Question Funky wiring for 2 humbuckers

[brownpants69]

Hi folks!

Some thoughts and questions (please chip in with opinions!):

I have fitted two Dimarzio DLX pickups to my ASS MM90. I know I can't seem to leave my guitars alone, but I used those pickups years ago when I borrowed (he might say stole...) my friends cheapo Yamaha electric guitar with the same pickups. I couldn't resist the prospect of having them fitted to a nice piece of wood.

Anyhoo....

I am about to embark upon the wiring, but I dont' want just boring Bridge/Bridge+Neck/Neck combinations. I want something funky, cool and most importantly useable. I know the Axis SS with humbuckers uses a 5 way switch: How do you get on with the different sound combinations?

I also think I could go for the normal 3 way, with push/pull pots so I can get Series/parallel operation from each pickup. From experience, how have you got on with humbuckers with series/parallel switches?

Or is there some other switching setup I could go for (without having to drill holes in that top).

Help I have pickup selection anxiety!!

 

[bkrumme]

There are only 2 pots in the ASS, so you have a limited amount of things you can do with push/pull pots.

You could do series/parallel for each pup and that would take both spots.

You could also do coil splits. That would only take 1 spot to have a "universal" coil split push/pull. It would split both pups at the same time.

You could do a combination of those two where you have coil splits for both pups and series/parallel for only one of them.

Does your guitar have a 5 way switch? If not, you could put a 5 way in it and that would add some switching options also.

 

[lenny]

Why is there a Burning "Luke" in your Avatar ?

 

[brownpants69]

Lenny-

I got bored and set fire to it. I didn't like the colour.



bkrumme-

It is a 3 way switch, so I'm thinking maybe Series/Parallel on each pot. I am tempted by a 5 way switch, but I'm wondering how useful the other combinations would be.

It's a shame I can't have 25th style wiring




By the way Lenny- it's not really a burning Musicman!!! It was a body I started building, but I messed up the routing, so I burnt it when we had friends round for a BBQ. Don't panic!!!

 

[brownpants69]

By the way- I could do coil splitting, but I was hoping that I could avoid wiring in the silent cicuit. I was thinking Series/Parallel, as they are both hum cancelling.

 

[bkrumme]

It is a 3 way switch, so I'm thinking maybe Series/Parallel on each pot. I am tempted by a 5 way switch, but I'm wondering how useful the other combinations would be.

It's a shame I can't have 25th style wiring

Well. Put a 5 way switch in, and use 2 push/pull pots for series/parallel and you've got the same combinations as the 25th. And it adds a little more control. You could run one humbucker in series and one in parallel in the center position..

By the way- I could do coil splitting, but I was hoping that I could avoid wiring in the silent cicuit. I was thinking Series/Parallel, as they are both hum cancelling.

No need for the silent circuit if you're not doing coil splits.

 

[RocketRalf]

Check the DiMarzio site, you can find a few fancy wirings there, such as parallel/series, outer or inner coils, 5 position switch or push/pull, etc

 

[brownpants69]

How will the two push pulls emulate the 25th anniversary wiring? (I'm a bit thick when it comes to this sort of thing!). That would be great if I could do that- will it be fiddly to use in the real world though?


As for the Dimarzio site.... I'm heading there now!

 

[brownpants69]

I've just had a look at the 2 humbucker/5 way switch diagram- that looks good- it's all hum cancelling... Could I add a push pull or two in order to add some other sounds?

 

[jamminjim]

have a look at this link

GuitarElectronics.com 2 Pickup Guitar Wiring Diagrams

the PRS McCarty wiring is pretty cool... (it's in the link just scroll down)

 

[brownpants69]

Oh no! More choice overload! -Thanks- thats a great site.

This one looks good:

2HB 5-way 1Vol 1Tone #04

1. Bridge Humbucker (series)
2. Bridge Humbucker (parallel)
3. Bridge Series Humbucker + Neck Series Humbucker
4. Neck Humbucker (parallel)
5. Neck Humbucker (series)

Decisions... Decisions...

 

[brownpants69]

Heres an idea...


How about wiring in a Fender S-1 switch? Anybody got any experience of these?

 

[bkrumme]

Oh no! More choice overload! -Thanks- thats a great site.

This one looks good:

2HB 5-way 1Vol 1Tone #04

1. Bridge Humbucker (series)
2. Bridge Humbucker (parallel)
3. Bridge Series Humbucker + Neck Series Humbucker
4. Neck Humbucker (parallel)
5. Neck Humbucker (series)

Decisions... Decisions...

I would use this one, but add a push/pull that takes the coil closest to the neck and the coil closest to the bridge out while in the middle position. That way you can have the 2 center coils in parallel.

 

[brownpants69]

Would that be noise cancelling?

And how would i go about doing this?

 

[Jack FFR1846]

You have a ton of options.

With your guitar, you can run a single volume and make it a push/pull, keep the 5 way switch and replace the tone knob with a 6 way, 4 pole switch. Do some web research on how to do each of the functions (coil splitting....each coil, phase, series/parallel). I'm on this path with my Sub reconstruction and will have 18 different tones......and each hum will be separately controlled so I'll be able to do hum on one and single coil on the other if I want. It took me a while to understand exactly how each sound is created but once I got past that, figuring out switching was pretty easy.

If you post all of the sounds you want, I'll take a look and try to figure it out.

jack

 

[bkrumme]

Would that be noise cancelling?

And how would i go about doing this?

Only 4 extra solder points. It should still be noise cancelling. With a Push/Pull DPDT switch, you would connect like this:

North Finish of neck pickup (top) on the diagram you chose to the center left pole on the dpdt.

Lower left pole of the dpdt (farthest from the pot) to the switch position the north finish of the neck pickup would go to on the diagram.

South Finish of the bridge pickup to the center right pole of the dpdt.

Lower right pole to switch position for south finish of bridge pickup.

When the push/pull is pushed in, you get the options just like the diagram. When it's out, it takes the northern most coil and southern most coils out. So the 2 center coils would be running in parallel in the center position. In any other position, they would be running like a coil split.

Unless I've made a fatal mistake, this should work.

 

[brownpants69]

Crikey!

I really am spoiled for choice! I've actually got a couple of 5 way switches on order (I tend to knacker switches every couple of years through over use- My Luke switch is on the way out at the moment...) so I think I will use one of them and ditch the 3 way.

I like the idea of the rotary switch, and I could even run a dual concentric pot so I can still have vol and tone.

I've looked into the Fender S-1 switch- its 250k and it's easy to melt/burn when soldering from what I've read on other forums.

___________________________________________________________

I like the idea of having the option of splitting the humbuckers on the middle setting, and I also like the prospect of having 18 different sounds... but I'm not sure I'd get on with it in reality.

The reason I love my Silo Spec so much is because I get loads of cool sounds all on a 5 way switch. I've got complicated (ish) switching options, but they are all dead easy to get to.

I'm going to go now, and contemplate further over dinner! nom nom nom

 

[mantrarock]

Did you see this?
http://www.ernieball.com/forums/music-man-guitars/38884-y25d-prototype-steve-morse.html

 

[brownpants69]

I have now! Wow! That top sucks.

I wonder how compicated that wiring would be to replicate?

 

[brownpants69]

Hiya folks!

I got 2 push push switches through the post today from WD. They look really solid, and they have quite a definite push-push action, so doesn't look like theres a risk of accidently hitting the switch by mistake.

For now- just for now- I think I'll go for 3 way switch and a push-push for each pickup to access Parallel sounds. And I'll take the 5 way switching further when I've played around with the different series/parallel combinations.

I'll get it done in the next few weeks (on holiday for 2) and I'll get some sounds recorded. Promise!!