Wiring Question..Artie?

[itbepopples]

Hey fellas,

I'm currently building a '72 tele deluxe which is pretty true to the original except I'm using a Phat Cat in the neck position as opposed to that awful enormous fender humbucker. My question is, what mini humbucker should I put in the middle to get some strat tones while keeping the 3 position switch? Basically what I'm looking to accomplish is to add pickups wired solely for use with the existing pickups. For example, one pickup hooked up to a mini toggle that I can turn on to go from regular bridge pickup to bridge and middle rear for a strat #4 position. Also, I'd like to do the same thing with a pickup in the front middle next to the neck pickup with its own mini toggle to go from neck to a #2 strat position. But, I'm not particularly interested in throwing 2 seperate pickups into this guitar so I was wondering if I could do this with something like a duckbucker? BTW when the mini toggles are off the wiring would return to stock. Anybody know if I could make this happen?

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: Wiring Question..Artie?

If I understand you correctly, you want a humbucker (possibly mini) in the middle position so you could split it for the #2 and #4 positions?

If correct, I recommend just a straight-up vintage output minihumbucker (+/-6.5k, maybe even a touch lighter) and don't bother with the split. I put a minihumbucker in a Lucille I had routed for a a middle pickup and it worked great for killer cluck/quack #2/#4 tones. Splitting it would make it anemic.

If incorrect, disregard the above.

 

[Artie]

Re: Wiring Question..Artie?

There's a couple different ways to do this using an on-off-on DPDT switch. Also, using a single for the middle or a humbucker for the middle gives you different options.

Using a single in the middle:

1. Switch in the middle is off. That is, normal 3-way operation with your neck and bridge pups. Flip the switch up to add in the middle, while also splitting the neck. Flip the switch down to do the same with the bridge.

Using a humbucker in the middle:

1. Again, switch in the middle is off. Flip the switch up to add in the middle while also splitting it. Flip the switch down to split to the other coil.

Does that make sense?

 

[LJ King]

Re: Wiring Question..Artie?

There's a couple different ways to do this using an on-off-on DPDT switch. Also, using a single for the middle or a humbucker for the middle gives you different options.

Using a single in the middle:

1. Switch in the middle is off. That is, normal 3-way operation with your neck and bridge pups. Flip the switch up to add in the middle, while also splitting the neck. Flip the switch down to do the same with the bridge.

Using a humbucker in the middle:

1. Again, switch in the middle is off. Flip the switch up to add in the middle while also splitting it. Flip the switch down to split to the other coil.

Does that make sense?

Probably immaterial, but why not a DPDT on/on/on?

You could get the pickup selector - however it is set. You could get the pickup selector with the middle pickup. You could get the middle pickup alone.

I guess I am only questioning the need to split. And maybe not to get the middle pickup by itself.

 

[itbepopples]

Re: Wiring Question..Artie?

Using a single in the middle:

1. Switch in the middle is off. That is, normal 3-way operation with your neck and bridge pups. Flip the switch up to add in the middle, while also splitting the neck. Flip the switch down to do the same with the bridge.

This sounds pretty good but by split do you mean simply a combination of the neck and middle? If so thatd work for me.

 

[LJ King]

Re: Wiring Question..Artie?

This sounds pretty good but by split do you mean simply a combination of the neck and middle? If so thatd work for me.

My guess is what he meant... was being able to turn on the middle and at the same time, depending on how your 3-way pickup selector was set and how you flipped the "middle switch" to on... was that you could split one or the other humbucker.

So... you could possibly get...

Neck + middle
Neck split + middle
bridge + middle
bridge split + middle
Neck split and bridge + middle
Neck and bridge split + middle

And I repeat from my statement above: depending on how your 3-way pickup selector was set and how you flipped the "middle switch" to on

Artie will tell me I'm wrong. Just watch. :smokin:

 

[Artie]

Re: Wiring Question..Artie?

Artie will tell me I'm wrong. Just watch. :smokin:

Nah . . . the GW thread took all the wind out of my sails.

Really, there's so many different options, it would be best to decide what you actually want. Then we can tell you the easiest way to do it.

 

[itbepopples]

Re: Wiring Question..Artie?

Well both pickups are single coils so I don't know about the splitting sounds. I'm basically looking to be able to add a middle pickup so I can have:

Bridge (+ Middle)
Neck + Bridge
Neck (+ Middle)

The parenthesis indicate the ability to add the pickup to the normal operation. I don't need the middle alone, or phase changing options or whatever. Just those positions. Is that doable?

 

[Artie]

Re: Wiring Question..Artie?

That will be the easiest of all. All it takes is a SPST switch wired between the middle pup "hot" wire and the output of the other selector switch. You can just turn on the middle at any time, even to have all three on at once.

However, if the middle is going to be a humbucker, (which I think is a cool, unique idea), I'd explore some splitting options, like LJ pointed out.

I'm running a bit behind, right now, on some diagrams I promised to martin6stringcustoms, but I can draw you up some options a little later. Just to show you some simple, yet cool, configurations.

Besides . . . its Friday night and my beer is getting warm.

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: Wiring Question..Artie?

I would just use one of those 5-way Super Switches. It is designed to give you neck/bridge in position 3 (have my Strat wired up that way), so positions #2, #3 and #4 would give you exactly what you describe -- bridge/middle, neck/bridge, neck/middle.

You would also have neck alone on #5 and bridge alone on #1.

 

[itbepopples]

Re: Wiring Question..Artie?

I would just use one of those 5-way Super Switches. It is designed to give you neck/bridge in position 3 (have my Strat wired up that way), so positions #2, #3 and #4 would give you exactly what you describe -- bridge/middle, neck/bridge, neck/middle.

You would also have neck alone on #5 and bridge alone on #1.

I'm looking to keep the look of the stock three way but get a little bit more flexibility. I'll most likely go for a single coil in the middle though. Thanks for all the advice and ideas guys!