Wiring help for 3 HR in strat

D

DoctorJello

New member
Hello, this is my first post. I've been a guitar tech for a long time, but this is for my personal guitar and I've surpassed my technical skills with this mod and I need to to ask for help. A few years ago I put Hot Rails in the neck and bridge and I wired them up with toggles to split them. But I left the middle pickup stock and I've never been happy with it. I'm ready to swap it out and put in another single coil sized HB in there and ideally I'd like to split that one too. My two questions are, should I use another Hot Rails Bridge (SHR-1B) or is there another suggestion for a balanced offering? I have a Vintage Rails, but was told it wouldn't split and the output would be too low...

Next up, I'm unclear how to get this wired in with my 5 way switch and the pots. Its just Vol, Tone Tone. I used a Breja Toneworks wiring diagram to get it setup last time and can share that if it helps.

Thanks!
 
Re: Wiring help for 3 HR in strat

welcome to the forum!

what are you wanting from the middle position? first thought would be a cool rails would be a good option
 
Re: Wiring help for 3 HR in strat

Thank you!
Honestly, I'm looking for balance. I'd like to split the humbucker so I can have three humbuckers that can be split via toggles that I have mounted in my pickguard. Style of music is all over the place, so don't think about that. The two HRs have served me well so far and ignoring the middle position has been fine for the last three years. So just having something there will be a tonal improvement!
 
Re: Wiring help for 3 HR in strat

Yes, would you like it to sound like a humbucker or single coil? Are you looking for the 5 way switch to split the pickups, or each pickup having its own push/pull?
 
Re: Wiring help for 3 HR in strat

There's something that I don't get...

DoctorJello said:
I've been a guitar tech for a long time
Click to expand...

You've been a tech for many years, but you don't understand the simplicities of a basic 3 pup wiring scheme, even with splits?!

Admittedly, this is NOT simple for a non-tech guitar player. But a tech, even a new tech, should understand this like the back of his hand.

So what is it exactly that you want to achieve in each position of the 5-way? Do you still want to use mini toggles for splitting of the pups? One switch for each pup, or one switch for all pups? Auto split of neck and bridge pups with additional switch for middle?

Also, Hot Rails may be too much for the middle position. Cool Rails (n) may be a better choice.
 
Re: Wiring help for 3 HR in strat

GuitarDoc said:
There's something that I don't get...



You've been a tech for many years, but you don't understand the simplicities of a basic 3 pup wiring scheme, even with splits?!

Admittedly, this is NOT simple for a non-tech guitar player. But a tech, even a new tech, should understand this like the back of his hand.

So what is it exactly that you want to achieve in each position of the 5-way? Do you still want to use mini toggles for splitting of the pups? One switch for each pup, or one switch for all pups? Auto split of neck and bridge pups with additional switch for middle?

Also, Hot Rails may be too much for the middle position. Cool Rails (n) may be a better choice.
Click to expand...


Hey I appreciate the insight and I'll look into the Cool Rails.

I was a touring tech for almost 20 years. Worked on acoustics, electrics, basses and amps. And I came into this thread with the admission that my request was just beyond the scope of what I understood. I didn't do in-depth modding of pickup wiring. My goal for this setup is to have a 5 way switch that operates normally, going between the three pickups as a regular strat would but then with three toggles to split the three humbuckers individually. I already have Hot Rails in the bridge and neck and already have them wired to switches to split, I'm just looking for help on wiring in the middle pickup. I'm looking for help, that's all.
 
Re: Wiring help for 3 HR in strat

I'd suggest the Cool Rails for the middle, but I think you'd get more wiring all 3 with series/parallel switches. You'd keep hum-cancelling, too.
 
Re: Wiring help for 3 HR in strat

Thanks Dave. Do you have a link for what that would look like? I've got a minute before I can get into this so I can brush up on it. I can also replace my pickguard now and start fresh.
 
Re: Wiring help for 3 HR in strat

This is your basic wiring diagram.

https://docs.google.com/gview?embed...ontent/uploads/2016/05/SCHSCHSCH_5W_1V_2T.pdf

Connect each red and white wire to the individual switches according to this following diagram. If your switches are DPDT on-on, then you'll get series/parallel. If you have DPDT on-on-on switches, you'll get series/split/parallel. The black lead goes to its appropriate lug on your 5-way.

https://docs.google.com/gview?embed.../uploads/2016/05/WD_Pushpull_minitoggle_3.pdf
 
Re: Wiring help for 3 HR in strat

I agree to use parallel. I'd recommend just another hot rails neck in the middle. The cool rails isn't as hot and sounds differently.
 
Re: Wiring help for 3 HR in strat

Awesome, thank you. I'll get to work on this over this summer. I think this is what I was after- I'll look over these two images... I appreciate it.
 
Re: Wiring help for 3 HR in strat

SHR-1N has been ordered and shipped this morning. I may not get to it right away but I'm one step closer. Thank you to those who have helped me out. I'll check back when I get it together.
 
Re: Wiring help for 3 HR in strat

Had a minor setback with a pot that was shipped incorrectly, but now I'm all done. Wired up and tested late last night and its all functioning. I now have three Hotrails, (SHR-1Ns in the neck and middle and SHR-1B in the bridge) with one volume and two tone pots. I put a new A250k volume pot in and new A500k tone pots in as well as a new .047 tone cap on the tone pots. basically scooped out everything but the blade which I had already changed a few years ago. I already had toggles to split the neck and bridge pickups, so I added in a toggle for the middle position and wired that up. Zipped all the wires together to be nice and neat, grounded everything and put it back together and finally tested it at 1:30 in the morning. So it was a quick test. Mostly for function. All the positions work, all the toggles split.

For the last couple years I've been running this with the HRs in the N and B and a stock SC in the middle and its been weak and unusable in the 2 and 4 position. Its nice to have my guitar back and even more options. Probably more than I need. Thank you everyone for the contributions and assistance. I really appreciate it.
 
Re: Wiring help for 3 HR in strat

very cool! ill be curious what you think after youve had them for a while
 
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