Wiring advice, 3 pickups, coil-split

pango_twango · May 13th, 2008, 06:13 PM

I know there's a way to do this... but I think I'm staring at diagrams too much and making it harder than it should be.

I have a strat with standard 3 pickup setting (two single-coil, 1 humbucker), 5-way switch, and the usual strat pot configuration (i.e., 3 pots, 1 vol., 2 tones).

What I'd like to do is use one of the Tone pots to vary the humbucker between full and split-coil. I've never needed the 2nd tone pot as a tone control anyway, so I'd like to use it instead of installing push-pull switch for the coil-splitting duties. Then, of course, I want everything to meet up at the switch more or less like it would be with a standard H/S/S arrangement. That would give 1 volume, 1 tone, and 1 pot being used as a "switch."

Not sure if I described that correctly... But can anyone offer guidance? Checked the usual suspects for wiring diagrams, but can't find just what I'm looking for on their sites.

sha4096 · May 14th, 2008, 03:31 PM

Check this diag.

http://www.seymourduncan.com/support...tic=1h_1v_1sas

Your tone pot is the "spin a split" pot. The red and white wires are often soldered together to have a full humbucker mode, that's what you'll see on many diags, converting to the split mode should be straightforward if your humbucker has these two single coils wires. I guess that your wiring will look like that diagram below but instead of the red/white taped together, you'll send them to your tone-split a split pot (which is not shown on the H-S-S diag)

http://www.seymourduncan.com/support...l_1tone_5wa y

Wally · May 14th, 2008, 04:36 PM

If you are not going to utilize that tone pot, just throw in a SPST switch in that position to take that two-wire function to ground to cut a coil. IF you want to have the tone control, a push/pull pot will cut the coil or take the pickup to parallel humbucking (which is very similar sonically to the single coil but is humbucking) and still can be used as a tone control.

pango_twango · May 14th, 2008, 04:37 PM

hmmm... I think I get it now. Instead of tying off the red/white, they go to the middle pot and to volume, except that since there's two other pickups, the one that would go to volume goes to the switch.

Thanks so much Sir! (And bless Mr Fender for putting that middle pot in there)

Thanks Wally. I agree, but for some reason, I like the looks of the third pot/knob. I actually did buy a switch, but didn't like the way it looks. Thanks for the info on the humbucker though. I think I will try it on another guitar. I had heard about it, but never really given it much thought till now.

Thanks again Guys

Wally · May 14th, 2008, 04:43 PM

Pango, I have never tried the 'spin split' pot. IT looks interesting. I am wondering if it faes the coil out gradually? IT must, right? I might find that interesting if that is what it does. The advantage of a switch..push/pull or toggle...is that the coil cut is immediate. Small difference.

sha4096 · May 15th, 2008, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wally

Pango, I have never tried the 'spin split' pot. IT looks interesting. I am wondering if it faes the coil out gradually? IT must, right? I might find that interesting if that is what it does. The advantage of a switch..push/pull or toggle...is that the coil cut is immediate. Small difference.

It should yep (gonna try on the Tele this week-end ;). As one of the pot slug is connected to ground, and the other is free, the rotation of the pot will fade between the full split (ie. red/white wires are set to ground, that means that the second coil is simply ignored) and the humbucker mode (ie. red/white are now connected to the free slug -> same as if they were tapped together)

I had a similar system on a Washburn WI-64, Washburn even gave it a pompous name, VCC (Voice contour control). Not sure it's exactly the same wiring though. Anyway I removed it from the Washburn and replaced it with push-pull pots for single/hb mode and tone control.

May 13th, 2008, 06:13 PM	#1 (permalink)
pango_twango Tele-Meister Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: NYC sprawl Posts: 103	Wiring advice, 3 pickups, coil-split I know there's a way to do this... but I think I'm staring at diagrams too much and making it harder than it should be. I have a strat with standard 3 pickup setting (two single-coil, 1 humbucker), 5-way switch, and the usual strat pot configuration (i.e., 3 pots, 1 vol., 2 tones). What I'd like to do is use one of the Tone pots to vary the humbucker between full and split-coil. I've never needed the 2nd tone pot as a tone control anyway, so I'd like to use it instead of installing push-pull switch for the coil-splitting duties. Then, of course, I want everything to meet up at the switch more or less like it would be with a standard H/S/S arrangement. That would give 1 volume, 1 tone, and 1 pot being used as a "switch." Not sure if I described that correctly... But can anyone offer guidance? Checked the usual suspects for wiring diagrams, but can't find just what I'm looking for on their sites.

May 14th, 2008, 03:31 PM	#2 (permalink)
sha4096 Tele-Meister Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Switzerland Age: 28 Posts: 117	Check this diag. http://www.seymourduncan.com/support...tic=1h_1v_1sas Your tone pot is the "spin a split" pot. The red and white wires are often soldered together to have a full humbucker mode, that's what you'll see on many diags, converting to the split mode should be straightforward if your humbucker has these two single coils wires. I guess that your wiring will look like that diagram below but instead of the red/white taped together, you'll send them to your tone-split a split pot (which is not shown on the H-S-S diag) http://www.seymourduncan.com/support...l_1tone_5wa y __________________ Pearcaster project - all pictures : http://www.flickr.com/photos/2321586...7603801718951/

May 14th, 2008, 04:36 PM	#3 (permalink)
Wally Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Lubbock, TX Posts: 3,444	If you are not going to utilize that tone pot, just throw in a SPST switch in that position to take that two-wire function to ground to cut a coil. IF you want to have the tone control, a push/pull pot will cut the coil or take the pickup to parallel humbucking (which is very similar sonically to the single coil but is humbucking) and still can be used as a tone control.

May 14th, 2008, 04:37 PM	#4 (permalink)
pango_twango Tele-Meister Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: NYC sprawl Posts: 103	hmmm... I think I get it now. Instead of tying off the red/white, they go to the middle pot and to volume, except that since there's two other pickups, the one that would go to volume goes to the switch. Thanks so much Sir! (And bless Mr Fender for putting that middle pot in there) Thanks Wally. I agree, but for some reason, I like the looks of the third pot/knob. I actually did buy a switch, but didn't like the way it looks. Thanks for the info on the humbucker though. I think I will try it on another guitar. I had heard about it, but never really given it much thought till now. Thanks again Guys

May 14th, 2008, 04:43 PM	#5 (permalink)
Wally Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Lubbock, TX Posts: 3,444	Pango, I have never tried the 'spin split' pot. IT looks interesting. I am wondering if it faes the coil out gradually? IT must, right? I might find that interesting if that is what it does. The advantage of a switch..push/pull or toggle...is that the coil cut is immediate. Small difference.