Will this wiring work? (Pickup + on/off switch, no other changes)

[Dave Locher]

I built a one-humbucker Tele partscaster a year or so ago and I really like it a lot but now I would like to add a neck pickup. I really do not want to mess with the current wiring at all. It sounds great and I would need a new control plate to use a Gibson-style 3-way switch because I have zero interest in putting a blade switch right where my hand goes when I strum.

Can I just add a neck pickup and put the "hot" wire to a simple on/off switch wired directly to the output jack?

My thinking is this would give me my current wiring (bridge to volume and tone to output) AND allow me to turn on the neck pickup, using the volume to blend in/out the bridge pickup. (Volume up = both pickups, volume down = neck only.)

Will this work?

 

[Dave Locher]

Re: Will this wiring work? (Pickup + on/off switch, no other changes)

What I mean is, will I be able to get the neck-only when I turn the volume all the way down or will I only have bridge and bridge/neck?

 

[Adieu]

Re: Will this wiring work? (Pickup + on/off switch, no other changes)

Should work

Are you trying to get them in series or parallel?

 

[Dave Locher]

Re: Will this wiring work? (Pickup + on/off switch, no other changes)

Um...the usual way? (Parallel, right?) Like the middle position on a Gibson. Except I want the neck pickup to stay full volume when the bridge is at zero. Neck pickup should be full volume or off, bridge pickup works with volume & tone pot either way. (I hope!)

I have wired a lot of guitars but never tried this goofy way of doing it but for a couple reasons I'm going to give it a try.

 

[Hellion]

Re: Will this wiring work? (Pickup + on/off switch, no other changes)

I think it should work. I've got a Dean Z that I had the bridge pickup bypassed on the tone control, but the neck pickup still goes through its own volume and tone.

 

[freefrog]

Re: Will this wiring work? (Pickup + on/off switch, no other changes)

I built a one-humbucker Tele partscaster a year or so ago and I really like it a lot but now I would like to add a neck pickup. I really do not want to mess with the current wiring at all. It sounds great and I would need a new control plate to use a Gibson-style 3-way switch because I have zero interest in putting a blade switch right where my hand goes when I strum.

Can I just add a neck pickup and put the "hot" wire to a simple on/off switch wired directly to the output jack?

My thinking is this would give me my current wiring (bridge to volume and tone to output) AND allow me to turn on the neck pickup, using the volume to blend in/out the bridge pickup. (Volume up = both pickups, volume down = neck only.)

Will this work?

Not if the volume is wired "normally", with outer lug connected to PU and center lug going to output: in this case, lowering the volume would necessarily affect the neck PU, even if it's connected to the output jack.

So, you'd need to "reverse" the wires on your volume control: bridge pickup connected to center lug and output on outer lug. It would allow the switchable neck PU to "see" a fixed resistive load (and would prevent it to be too loud, FWIW).

It's the recipe of "independent" volume controls on Gibson's.

 

[Dave Locher]

Re: Will this wiring work? (Pickup + on/off switch, no other changes)

Not if the volume is wired "normally", with outer lug connected to PU and center lug going to output: in this case, lowering the volume would necessarily affect the neck PU, even if it's connected to the output jack.

So, you'd need to "reverse" the wires on your volume control: bridge pickup connected to center lug and output on outer lug. It would allow the switchable neck PU to "see" a fixed resistive load (and would prevent it to be too loud, FWIW).

It's the recipe of "independent" volume controls on Gibson's.

Okay, this is exactly what I need to know! Next question: if I swap the bridge pickup wires as you suggest will that alter my current bridge pickup sound at all? (If answer is yes I will drop the idea because I really like the sound of this guitar and don't want to mess with the bridge tone at all!)

 

[freefrog]

Re: Will this wiring work? (Pickup + on/off switch, no other changes)

Okay, this is exactly what I need to know! Next question: if I swap the bridge pickup wires as you suggest will that alter my current bridge pickup sound at all? (If answer is yes I will drop the idea because I really like the sound of this guitar and don't want to mess with the bridge tone at all!)

No difference with volume full up. What would differ is the sound with the volume lowered: much darker with the pickup on the center lug. And the volume taper would change too.

Now, it's useable: the first Strat that I've ever wired from scratch had the pickups connected on the center lug and it took me some time to realize my mistake... :-/

.. and you could add a treble bleed if necessary...

FWIW. Do what you want and be happy!


EDIT - BTW, I've guitars with MINI on/on/on switches for selecting pickups. It wouldn't take more place than a simple on/off switch for a neck PU, frankly... and IME, it's perfectly useable - I've played with that kind of switches on stage for ages without any issue.

 

[Dave Locher]

Re: Will this wiring work? (Pickup + on/off switch, no other changes)

I have a pretty small on/on/on but i never thought of a true mini. Might be Plan B.
Thanks for the info, especially about the volume going dark quick - I have one guitar wired that way on purpose and I think I will swap the wires around to get rid of that effect; I thought it was just the pickup and/or pot!