split / series / parallel????

[andy4tune]

Just got my new SD pickups for the strat - Hot Rails bridge, Lil 59 middle , Duckbucker neck and am starting to think about wiring. I could just wire according to the basic schematic (% way selector, 1 vol 2 X tone), but it seems a waste not to utilise the humbucker options. I got myself two Double throw microswitches (on/on/on) just in case...

I'm confident about the standard wiring, a little less so on introducing two new switches.


What are the advantages to having both the humbuckers wired to the miscroswitch - versatility would seem like one good advantage, but what about the downside? Can anyone offer any advice or tips that I might find useful ?

Sorry to be so vague, but I really don't want to drill two holes in the pickguard and then find out that I didn't really mean to use those switches and on the other hand once that pickguard's loaded and in I don't wanna have to take it off again either....

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: split / series / parallel????

The series tones are fine but I don't find the split and parallel tones of those mini humbuckers to be especially useful. I'd pass. The tones are thin and weak.

Full size humbuckers are a whole differant deal and worth the effort of installing the mini switches.

But not the single coil pickups you're using...just to thin and weak when split or used in parallel.

Just my opinion.

Lew

 

[Robert S.]

Re: split / series / parallel????

I dont know that the lil59 split or in parallel is going to sound phenominal by itself but it will most likely compliment the Vintage Rail when both pickups are on at the same time. The VR is fairly low in output and very single coil sounding. You will definately hear a volume difference between the VR and the lil59 and parallel wiring the lil59 will drop the output and get you a more characteristic Strat tone.

The Hot Rail is definately hot and the split or parallel tones will probably be more useable alone than the lil59 but only your ears will determine that for sure.

The only thing I would suggest is to put the VR in the middle and the lil59 in the neck. The Hot Rail/Vintage Rail/Çool Rail combo (lil59 is very simular to a Cool Rail) is a tried and proven combo in Strats both by myself and many Strat playing members of this board over time. The lil59 in the neck will offer you some great punchy lead tones and warm rhythm tones that really are very nice.

I say go for the extra switches though I think you'll like the parallel option the best. The tone is quite simular between parallel and split but parallel is hum cancelling and a little glassier to my ears. With the VR in the middle and the extra switches and wiring options you'll have a guitar that will cover any style you might want to play.

Sounds like a fun project.

 

[andy4tune]

Re: split / series / parallel???? - update

Re: split / series / parallel???? - update

So a job that I thought would take a couple of hours ended up taking the best part of a day. Lucky I was off work with a stinking cold.

I stuck to the original plan - HR bridge, 59 middle, Duck neck and installed the two mini toggles.

Two things - I now realise that I need a smaller soldering iron bit and after troubleshooting several problems got the switch on the bridge HR sorted for series/split/parallel. The 59 I couldn't get to work - I think the switch may have been broken, so I just connected it in a regular fashion.

The second problem I had was the wiring - the gauge was a little to big and cramming it all in the body was a pain. One day, I'll take it all out and wire up that middle pickup.

Was it worth it? You bet!!

The hot rails are fantastic and the subtle changes obtained by the mini toggle are great. Glassiness is a good description and I like this pickup a lot - it really screams with high gain. What I need now though is a tone control to warm it up.

The lil-59 in the middle is great and just on its own gives a really nice warm chunky sound.

The ducky in the neck is er.... different. It's really quacky as described and somehow I started playing funky stuff because of it - with hindsight maybe another lil 59 would have been better, but the combination of the duck and the 59 is well cool.

Having just obtained a strat with noiseless pickups and been amazed by the vibrancy of them (this was the first USA strat I'd used - the mods are to a mex strat) I was very suprised by the Seymour Duncans.

To my ears (which aren't in the best condition these days) the SD'd seem a bit more brittle than the fenders but have a nice chiming quality that seems unique. I'm very impressed indeed and would recommend anyone to to have a go at an upgrade to see what a difference they can make.

Thanks for the advice guys - when embarking ona new project it's always useful to get some feedback. Great forum - keep up the good work!!

 

[mongrollo]

Re: split / series / parallel????

Glad you are happy with your set up.

Just in case you want to try different things... When you have weak split humbuckers you can obtain good tones by combining one of the coils in series with another coil from another humbucker. For example, the neck side coil from the VR in series with the neck side coil from the 59'. And the combination still will be humcancelling.

I have tried this with low output humbuckers and the tone it is a kind of fat version of the position 2 & 4 from a strat.