Wiring Help! 3-Way switch for coil splitting

[unshokie]

I am not sure if this is possible to do or not, but I know this is a good place to ask these questions. I have a 2 HB guitar and a 3-way switch. Is it possible to get full bridge HB, split neck HB, and full neck HB as the 3 options with just a 3-way switch?

Thanks for your help!

 

[BriGuy1968]

Re: Wiring Help! 3-Way switch for coil splitting

Probably not... a standard 3-way pickup selector has three terminals (plus a ground) and just combines the two "end" terminals in the center position. You could do it, though, if it were a DP/DT On-On-On (like a lot of mini-toggles). How is your 3-way switch set up? Does it have 3 terminals (plus ground) or 6?

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: Wiring Help! 3-Way switch for coil splitting

If it's a 3-way blade you might be able to, but if it's a Gibson-style 3-way toggle, then no.

 

[unshokie]

Re: Wiring Help! 3-Way switch for coil splitting

The switch is a Fender style blade switch. So it has 8 terminals.

 

[dotsdad]

Re: Wiring Help! 3-Way switch for coil splitting

Yin theory, you should be able to do it. Ose one side of the switch for the hot connections and thecother side for ground connections.

Split nech humbuckers usually sound weak. Not like a good single coil at all. You will get better tone setting up your neck pickup for series/parallel switching. You'll get a bright, spanky tone that way and no hum.

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: Wiring Help! 3-Way switch for coil splitting

Left side of 3-way:
-Bridge black
-Empty
-Neck black
-Out to controls

Right side of 3-way:
-Connect to Ground
-Empty
-Neck Red+White
-Empty

 

[dotsdad]

Re: Wiring Help! 3-Way switch for coil splitting

Left side of 3-way:
-Bridge black
-Empty
-Neck black
-Out to controls


Right side of 3-way:
-Connect to Ground
-Empty
-Neck Red+White
-Empty

Thats what I was thinking, but then he would have split neck plus full bridge in the middle. Wouldnt he need to jumper the bridge black yo the middle lug on the ground side to remove it from the middle position?

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: Wiring Help! 3-Way switch for coil splitting

If it's the switch I'm thinking of, the center position must be wired manually as there's no auto-bridging between 1 and 3. Grounding the red + white will activate the slug coil of the neck.

However, I forgot to add that the neck black will also have to be across the middle and 3rd terminals. Otherwise, the middle won't have squat :lol:

I think putting the red + white on the middle terminal on the pickup side will activate the adjustable coil, but I'm not sure. Whenever I wired splits, I put the R+W to the position I wanted the split, rather than grounding them. Can't recall offhand how that worked out, though, I just know it did.

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: Wiring Help! 3-Way switch for coil splitting

And just because...

 

[unshokie]

Re: Wiring Help! 3-Way switch for coil splitting

Thanks DrNewcenstein! I really appreciate the help with this.