wiring dual humbuckers w/ a 5-way super switch

[mysticaxe]

My first post after lurking for a while, so I better make it a doozy...

In a couple weeks, I'm getting my partsocaster routed for a neck humbucker and I think I know the combos I want on the 5 way superswitch, but can't quite figure out whether they are possible. Here's what I'm thinking:

1. Bridge series, no tone pot
2. Outside coils parallel
3. Inside coils series
4. Inside coils parallel
5. Neck series

push/pull tone pot to ground the inside neck coil on position 5 (and maybe 3).

My issue is that I can't figure out how to get the inside series wired up without screwing everything else up.

The other option I'm toying with is:

3PDT - down - Bridge series, no tone pot
- up - 5-way switch output
1. Outside coils parallel
2. Inside coils series
3. Inside coils parallel
4. Neck outside coil
5. Neck series

which way would be easier to wire up?

 

[mysticaxe]

Re: wiring dual humbuckers w/ a 5-way super switch

It seems do-able.
Not clear what do you want here:

"push/pull tone pot to ground the inside neck coil on position 5 (and maybe 3). "

Position 3 already has neck inside coil!.
What are you trying with that pull/push, split to inside or split to outside?

What I want ot do is ground the inside coil so that position 5 becomes neck outside split. Position 3 would then become the bridge inside coil solo. I'm afraid that would mean that Position 4 would end up being a silent one (connecting hot to ground).

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: wiring dual humbuckers w/ a 5-way super switch

1. Bridge series, no tone pot
2. Outside coils parallel
3. Inside coils series
4. Inside coils parallel
5. Neck series

push/pull tone pot to ground the inside neck coil on position 5 (and maybe 3).

My issue is that I can't figure out how to get the inside series wired up without screwing everything else up.

The simple answer is a switch made by Schaller. http://www.guitarpartsshop.co.uk/acatalog/Schaller-Megaswitch-P.html

The shop page includes a link to the wiring schematic. http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electro...aswitch_P-Model.html?tab=Instructions#details

There is no need for a DPDT mode switch.

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: wiring dual humbuckers w/ a 5-way super switch

If you left the pot up for 3 when switching to 4, then it'd be silent. Push the pot down to turn it on.

You'd probably be better off setting the push/pull to split the neck when on 5 and take out the Tone when on the bridge.

 

[mysticaxe]

Re: wiring dual humbuckers w/ a 5-way super switch

what I can't figure out is how to wire the inside series setup...

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: wiring dual humbuckers w/ a 5-way super switch

Been through here yet?
http://www.guitarelectronics.com/category/wiringresources.2_pickup_diagrams/

 

[mysticaxe]

Re: wiring dual humbuckers w/ a 5-way super switch

Been through here yet?
http://www.guitarelectronics.com/category/wiringresources.2_pickup_diagrams/

Like you read about... They don't tend to have the inside series combo for the dual humbuckers.

 

[mysticaxe]

Re: wiring dual humbuckers w/ a 5-way super switch

Would this work for the second scheme?

Blue lines - neck pickup
Black lines - bridge pickup
Red lines - internal wiring

letters - O = outside, I = inside, N = neck, B = bridge, G = ground

box at the bottom is a 3PDT toggle switch.

 

[Artie]

Re: wiring dual humbuckers w/ a 5-way super switch

Do you mind if I make a suggestion? I never want to discourage anyone from trying out their own ideas, but you have a couple positions that won't really produce the variety of sounds that you have the potential for. First of all, if one mounts dual humbuckers in the traditional fashion, (studs-in, screws-out), which is aesthetically pleasing, (like you're doing), then inside or outside coils, in either series or parallel, won't be hum-cancelling. Which is a shame, and a waste.

I've been playing with a lot of different combo's, and my favorite wiring scheme, by far, is this: (Not sure where this will appear in the post, since I've not used "attachments" before.)

What I like about this, is that all the positions are hum-cancelling. You get the following sounds:

1. Neck series. Neck humbucker. (Great for smooth jazz.)
2. North coils in parallel. (Classic Strat "notch" tone.)
3. North coils in series. (Virtual 3rd humbucker. My favorite HB tone.)
4. Bridge parallel. (Classic Tele tone.)
5. Bridge series. Rock, and everything else.

And its simple to wire. Again, not sure where this pic will show up, but, you just wire up the "top" sequence with grounds, along with the pup green wires. Doesn't matter which order you make the connections. Then wire the 2nd group, along with the pup black wires, to the volume control. Then wire up those three jumpers, and finally, connect the red/white of each pup to the two remaining terminals on each side.

Make sense?

Edit: And I almost forgot, I have a cool bridge-override switch diagram somewhere. Gimme a little time and I'll find it.

Edit 2: "Out", in those diagrams means "out to the volume pot".

 

[mysticaxe]

Re: wiring dual humbuckers w/ a 5-way super switch

Do you mind if I make a suggestion? I never want to discourage anyone from trying out their own ideas, but you have a couple positions that won't really produce the variety of sounds that you have the potential for. First of all, if one mounts dual humbuckers in the traditional fashion, (studs-in, screws-out), which is aesthetically pleasing, (like you're doing), then inside or outside coils, in either series or parallel, won't be hum-cancelling. Which is a shame, and a waste.

I've been playing with a lot of different combo's, and my favorite wiring scheme, by far, is this: (Not sure where this will appear in the post, since I've not used "attachments" before.)

What I like about this, is that all the positions are hum-cancelling. You get the following sounds:

1. Neck series. Neck humbucker. (Great for smooth jazz.)
2. North coils in parallel. (Classic Strat "notch" tone.)
3. North coils in series. (Virtual 3rd humbucker. My favorite HB tone.)
4. Bridge parallel. (Classic Tele tone.)
5. Bridge series. Rock, and everything else.

And its simple to wire. Again, not sure where this pic will show up, but, you just wire up the "top" sequence with grounds, along with the pup green wires. Doesn't matter which order you make the connections. Then wire the 2nd group, along with the pup black wires, to the volume control. Then wire up those three jumpers, and finally, connect the red/white of each pup to the two remaining terminals on each side.

Make sense?

Edit: And I almost forgot, I have a cool bridge-override switch diagram somewhere. Gimme a little time and I'll find it.

Edit 2: "Out", in those diagrams means "out to the volume pot".

Thanks for the idea and the input. I was told of the hum-cancelling issue. My tech is going to flip the magnet and reverse the phase of the neck pickup, which he said would give me the hum-cancelling and still keep screw sides out.

The inspiration for choosing those combos were:
1. Bridge w/o tone - how the guitar is currently wired (only has a single hum), and I love this sound -my #1 priority. Hooking it up to a 3PDT toggle to bypass the 5-way acts as a blower like I have on my Anderson
2. Inside/Outside parallel coils - from listening to PRS clips. I know my alder/maple guitar will sound different than the set neck, mahogany/maple and rosewood combo, but I want to give it a shot.
3. Inside series - I heard a couple really cool clips on youtube of Taylors wired this way.
4. Neck split - I've figured out that I like split humbuckers better than parallel ones.

Your suggestion is definately a cool one that I will look into if some of my positions don't yield what I want.

 

[Artie]

Re: wiring dual humbuckers w/ a 5-way super switch

Cool. Sounds like you have a good guitar tech. The magnet flip will get you the same sounds with your original idea. I'll still post my bridge over-ride diagram when I find it.

 

[mysticaxe]

Re: wiring dual humbuckers w/ a 5-way super switch

perfect! I love the bridge over-ride idea. I wired a halfass one into an Ibanez a few years ago and have one in an Anderson. It makes it really easy to jump to the solo tone.

 

[midigods]

Re: wiring dual humbuckers w/ a 5-way super switch

Artie,
I would like to use the super 5 way wiring you posted above. I was wondering if it would be possible to do this somehow. I have 3 humbuckers in my Jackson Dinky, I was wondering if there's a way to add a push/pull or on/on/on or other switch to determine which 2 humbuckers are being used in your diagram above? So then I could get your switch combos with either the bridge/middle humbuckers, or the middle/neck humbuckers. Is that feasible? Thanks.

 

[Juanhanglo]

Re: wiring dual humbuckers w/ a 5-way super switch

Welcome back Artie!! How've ya been?

To the OP, I use the same pickup choices as you. I use a slight variation on a prs diagram that steve ahola came up with. the only thing that is different is that we use inside instead of outside in series. I did flip one magnet though. that is all that is required. Leave the phasing of the pickups alone as this will screw up the sound in some positions.

One of these days, I will try to come up with a diagram to scan in or possibly do in a program of some sort?

How do you guys come up with these ultra clean and cool color-coordinated line diagrams? what progams dp you use? Fess up darn it!!!:cussing:

for strats, i use 1 of the 4 poles to control which tone pot controls which p/u position. this eliminates the double load on the neck/middle position and also allows you to compensate for pickup voicing better.

Juan

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: wiring dual humbuckers w/ a 5-way super switch

Visio
Open Office Draw
Microsoft Paint

probably some CAD like Inventor

 

[blueman335]

Re: wiring dual humbuckers w/ a 5-way super switch

Welcome back Artie!! How've ya been?

+1. Artie baby, good to hear from you.

 

[blueman335]

Re: wiring dual humbuckers w/ a 5-way super switch

1. Neck series. Neck humbucker. (Great for smooth jazz.)
2. North coils in parallel. (Classic Strat "notch" tone.)
3. North coils in series. (Virtual 3rd humbucker. My favorite HB tone.)
4. Bridge parallel. (Classic Tele tone.)
5. Bridge series. Rock, and everything else.

I like this except for #4, the bridge in parallel. To me, coil cut would be better instead, especially on the neck HB.

 

[Juanhanglo]

Re: wiring dual humbuckers w/ a 5-way super switch

Thanks Ehd, Blueman, and Herm. I'll look into those.

 

[mysticaxe]

Re: wiring dual humbuckers w/ a 5-way super switch

My diagram was done in Word just using the drawing features. As a sidenote, I just got the guitar back about a week ago and have been playing with it a bit. My initial impressions (haven't had a band practice since guitar was done because we've been working on mixing our last set of recordings):

"Blower to bridge" - works great, love it
1. Neck bucker - still deciding how much I like the bucker (not as round as I was expecting), I think it will work.
2. Neck split - big drop in volume, sounds pretty good, a little thinner than the bucker, which is what I wanted.
3. Inside parallel - SOUNDS GREAT, but a big level drop from the series positions. I guess that's to be expected.
4. Inside series - a really pleasant suprise that I know I'll use a lot in mid-gain scenarios. I would venture to say that anyone with a flamethrower in the bridge ought to consider this for a toned down setting.
5. Outside parallel - probably the least useful of the configurations. More trebly than the Inside parallel. Has a bit of a cocked-wah sound in some circumstances.

I'm a little disappointed in my tone knob - does nothing between 5-10. All of the play is below 5, and it's a pretty steep taper.

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: wiring dual humbuckers w/ a 5-way super switch

what Pickups did you say you have

oh try putting some tape between the cap and the tone pot back

see if you get better service from it