EBMM CUTLASS HT SSS TO HSS WIRING DIAGRAM

[gabetreiyer]

Hi guys, i want to install a HB pickup on the bridge (DiMarzio The Chopper).
The tech installed a HB on the bridge, but it seems he installed it in series and not parallel, so no "quack" on position 2 (B+M).
My question is, can you shed some light on how to wire it parallel or share the wiring diagram for the CUTLASS HT HSS please?
That will make things a lot easier for me.
Attached is the SSS wiring diagram CS sent me.
Thank you in advance!

 

[DrKev]

There is no HT HSS, the HT Cutlass are only SSS. A the standard HSS Cutlass has a two-conductor humbucker, permanently in series, coil split or parallel are not possible. And yes, position 2 is not quite as bright and less quacky compared with SSS. It's close enough for my purposes but not everyone agrees (including your good self).

A Chopper really should be in series, at least in position 1. That's the humbucker sound. If you go parallel, it will be bright and thin and output will drop. I have disliked any humbucker I have played in parallel because they usually sound thinner and weaker on their own than a standard single coil. But in combination with position 2 it could be fine. I'd suggest two options...

1: Add a DPDT mini toggle switch to the pickguard to switch the Chopper from series to parallel. Send the output of that to where the Chopper is currently connected to the 5-way switch. No silent circuit or phase issues to complicate things. Easy job for a good tech.

2: A 4-conductor humbucker can be in series in position 1 and coil split (single coil) in position 2 for combination with the middle pickup. Google "HSS autosplit". It's a simple mod with a standard 5-way switch BUT because of the silent circuit on the Cutlass, I suspect a 4-pole superswitch will be required. BUT the two coils of the chopper are very asymmetric (green-white is 5kΩ, red black is 3.8kΩ). So you'll have to use the green white coil for position 2 but and silent circuit will need to be disabled for position 2 and there is a possibility of phase issues with the single coils which would require a substantial re-wire of the circuit to get right. It's doable but I don't know how good your tech is with this level of electronics, or how expensive they are.

 

[gabetreiyer]

Thank you so much for your extensive reply. Sorry that i wasn’t clear on the question, I just want to connect in parallel the HB with the middle pickup to have a strat sound in position 2.

 

[beej]

Imo, with the Chopper, you're better off using the full humbucker plus middle coil in position 2. Splitting the chopper and combining one coil with the middle sounds pretty anemic. (I have this setup on another guitar.) Chopper sounds good with 250k pots.

I'd just wire it up as before - using that wiring diagram - except run the green wire (ground) to a ground point, rather than to the solder pad on the PCB, as it doesn't need to be wired to the Silent Circuit for noise cancellation. Solder the B&W together, and Red to the lever switch (so no autosplit in position 2).

The lever switch will put the Bridge (in full humbucking mode) and Middle in parallel in position 2, as they were before. You don't need to do anything fancy.