Spin-a-split, is 1 pot sufficient for 2 pups?

[Jack_TriPpEr]

For the spin-a-split mod, can I get away with using just 1 pot to control the split for 2 pickups? I don't need or want independent control of the split for each pickup, so hoping I can use 1 pot to control both pickups.... without any undesirable side-effects/consequences. Anyone know?

 

[Artie]

I don't think so, but don't give up just yet. Is this a 1 vol, 1 tone guitar, with a toggle-style 3-way?

 

[jeremy]

yeah, dont think so. but if anyone can figure it out, artie will

 

[Artie]

Thanks for the vote of confidence Jeremy. Without even thinking about it, a dual-gang pot would do it. You maintain separate circuits while also having one sync'd control. But I'll still doodle a couple things up.

There's a couple questions I need to know:

1. What type of pup selector switch is being used? Gibson style toggle, or Fender style blade?
2. Do you want to be able to split a pup when it's used by itself, used with the other, or both?

 

[Jack_TriPpEr]

Thanks for the vote of confidence Jeremy. Without even thinking about it, a dual-gang pot would do it. You maintain separate circuits while also having one sync'd control. But I'll still doodle a couple things up.

There's a couple questions I need to know:

1. What type of pup selector switch is being used? Gibson style toggle, or Fender style blade?
2. Do you want to be able to split a pup when it's used by itself, used with the other, or both?

1. Gibson style 3 way
2. both. Like a push-pull wired to coilsplit both pickups, would split (or not split) both pickups regardless of 3 way pickup selector switch.

I've tried tracing how the signal would flow (starting from ground) in Position 2 with the split active, and i just don't enough experience to know if the signal for eaxh pickup stays separate once it passes thru the spin-a-split junction point (middle lug) or the two pup signals mix at that point, which would be "not good". Or maybe you see even other potential down-sides beyond that...

Thanks Artie

 

[Jack_TriPpEr]

yeah, dont think so. but if anyone can figure it out, artie will

Artie's the Man!

 

[Clint 55]

Yeah you need a dual gang pot. This is what I use and recommend to control the split of 2 pickups with 1 knob. After trying many values, I've found that 50k has the best taper. 25k or 100k are OK but 50k really works the best. The knob on 5 is half way split with single coiley tones below that and more hum-ish tones above that. 250k and 500k pots plain old DON'T WORK. They focus all the single coiley tones, which are the point of using a spin o split, into 1 and 2 on the dial and the rest of the dial is barely split at all. Splitting responds to the absolute value of the resistance of the pot to ground, not to the proportion of the sweep that the knob is on. You do have to convert it to no load, otherwise you'll never get full series even with the knob on 10.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/A50K-Ohm-Au...72.m2749.l2649

 

[Artie]

This is one of those situations where someone like Clint, who actually uses this, might be a better source of info than me. I tried this over ten years ago, and didn't care for it. So I'm not really up on what values work and what doesn't. When I did it, I think I used a "normal" pot value. (Probably 500k.) That may be why I didn't like it.

But Clint is correct about needing two pots. Either ganged or concentric. Ganged are almost impossible to find in standard guitar values, but Clint is saying that's not what you want. Concentric can be found in normal guitar values, but require two knobs. However, they can easily be "locked" together to turn as one.

I was just looking at the Duncan SaS article, and it does recommend no-load, as Clint said. That may be another reason I didn't like it. I need to revisit this using other values and no-load pots.

https://www.seymourduncan.com/blog/latest-updates/guitar-wiring-explored-the-spin-a-split-mod

 

[Jack_TriPpEr]

This is one of those situations where someone like Clint, who actually uses this, might be a better source of info than me. I tried this over ten years ago, and didn't care for it. So I'm not really up on what values work and what doesn't. When I did it, I think I used a "normal" pot value. (Probably 500k.) That may be why I didn't like it.

But Clint is correct about needing two pots. Either ganged or concentric. Ganged are almost impossible to find in standard guitar values, but Clint is saying that's not what you want. Concentric can be found in normal guitar values, but require two knobs. However, they can easily be "locked" together to turn as one.

I was just looking at the Duncan SaS article, and it does recommend no-load, as Clint said. That may be another reason I didn't like it. I need to revisit this using other values and no-load pots.

https://www.seymourduncan.com/blog/latest-updates/guitar-wiring-explored-the-spin-a-split-mod

Artie or Clint, I would greatly appreciate it if you could give a short explanation of why a single pot wouldn't work in this situation. I like to understand how things work - or in this case, why certain approaches don't work. It'd help expand my understanding of guitar electronics. Would also be helpful for anyone else who has the same question and comes across this thread.

 

[Clint 55]

It will blend both pickups if you don't isolate both sets of red and whites from each other (or whichever wires you're using to split).

 

[Artie]

It will blend both pickups . . .

Exactly. There are no neck and bridge electrons.
They'll go wherever they can. If you had a Fender style switch, you could use a Superswitch to only connect the SaS to the active pup. But with a Gibson style toggle, that's not possible.

 

[Jack_TriPpEr]

Ok, thanks guys.