Somewhat Complex HSH- Is it possible?

[ToroToroTaxi]

Greetings I'm new to the forum, I've been wiring up guitars for a few years now but haven't really done anything too complex, I have a Cort Hiram Bullock II that I'd like to switch the pickups out of. I figured to get the most out of it, some custom wiring is in order.

The guitar has 1 volume, 1 tone and a five way switch. I want to add 3 DPDT switches. One would be a Master Series/Parallel switch ON/ON. One would be for the Neck doing ON/ON/ON as in Coil 1/Humbucker/Coil 2. One would be doing the same for the bridge, ON/ON/ON, Coil 1/Humbucker/Coil 2. Lastly I wanted to put in a Phase In/Out switch but in a Push/Pull on the Tone Control.

I wanted the five way to still be somewhat utilizing the traditional wiring in the sense of positions 1/3/5, Neck,Middle,Bridge but instead of what normally goes on 2 and 4, 2 would be both Humbuckers On, and 4 would be All Pickups On.

I don't know if this would work, I'm hoping so. I've been scouring the internet for a schematic and haven't found anything really resembling the switching I'm going for not with HSH configuration anyway.

 

[BriGuy1968]

Re: Somewhat Complex HSH- Is it possible?

Hi ToroToroTaxi, and welcome to the forum! [emoji2]

The short answer to your question is “yes, it can be done.“

The individual pieces are pretty straightforward, but the reason you’re not finding a diagram with the five settings you’re asking for is probably because the setting of “all three pick ups on“ is not a very popular one. My own HSH guitar has the ability to do it and I never use it because it just seems to make mud. That being said, just know that I’m not trying to talk you out of it… Just trying to let you know why you’re not finding it. It may be that you absolutely love the sound, so by all means give it a try.

I may be able to find time to come up with a diagram for you later this evening. I would only have three questions…

1) The master series/parallel switch would be for which two pickups?

2) On which pickup would you like to reverse the phase?

3) what pickups are you planning to use for the project?

 

[ToroToroTaxi]

Re: Somewhat Complex HSH- Is it possible?

Thank you for responding, I kind of had a feeling that all coils on might not be the most desired but I've never heard it before. I'd be willing to swap that for a neck and middle combination for 2 and then both hums on for 4. I was wondering if I could use the Master Series/Parallel switch for both humbuckers? but use the 5 way to determine which humbucker is in series or parallel. As well as the Phase Push/Pull, is it possible to use 1 for both humbuckers? If this is not possible and there needs to be 2 separate switches for both the Series/Parallel in the neck and bridge, and 2 separate phase switches, 1 for each humbucker, I guess Series/Parallel and Phase In/Out just the Neck Humbucker. I'm not sure which one would be most useful and I know I have limited switch space. I like quacky strat tones and really nice funky cleans.
As for the pickups I'm using Iron Gear Rolling Mills and a Iron Gear Smoke Stack II

 

[BriGuy1968]

Re: Somewhat Complex HSH- Is it possible?

Thank you for responding, I kind of had a feeling that all coils on might not be the most desired but I've never heard it before. I'd be willing to swap that for a neck and middle combination for 2 and then both hums on for 4.

We can certainly do either one. The only thing is that we’re going to have to use a 5-way Super Switch instead of a standard Strat-style 5-way.

I was wondering if I could use the Master Series/Parallel switch for both humbuckers? but use the 5 way to determine which humbucker is in series or parallel.

We may be talking about two different things here, so I’m going to clarify.

Humbuckers can be run in series or in parallel and a SERIES/PARALLEL switch can be used to go back and forth between the two. Series (which is the way most humbuckers are wired) means that the signal travels from one coil to the other. Parallel means that the signal passes through both coils at the same time. The series sound is louder and heavier... parallel is quieter and thinner sounding. Both are hum-canceling.

On the other hand, a MASTER SERIES/PARALLEL switch does something similar but between two PICKUPS instead of between the two coils of one pickup. Normally two pickups are wired in parallel with one another, but a master series/parallel switch puts them into series, which is louder and thicker sounding.

A master series/parallel is one switch, but a series/parallel switch for a pickup is generally one switch PER PICKUP (although there is a way around it).

Which one are you thinking of?

As well as the Phase Push/Pull, is it possible to use 1 for both humbuckers?

Out of phase is a nasally sound that can only be present when using two pickups at once. Essentially, you run one of the pickups backward from the other (hot to ground and ground to hot). So if you have the phase reverse on the bridge pickup you can get the sound with bridge+center or bridge+neck, but not on neck+center because neither one of those two pickups have the reverse switch. For your situation I would recommend putting the phase reverse on the neck pickup... especially if you opt for having position 2 be both humbuckers and 4 being neck+center. Then the phase reverse will work on both positions. A phase reverse does nothing when only one pickup is being used.

If this is not possible and there needs to be 2 separate switches for both the Series/Parallel in the neck and bridge, and 2 separate phase switches, 1 for each humbucker, I guess Series/Parallel and Phase In/Out just the Neck Humbucker. I'm not sure which one would be most useful and I know I have limited switch space. I like quacky strat tones and really nice funky cleans.

If you like a quacky Strat sound, you might consider choosing bridge+center instead of neck+center. In my opinion the “quack” is more pronounced in the bridge combo than in the neck combo. Funky is great with bridge+neck.

As for the pickups I'm using Iron Gear Rolling Mills and a Iron Gear Smoke Stack II

I’ll look those up so that I can properly color-code your diagram when I make it.

So, to recap, I need the following things clarified:

1) The pickup combinations for each of the five switch positions.

2) Which meaning of series/parallel you’re looking for.

Let me know which way you’d like to go. [emoji6]

 

[ToroToroTaxi]

Re: Somewhat Complex HSH- Is it possible?

When you said there was a way around 1 switch per pickup in regards to non master Series/Parallel, would that be through use of the 5 way superswitch? If I can, I'd like to only use 1 switch to do both humbuckers for series/parallel in the neck and the bridge separately, not both humbuckers wired together.I have a schaller 5 way megaswitch model E, would that perhaps simplify some of the wiring for this? I'd like to do Non-Master Series/Parallel so to run each humbucker though series or parallel independently and not with 2 switches. (If this won't work I'm fine with just 1 Series/Parallel switch on the neck Humbucker)

I've been contemplating and I think I'd like the 5 way configuration to be 1-Neck, 2-Neck+Mid, 3-Mid, 4-Bridge, 5-Both Humbuckers. I agree with what you said about the phase push/pull being on the neck humbucker.

Then of course the 2 coil splitting DPDT switches ON/ON/ON. For Coil 1 /Humbucker/Coil 2 for the neck and bridge.

 

[BriGuy1968]

Re: Somewhat Complex HSH- Is it possible?

We can put the series/parallel switch on a 4PDT mini switch instead of a DPDT (it’s essentially two DPDTs next to one another) like this one:

https://guitarelectronics.com/2-way-4-pole-on-on-mini-toggle-switch/

As for the Schaller Megaswitch E, I’ll have to look it up to be sure. I know it’s like a standard super switch in that it has 4 poles, but I don’t remember how it’s innards are connected. It’s possible that it will allow all the combinations you’re looking for, but not in the order you asked for. If that’s the case do you want me to use it in the diagram or should I just go to a standard 5-way super switch in order to put your combinations in the right order?

I’m about to get ready for work, so I’ll have to wait until tonight to work on this stuff. [emoji1303]

 

[BriGuy1968]

Re: Somewhat Complex HSH- Is it possible?

By the way, if you want there is also a way to do series/split/parallel on a 3-way on/on/on mini. If you did that instead of the split1/both/split2 switches you’d lose the ability to split to either coil (only one would be available) but you’d be adding the ability to choose parallel for each pickup and eliminating a hole to drill. Just thought I’d throw that out there. [emoji6]

 

[ToroToroTaxi]

Re: Somewhat Complex HSH- Is it possible?

I thought about the Series/Split/Parallel, but I decided against it because I wanted the option for both coils. Do the superswitch if it can't be done with the Schaller, I just have the Schaller E lying around, I can get a superswitch for this I just need to know what brand and model it is, there are a few different kinds.
I never knew about the 4PDT, that would do the trick for both pickups?

 

[BriGuy1968]

Re: Somewhat Complex HSH- Is it possible?

Yes… It would work for series/parallel on both pickups at once. The only drawback would be that you wouldn’t be able to select something like bridge series and neck parallel, but I doubt that would be a big deal.

 

[BriGuy1968]

Re: Somewhat Complex HSH- Is it possible?

Another question for ya...

I found some information on your pickups and the Smoke Stack appears to be designed with a coil tap, using one lead for “normal” output and another for “high” output. Were you wanting to have the ability to switch between the two, or were you just planning to use one of the two settings?

1) If you want the ability to switch between them we could add another push/pull to the volume control.

2) If you’re planning on using only one setting, which one?

 

[ToroToroTaxi]

Re: Somewhat Complex HSH- Is it possible?

I think I'd use just the normal setting, I'm not sure how much space I'd have left with one more Push/Pull.

 

[BriGuy1968]

Re: Somewhat Complex HSH- Is it possible?

Well, by the time I got your last message I was almost done with drawing the diagram WITH the extra push-pull... so I finished it that way (just in case) and then modified it. In any case, one of these two should be what you’re looking for. [emoji6]

First, your requested diagram:

...and then one with the added push-pull to boost the output of the center pickup:

Let me know if you have any questions and be sure to let us know how your project comes out. While you’re hanging out on the forum, jump into a few conversations... this can be a pretty cool place to get great information and have a couple of laughs!

Peace! [emoji41]

 

[ToroToroTaxi]

Re: Somewhat Complex HSH- Is it possible?

Thank you so much for your help, I really appreciate it. I will let you know how it turns out. I have a few more guitars I'm going to be working on so I'm definitely going to be on here quite a bit. Thank you again

 

[Sauro]

Hello, having a guitar in which I experiment with it I came across this scheme and I'm ready to experiment with this wiring but being left-handed I'm getting into the super switch area. Regarding the potentiometers it is easy but in this super switch not. I was wondering if I just have to reverse and mirror the links, that is, the contacts below 1,2,3,4,5 I reverse them to above but in order 5,4,3,2,1 and vice versa. Am I wrong?

Thanks for the help .....​

 

[jeremy]

welcome to the forum!

this thread is six years old, best to start a new one. just make sure you wires the switch so things are in the right orientation for you, if you want to think of it as mirrored compared to what is posted, thats fine

 

[Chistopher]

What ever happened to Brian?

 

[Securb]

What ever happened to Brian?

. BriGuy1968 is floating around on Facebook he seems to be doing well