Poll: Cool things to do with a push-pull switch!

[DrKev]

So I'm building a new pickguard for my Silhouette Special, replacing the stock single coils with DiMarzio Areas and I bought new pots, including a push-pull.

So what should I do with the push-pull? Vote in the poll above!

I'm still jetlagged so brain not working great. I'm crowd-sourcing yours, so give me some ideas.

 

[ErnieJohn]

Series / Parallel, wish I didn’t sell my Reflex, ;( it was a great addition to that guitar

 

[DrKev]

Great! Thans EJ. Vote!

 

[xjbebop]

I don't see Blow/blower switch on yer list (sends full bridge pup straight to output, bypasses all other circuits regardless of settings...like having the bridge pup wired direct to output)
I've done this, along with the add pup and the series/parallel on different gittars.
All depends on what you want / what's missing for you.
*fwiw, I really prefer using S/P rather than coil splits since I discovered it....

 

[edhalen]

What EJ said! Wish I still had my white Reflex HT. I was an IDIOT for selling it.

 

[kestrou]

I use my push/pull pot to activate my flame thrower!

Kevin

 

[Warg Master]

All of the above!

 

[beej]

I'd probably use the push/pull (make it a push/push!) for splitting the bridge (using the Silent Circuit), rather than series/parallel.

 

[GoKart Mozart]

I'd probably use the push/pull (make it a push/push!) for splitting the bridge (using the Silent Circuit), rather than series/parallel.

I was going to say earlier that you ought to do a push/push instead! Soooo much more convenient.

 

[Bryan]

My Luke has the db boost on the volume knob as a push pull feature. Very handy for playing live.

 

[DrKev]

I had a voucher, they didn't have push-push in stock, I can get it later if need be. Honestly whatever I do (unless it's a boost) it'll probably be a studio convenience for me, rather than a live on stage kind of thing, so no big deal right now.

Thanks so much for all the suggestions. Keep 'em coming!

 

[kimonostereo]

I hear a bigger difference in sound with series/parallel than split plus it stays humbucking.

 

[tbonesullivan]

Maybe consider a Push Push? Definitely makes the volume boost on my Luke III easier to use, as you just press down to turn it on, and press town to turn it off.

Mine however is on the tone knob, not the volume knob like they are now.

 

[Lewguitar]

I’m not into splitting humbuckers into single coils.

But being a Tele player, I do like the sound of the bridge and neck combined.

So I voted for option #1.

If you’ve ever found your neck pickup to lack clarity and get a little muddy when you lower the guitars volume control, you might use that switch to remove the tone control from the circuit.

 

[DrKev]

The loss of treble when you roll off the volume control is actually due to cable capacitance, and an appropriately chosen treble bleed mod does a good job of fixing that issue. I've been running circuit simulations on exactly this problem to find the best solution. I think I have but that's another thread. But yes, higher tone pot value or no tone pot lessens the issue (which is why if people mix pot value in a guitar I always recommend the higher value goes on the tone pot).

But yes, I have been mulling a direct-to-jack mod on the push-pull for max volume and clarity. And I also love the tele in between sound (which is stock stock wiring in the middle position of a Silhouette Special is split humbucker + neck, I modded that further to full humbucker + neck for even more squank).

 

[DrKev]

After much thought, I wanted to do series humbucker with my modified stock SS wiring and parallel humbucker with standard strat wiring but it's just not possible, with even a super switch and a DPDT push-pull (I'd need another DPDT, or a Game Changer). But series/parallel wins the vote and will be the most useful to me. So that's what I'll do!

And I'll record samples of each of the Area '58, '61, and '67 in the neck position for reference to the stock single and because I don't think anybody has ever compared all three Area pickups in the same guitar in the same position.

Thanks again for your votes everyone!

 

[kimonostereo]

I learned a lot about the differences between series/parallel and split with a Duncan BG-1400 which is a humbucking telecaster pickup that I put in a F style Esquire I made. After reading a lot of different takes on it, I decided to install a switch so I could hear the series/parallel and split sounds for myself. I was really surprised that the splitting didn't sound like I expected it to. When the pickup was in parallel, it sounded more like what I'd like the split sound to be.

Looking forward to hearing your sound samples!

 

[beej]

I've had a number of guitars with series/split/parallel switches, so I've spent quite a bit of time with it. To a large extent, it depends what kind of pickup you're working with.

Splitting a humbucker doesn't usually get you a good single coil tone, it's just not the same thing. Ditto parallel wiring. It's different than split - though it sounds closer to that than series wiring, and it's humbucking.

Parallel has much less inductance than the split configuration, and can result in more highs (which is what some people like about single coils). I find it doesn't usually get me the "spank" of a single coil or split, but it's good for clean sounds and it's quiet. YMMV.

 

[beej]

And I'll record samples of each of the Area '58, '61, and '67 in the neck position for reference to the stock single and because I don't think anybody has ever compared all three Area pickups in the same guitar in the same position.!

Hey that'll be cool. I've done this, but didn't get around to recording anything. Interested to see what you like.

 

[kimonostereo]

I've had a number of guitars with series/split/parallel switches, so I've spent quite a bit of time with it. To a large extent, it depends what kind of pickup you're working with.

Splitting a humbucker doesn't usually get you a good single coil tone, it's just not the same thing. Ditto parallel wiring. It's different than split - though it sounds closer to that than series wiring, and it's humbucking.

Parallel has much less inductance than the split configuration, and can result in more highs (which is what some people like about single coils). I find it doesn't usually get me the "spank" of a single coil or split, but it's good for clean sounds and it's quiet. YMMV.

Yeah! Even though I’ve done splits and series/parallel wiring in the past, it was hard for me to know what the difference was without doing all three on a single pickup. Sound samples are really useful because the names didn’t mean anything without hearing how it sounds. At least for me