Using a Triple Shot to control phase & series/parallel between two humbuckers

B

benriddell

New member
Hi all,

I've been considering buying a set of P-Rails for ages now but have a question.

The below video (along with part 2 & 3) shows off the pickups really well. I would want to utilisethe volume/tone controls like Lyon does to operate the switching of the coils but after emailing him he said that he had to build his phase/series-parallel switches into the bridge pickup ring because SD hadn't released the Triple Shot yet.

https://youtu.be/9q9VkER0dmw


Can I have the following setup in a HH Les Paul style guitar using 4 push-pull pots and one Triple Shot:

Bridge Vol & Tone down Series Humbucker
Bridge Vol down & Tone up P90
Bridge Vol up & Tone down Rail
Bridge Vol & Tone up Parallel Humbucker

Neck Vol & Tone down Series Humbucker
Neck Vol down & Tone up P90
Neck Vol up & Tone down Rail
Neck Vol & Tone up Parallel Humbucker

One of the Triple Shot switches to select whether the pickups are in series or parallel with each other
The other Triple Shot switch to select whether the pickups are in or out of phase with each other


I feel that having two Triple Shots installed and the series-parallel/phasing features on push-pull pots wouldn't give an easy way of changing the guitar sounds at will whereas the above way, like the video shows, would.


Thanks, Ben
 
Re: Using a Triple Shot to control phase & series/parallel between two humbuckers

The way you describe it, I see a couple of potential quirks:
  1. You don't describe how you're going to turn off either pickup. That means that pickup volume is the only way of "switching pickups".
  2. In series, if you have one pickup turned off, you'll get no sound.
 
Re: Using a Triple Shot to control phase & series/parallel between two humbuckers

Sorry I forgot to put that I'd use a normal LP style 3-way toggle switch to select the pickups: Bridge, both, Neck
 
Re: Using a Triple Shot to control phase & series/parallel between two humbuckers

The switches of a Triple Shot act on the two coils of the pickup that is mounted through it, outputting the resultant coil combinations via the 2-con + shield cable.

Using the micro switches to do anything else would involve reverse engineering on several levels. The switch configured for series/parallel would require the hot and ground conductors of each humbucker. The second switch is not correctly configured for phase reversal. It would be necessary to make alterations to the PCB tracks.

The extensive handling to perform these modifications would probably result in the ribbon connector breaking away from the PCB - as it is wont to do.
 
Re: Using a Triple Shot to control phase & series/parallel between two humbuckers

Hmm, so that's my idea out the window.

I was thinking about buying a Hagstrom Swede and was looking for an option that didn't involve having extra holes drilled into the body for mini switches. Before the Hagstrom I considered a Tele style guitar and have any switches mounted under the scratch plate ala David Gilmour's Black Strat switch

Thanks for your responses
 
Re: Using a Triple Shot to control phase & series/parallel between two humbuckers

Your series/parallel and phase reversal switching of the signals from the two pickups could be achieved using push-pull pots.

Another option is the Freeway 3x3 selector switch. http://www.freewayswitch.com/products/products.html

A combination of these two suggestions would allow so many possibilities that it might fry the brain. Frustratingly, not all of the coil permutations will necessarily sound any good. For example, two P90s, connected in series, in phase, is a passport to Mudville.

The smart approach would be trial and error testing to discover which coil permutations you like most. Configure the Freeway selector switch to offer the best half dozen.

There is no practical advantage in having access to over twenty sounds if two thirds of them are duds.
 
Re: Using a Triple Shot to control phase & series/parallel between two humbuckers

I've actually just been reading about that switch!

Looks like a good option. Thanks for your help
 
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