, you don't need the Superswitch. A standard 5-way and push/pull will do it. ;)
 
Re: Some questions on pickup wiring.

You can get all 5 standard positions with both full humbuckers and single coils (all hum-cancelling) with a standard 5-way and push/pull? This I've got to see... You really are the man when it comes to guitar wiring. :bigok:

EDIT - Man, Artie... I'm thinking and thinking but I'm not quite there. Could you throw a hint out? (I'm thinking hot on all three lugs of one side of the switch, use the Red+White of each PU on each lug on the other side, use the common for ground, and switch the ground on and off with the push/pull, but it seems like that wouldn't work for full humbucker N+M and M+B, since the R+W of two pickups will be in parallel at those positions)

EDIT2 - I think I got it. Use one side of the 5-way for the neck and bridge taps (ground on the common terminal, switched from a push/pull) and use the other side of the push/pull to tap the middle pickup.

And I also learned to read what's been posted before I open my big mouth. ;)
 
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Re: Some questions on pickup wiring.

Ok . . . I think this does it. Three different ways to do it. In all three of these, when the push/pull is "down", you have normal 5-way operation, with all positions being humbucking:

1. neck
2. neck & middle
3. middle
4. middle & bridge
5. bridge

So, in these diagrams, I'll only list the "up" positions:

Fig 1.

type01.png


Fig 1 is probably the least desirable. When the PP is "up", all 5 positions are split, with #2 and #4 being humbucking. (Although, there's nothing wrong with that.) ;)

Fig 2.

type02.png


This just adds the push/pull to Seymours own drawing.
#1 and #5 are normal humbucking, #2, #3, and #4 are split.
All but #3 are humbucking.

This is probably the best one, with the least amount of expense and wiring.

This last one just substitutes a Superswitch, to give you the "convenience" of the #3 position remaining humbucking, (full pup), even when the push/pull is up. That is, all 5 positions will be humbucking, with #2 and #4 split.

Fig 3.

type03.png


1. neck (full on)
2. neck & middle (both split - humbucking)
3. middle (full on)
4. middle & bridge (both split - humbucking)
5. bridge (full on)

In all three cases, the neck and bridge are always split to the south coil, and the middle is split to the north coil.

Hope this is what you wanted. We can revise it if it isn't. ;)

Artie

Edit: Oh yeah . . . in all of those, the two points marked "A" connect together.
 
Re: Some questions on pickup wiring.

Wonderful. Thank you! Looks like a superswitch is the way to go for me. The only concern is whether the superswitch will physically fit in where the normal fender 5-way switch sits, or if some woodwork is needed to increase the cavity size.
 
Re: Some questions on pickup wiring.

sepultura said:
Wonderful. Thank you! Looks like a superswitch is the way to go for me. The only concern is whether the superswitch will physically fit in where the normal fender 5-way switch sits, or if some woodwork is needed to increase the cavity size.
Click to expand...

Shouldn't be a problem, I managed to get a superswitch into a Tele. Not easy, but I made it...
 
Re: Some questions on pickup wiring.

I just checked the specs on stewmac.com. The spacing between the screw holes and the slot for the switch lever is the same size as the normal switch, but the depth is a little more, the normal switch is supposed to be 1-3/8" whereas the superswitch is 1-7/16", that's just 0.0625" or 1.58mm deeper. Got to open up the pick guard today to check if there's that much space below the switch or if it's flush with the wood. Hope it's not!

What changes did you need to make? Woodwork? Anything else?
 
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