Super Switch wiring confusion

[Mincer]

For you wiring gurus who know a lot more than I do (mostly everyone)...I am having one crazy time trying to figure out this Super Switch:

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electro...Super_Switch/Instructions/I-3200.html#details

OK, this is what I want to do:
The pickups are an Alnico Pro 2 neck and CC bridge. There is 1 master volume, 1 master tone. I would like the switch positions to be:

A. Neck HB
B. Inside coils of both HBs in parallel
C. Both HBs
D. Outside coils of both HBs in parallel
E. Bridge HB

What would be awesome would be some sort of wiring diagram for this. Also, what would be the sound difference between parallel or series wiring in positions B & D? I am guessing parallel would be some sort of faux strat sound, although not humbucking.

I also have a push/push tone pot in this guitar, so if the wiring allows it, it might be interesting to switch those B & D positions from parallel (down) to series (up) with it...

In any case, this switch has me baffled. I have wired my share of 5 ways, but all those lugs scare me.

Any quick sketches or advice would be welcome.

 

[Artie]

Re: Super Switch wiring confusion

Hey Minc; I can do you a diagram later on today, (maybe tomorrow), but here's a couple things to think about. Mind you, I don't want to talk you out of something you want, just here's what I might do:

Instead of inside and outside coils, consider this:

B. adj. coil of neck, stud coil of bridge in parallel. (remains humbucking)
D. adj. coil of neck, stud coil of bridge in series. (still humbucking)

"B" will then give you that quasi-Strat notch quack, and "D" will give you 3-inch wide humbucker.

Whatever you decide, I can draw it.

Artie

Edit: I believe that on "D", you could also do stud of neck with adj. of bridge to get a little more high-end "bite".

 

[Mincer]

Re: Super Switch wiring confusion

wow Artie, thanks for the help! i think i'll start with my idea and then go from there- o do like that outside coil sound, even if there is a bit of hum- very twangy! take your time, no rush...

 

[Artie]

Re: Super Switch wiring confusion

Cool. What you want is easier to draw.

Let me know if any of that doesn't make sense. Squares of the same color are connected together. Doesn't matter what order.

Artie

Edit: Now its ok.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Super Switch wiring confusion

wow. this helps a lot! one question...the way i see this working...neck on one side, bridge on the other...r/w stands for red & white? tied together and solderd to the respective ends?

 

[Artie]

Re: Super Switch wiring confusion

Exactly. The superswitch has 4 "commons". One side gets the bridge hot and red/white combo. The other side gets the neck hot and red/white combo.

Those little squares represent the lugs, looking at the bottom of the superswitch.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Super Switch wiring confusion

ahhh i think i am starting to get it...it looks like there could be a lot of ways of arriving at the same thing, that is why the switch is so versatile...the grand rewiring is tomorrow..i will let you know how it goes...thanks so much for the help.

 

[Artie]

Re: Super Switch wiring confusion

...it looks like there could be a lot of ways of arriving at the same thing . . .

Absolutely. When you "get" that . . . you'll be a wiring guru too.

There's a dozen different ways to achieve that exact same function. Its just wires.

Artie

 

[tone4days]

Re: Super Switch wiring confusion

sorry so late to the party ... glad artie got you hooked up so supremely ....

mincer, are you going to flip a mag and reverse the green/black wiring of one of your pups to get humbucking in B. and D. ? ... i did this on mine and it kills!

if you are not, then doing it artie's other suggested way is likely an even better way to go to preserve the humcancelling ...

let us know how it all turns out

cheers
t4d

good luck

 

[Mincer]

Re: Super Switch wiring confusion

i may do this after I wire it up and make sure it works. I may have to get some spare pickup tape thogh, because the high humidity here in FL makes it so it won't stick so well once it is peeled off. So, flipping the magnet (side to side, or end to end?) and reversing the black and green gives you the same sounds, but humbucking?

 

[tone4days]

Re: Super Switch wiring confusion

roll the pickup like a hotdog on the roller at the quickie mart


it starts out like this


NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
|.......................................................|
|.......................................................|
|.......................................................|
SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS


then you flip it and it goes back in like this

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
|.......................................................|
|.......................................................|
|.......................................................|
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

good luck

t4d

 

[Artie]

Re: Super Switch wiring confusion

i may do this after I wire it up and make sure it works. I may have to get some spare pickup tape thogh, because the high humidity here in FL makes it so it won't stick so well once it is peeled off. So, flipping the magnet (side to side, or end to end?) and reversing the black and green gives you the same sounds, but humbucking?

I bought a roll of that black pup tape from Stew-Mac. Its great to keep around for just those type of jobs. Works good, looks stock.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Super Switch wiring confusion

thanks guys! i'll get some tape and try this...it is the same sound, but humbucking, right?

 

[Mincer]

Re: Super Switch wiring confusion

alright it is done..and it works!!! thanks for everyone's help!
now, i have a spare push push pot on the tone which was already in the guitar but disconnected....any ideas how i can add it to the wiring scheme above for some variations?

 

[Artie]

Re: Super Switch wiring confusion

Cool. I'll see what I can think of. Maybe use it to run one coil from each in series. We'll see.

 

[octavedoctor]

Re: Super Switch wiring confusion

Artie, you da man!

 

[Mincer]

Re: Super Switch wiring confusion

ya artie, any ideas yet? could it be used to switch those inner and outer coils in position 2 & 4 from parallel (when down) to series (when up)?

 

[Artie]

Re: Super Switch wiring confusion

I forgot all about this. :blackeye: You've got most of your switch options covered with the Superswitch. I think that if it was me, I'd use the push-push switch to select between two different tone caps. Use something subtle for one, say .022uf to .01uf. Then use something heavier for the other, like a .047uf.

That would give a nice dual-range tone control.

 

[SpiderVenom]

Re: Super Switch wiring confusion

Well done wiring up the switch. I was too pig-headed to ask for help with the super-switches, and spent a lot of nights just staring at the diagrams and searching for stuff until I finally figured it out :chairfall

 

[Mincer]

Re: Super Switch wiring confusion

This thing wouldve kept me there for weeks if Artie didn't help me out- I need to get some books on pickup/switch wiring- any suggestions?

ALSO, the switch is now like this:
A. Neck HB
B. Inside coils of both HBs in parallel
C. Both HBs
D. Outside coils of both HBs in parallel
E. Bridge HB

I think I am going to try to wire the push/push switch in there so that when it is 'up', B & D are in series instead of parallel...at least start with that, and if I don't like it, try Artie's suggestion...so, um, how should I wire it? There are 6 tabs on the switch connected to the pot.