H-H-H all coils split

[echobase2002]

I'm trying to find an easier way to make a H-H-H guitar with a 5-way switch for pickup selection and one switch to split all humbuckers at once. Basically, the 5-way switch selects which pickup like a standard strat, however the switch determines if a pickup is full or split. The guitar would select pickups like a standard strat, however I'd have the option of using a full humbucker or sing coil.

The problem I'm running into is that using a common switch seems to always split the humbuckers because the two coil split wires will always ground through the unused pickups. I can think of a way to do it with a mega-switch where one portion selects the pickup while the other links pickups to the proper tone control (standard strat style), however the third portion connects only the pickup in use to ground. Would this cause me to lose a lot of signal because the unused pickups are still connected to the coil split switch even though they aren't connected to anything else?

Thanks in advance.

[JohnH]

Hi echobase. what you want to do is simple enough, if you get a 3 pole minitoggle switch, one pole to split each pup. This type of switch should be easy to get, and the 5 way switch can be a standard Strat type.

Theres several ways to wire this that will work, but one right way, which ensures you get humcancelling in the split 2 and 4 positions, no shunting of coils (with possble tone-sucking eddy currents) and no disconnected coils hanging from the hot connection, sucking up noise. I'll leave you with that thought for now!

John

[echobase2002]

Thanks John. Sounds good, and a simpler solution was right in front of my nose. I just needed to stop thinking about using the same switch I always use.

Ok, double checking what you said now:

1) To ensure hum-canceling I need the single coil I select from the middle pickup to be RP/RW when compared to the selected single coil from the bridge and neck, correct? That's info I can get from the manufacturer (no parts have been purchased yet, I'm still on the drawing board).

2) I read your posts from 04/2005 about shunting. I can't really hear a difference. The only difference I hear is that the second strum (1st non-shunted) is picked much lighter than the rest. So does that mean shunting doesn't matter? Did I just answer this question with my second sentence?

3) In order to avoid having a disconnected coil hang from the hot connection, the finish connection of the active coil must go immediately to ground. Both the start AND finish of the disconnected coil must also go to ground.

Would that take care of things? Thanks again.

[JohnH]

Hanging coils are a problem if they connect to hot. It is OK to have one end connected to ground and the other floating, or to have both ends disconnected No need to ground both ends.

Shunting coils has been a subject for discussion several times on GN2. With both humbuckers and singles, I can’t hear a problem, but others can and the theoretical basis is real. I respect those with superior ears, and since it is avoidable, I agree with avoiding it.

The optimum design that I was hinting at has all the poles on the 3PDT going to ground, and switching between grounding either the normal ground connection of the hb’s, or the mid point link between coils. The hot connection of the hb’s always goes to the 5 way. I think this is Ukl’s approach, so we’ll get his comment when he’s back.

To get the humcancelling, swap the coils of the mid hb (but don’t change their phase direction), so red goes to hot, green/black is the link and white is ground (Seymour Duncan colours). For neck and bridge, black is hot, red/white is link and green is ground.

John

[UnklMickey]

johnh said:

... since it is avoidable, I agree with avoiding it....

well said, John.

i think you did a fine job of describing the way i approach coil-splitting.


Echobase2002,

the last part of John's post was regarding what i refer to as 'stacking'.

if you are going to do a typical 'Strat" sequence on the 5-way, the middle pickup should be stacked differently than the bridge and neck. whether the neck and bridge have the screw coil or the slug coil on the top of their 'stacks' should be determined by which one you want to have active when split.

cheers,

unk

[echobase2002]

Understood. Thank you both very much.