Wierd wiring question

[strings n sax]

I have a Schecter C-1 Classic that comes stock with a 5 way mega switch, already wired for coil splitting and series/parallel. Looking at the diagram below you can see how it's pretty different from most guitars, and I can't seem to find a wiring diagram that applies to this.

Here's the diagram for the existing wiring and the switch positions (Seymour Duncan pups/color codes). As you can see, this is pretty versatile but it doesn't give me single pickup/single coil options.

What I'm trying to do is to add coil splitting to the 2 humbucking positions (Switch positions 1 and 5), using a Dimarzio audio taper push-pull DPDT on the tone pot. I want to keep the 5 way mega switch positions the same as they are. So the main thing I'm after is using just the North adjustable coil on the neck (I love the single coil neck sound), but with the DT I'm thinking I might as well try it on the bridge pup too while I'm at it. I'm not sure how useable those tones will be, but I want to give it a try. I understand that in the 2,3 and 4 positions, splitting a coil with the push pull may result in no output at all, which is fine, I'll only engage the push pull in 1 or 5.

So how do I wire this? I'm thinking that I basically just insert the push pull switch right after the pups, but before the 5 way switch. Then the push pull will simply shunt the signal of one coil to ground...? Or should I not shunt it to ground and simply interrupt the signal, not sending it to ground or anywhere? Here's my guess at how I wire it, shunting to ground (for simplicity only showing just the neck switched, I'd do the same exact thing on the red/white wires for the bridge):

Any ideas or help is appreciated!

 

[BriGuy1968]

Re: Wierd wiring question

Hi strings n sax, and welcome to the forum! [emoji2]

You're on the right track, but the wiring for the switch you added won't work that way. Try this instead...

As you mentioned before, you'll really only want to use this in 1 & 5. I'm honestly not sure what it will do in the other positions because the wiring for the 5-way in your diagram is not making sense to me. The switch shown is NOT a mega switch and either the contacts within it are different from normal or the diagram is faulty. Regardless, the only real change will be to remove the red & white wires leading to each pickup from the switch, solder them to the push/pull as shown, and then send a wire from each of those terminals back to the original positions on the switch. Alternatively, you could also just run a wire from each of the red+white switch lugs to the middle lugs of the push/pull and accomplish the same thing.

Let me know if you have any questions, and be sure to let us know how it turns out! :fing2:

Have fun with your project!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[strings n sax]

Re: Wierd wiring question

Hey Briguy, I've been away from the forum and just saw this, thanks for the help! One thing i'm not quite following, and that's because I only know enough about electronics to be dangerous In your diagram, how does the red/white signal get to the switch for "normal operation" without coil splitting? On the center, common lugs you show "to switch"... does that mean I solder the red/white to the center lugs but also continue the wire on to the switch as normal? I'm assuming so since that makes the most sense to me, and in that case I see how it works... with the switch up/activated it simply shunts to ground, so even though the signal continues on to the switch it's already been grounded out so the coil is split.

Your way is cleaner and doesn't rely on a switch in normal mode... but I guess I thought the bottom poles were connected to common only when the switch is down... so I'm guessing my way would also work, but is not as "elegant" or clean as your way...? Anyway I ordered the pot and will give it a try soon.

On the 5 way switch I'm only going by what Schecter describes in their specs, so yeah, I can't say for sure. I will say this... this guitar already has some very versatile single coil tones, and this single coil/single pickup will be some nice variations. The only thing i don't get with this mod is a way to blend both in humbucking mode. I guess if I really wanted that I should try triple shots. Again, thanks!

 

[strings n sax]

Re: Wierd wiring question

This was the first time I've split HB coils...I finally got around to this mod on my Shcecter C-1 Classic, and Briguy's suggested wiring worked fine... I did continue the red/white wires on to the 5 way switch from the common center pole on the push pull switch. Overall it's a bit more subtle than I thought it would be, although they're definitely nice tone variations.

First, the volume drop wasn't nearly as much as I'd expected... maybe that's due to the weird wiring on the 5 way switch, hard to say. And when switching from HB to SC on the neck, I got about a 1-2 db drop... I think mostly due to bass rolloff that occurs. Also, I expected to get more noise from the single coils, but it's virtually the same as the HB... there's a slight increase in the noise floor, maybe 1 db... you really have to crank up the monitors to hear any difference. So it's nice that the noise and volume isn't all that different.

The neck single coil tone was what I was really after, and it works, but isn't as woody as I'd hoped. I knew it wouldn't sound like my strats, but was hoping to get a little closer. Yes, it's bit thinner, a bit more metallic sounding, but not as thin as some posts suggest. Maybe that's due to the pup, a SD Jazz SH-2n, or my weird 5 way. But it's certainly a nice tone option, especially since a lot of my tones are set for the middle position, so when I switch the neck humbucker it's usually a little too bassy anyway. So this mod thins it out just right. The difference is also a bit subtle in the bridge, but there's a definite spike... it does give a little extra bite or edge in the mid highs around 3-4K, which is nice.

Interestingly, in the middle position it thins out the tone a lot... essentially un-useable for me, except for specialty extra thin stuff, like the 2nd lead on Money with the dry DI on the bridge pup. Theoretically, I thought it shouldn't have done anything at all, since both of the pups are using the north poles in that position, and I split to defeat the south coils. But the shunting to ground must be doing something, I guess.

BTW I used an Alpha DPDT push pull from Stew mac.

Would I do it again? Well, no matter how you slice it splitting coils will never get you that strat/true single coil tone, and I knew that going in. But it was really cheap and pretty easy so it's nice to have, and I'm glad I did it. I'm going to try it on a gig tomorrow and see how it goes. I think just being able to roll off a little low end on the neck position will be nice. At the very least I now have another knob to tweak, and as all guitarists know, you can never have too many knobs!

 

[Mincer]

Re: Wierd wiring question

Splitting gets more 'single coil-y' depending on the humbucker being split. Higher output tends to split better, and I've noticed that A5 magnets tend to help the split sound in most cases. I think a humbucker construction is significantly different than a single coil, so there is your difference. The Stag Mag, however, is essentially 2 single coils. Also, some higher output pickups in parallel sound more single-ish, too.

 

[strings n sax]

Re: Wierd wiring question

Yeah, I've heard that too, and of course there are so many variables that create the tone, from the body to the neck to the winds, etc. I had changed the magnet on the bridge pup from an A5 to a rough cast A2, so that might account for something.

Also, I gigged with it last night, and I really liked it a lot. In fact, the more I use it the more I like it. I spent a little more time with it and dialed in some neck pup tones that are a bit more "woody", so my initial thoughts on it being too subtle were a little off. And I also used the bridge on some leads and man, it really has some nice bite that cuts through the mix.

I use this guitar primarily for gigs in a cover band, so versatility without having to take time to switch guitars is pretty important. So this was a good mod for me.