wiring diag 2 hum 3 way blade 1 vol 2 tone.

[prolife]

hi guys.

i just joined to get help with this wiring setup. a strat with 2 humbuckers, a 3 way blade selector. i was going for 2 vol 1 tone but i think i'd prefer 1 vol 2 tone. this seems hard to find. the blade has 8 lugs in a line and seymours stuff hasn't worked.

[ChrisK]

Welcome a'board!

I just joined to get help with this wiring setup.

Does this mean that you're going to leave as soon as we help you?

a Strat with 2 humbuckers and a 3 way blade selector.

This is very straightforward to do.

I was going for 2 vol 1 tone but I think I'd prefer 1 vol 2 tones.

Fine, this is likely better than having a master tone located after the two volume pots. This is just like a dual humbucker Strat.

This seems hard to find.

Maybe, but it's not at all hard to do.

The blade [switch] has 8 lugs in a line, and Seymour's stuff hasn't worked.

Ok, it's likely an Off-Shore Lever Switch.

What "stuff" from Seymour isn't working?

They may not have a diagram that exactly matches your "stuff" (er, switch).

However, the "Off-Shore Lever Switch" post will enable you to translate a 3-way lever (like the Fender unit) to the 8-lug-in-a-line lever switch.


You have homework. There will be a test!

[prolife]

there seem to be some good forums here and i'm modding abit so i'll hang about.
that info is a little too adavanced with no other info...
i did have a thought that i could follow this diagram:
www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=3s_1v_2t_5w
but cut out the mid pickup and wire the other 2 hot pickups to the old mid position as well as there own positions. i have given up for the day... do you think that could work?

[pete12345]

I'm afraid not. Connecting both pickups to the same switch terminal would mean both are on, all the time. You would most likely want to follow the wiring for a telecaster, except rather than a master tone, wire each tone control around the relevant pickup (i.e, wired between the ground connection and the relevant pickup's 'hot' lead.

Pete

[newey]

pl-

Hello and Welcome! Even though you "just joined to get help" with your current project, we hope you'll stick around even after we answer your question.

But we need some additional information. First of all, are your humbuckers of the 2 wire variety, or perhaps 3 or 4 wires?

If they're of the 4-wire variety, you have much more in the way of wiring options. You may want to consider doing something more than just a 3-way switch. But if it's a three-way switch you really want, that's fine.

i think i'd prefer 1 vol 2 tone. this seems hard to find

This is the standard Strat arrangement so I don't know how it's hard to find.

Fender has called their 2-HB version of the Strat a "Big Apple Strat" at times, at other times a "Double Fat Strat". There are wiring diagrams for both on Fender's website. I'd give you the link here but my computer's acting up for some reason on Fender's site.

Anyway, those diagrams utilize 4-conductor HBs and a 5-way switch so they won't directly translate to what you want, but they can be adapted. Those diagrams will show you how to wire a single Vol and 2 tone pots- but so do most strat wiring schemes.

More definitive help will be along.

Also, with all the lugs in a row, it sounds like you have an import version of the std Tele/Strat 3-way switch. Go to our reference page and look for "import switches", see if you can find one like yours among the diagrams. Or post a picture of it.

seymours stuff hasn't worked.

This implies that you have wired up, and tested, one or more configurations. Are you using SD pickups? What have you tried and what didn't work about it?

EDIT: And while I was off ordering pizza mid-post, several others jumped in and said much the same. Durn we're quick around here...

[ChrisK]

I did have a thought that I could follow this diagram:

It is an excellent basis to start with. I can certainly mark up that diagram for what you want.

I looked in the Fender wiring diagram archive, but virtually all HH Strats use a 4P5T lever super switch. While any large number of drawings a'web can be used as a mark-up basis, we might as well just use the one that you posted.

Two questions need to be answered;

1. What pickups exactly are you using (Mfgr/model please)?

2. Each tone control will be active when each respective pickup is selected alone. Do you want both tones to be active in the middle/both position, or, if not, which one should be active?

[prolife]

i've done a good few pickup changes. this has been the most difficult. unless i have a dodgy switch or pot? and i did the gfs 13 sound pickup mod!
www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=2h_2v_1t_3w
i followed that one above and used this one below:
www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=3ws_trans
i seemed to have both pickups on all the time and if either volumes were switched off in any position the sound went off. which is much like the les paul mid position wiring. i think the tone was working ok. i tapped on the pickups and they both seemed to be on.

i've found other wiring for hh config but they all seem to have one vol one tone.

[prolife]

ok. just 2 epiphone 2 wire humbuckers are in it i took from my g400. it now has filertrons types.
t1= neck
t2 =bridge
t3?
for mid i guess both on?

[ChrisK]

I seemed to have both pickups on all the time

This is a switching error.

..and if either volumes were switched off in any position the sound went off, which is much like the Les Paul mid position wiring.

Yep. that's why we'all invented reverse LP wiring.

t1= neck
t2 =bridge
t3?
for mid I guess both on?

Ok!

I'll work on it.

[prolife]

i forgot to say i followed this one after:
www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=2h_1v_2t_3w
and vol and 2 tones were ok but selector made not selection between pickups. exactly the same sound...

[ChrisK]

If you want to go to just one of the tones being active in the middle position, just let me know.

[prolife]

cool! i'm tempted to give it a go now but it's a bit late. i'll try it tommorow and if it works i can use it on another strat with 2 gfs mean 90's. it will have the same config. 3 way blade 1 vol and 2 tone. thanks!!!

[newey]

Prolife posted this at 6:32 EST. By 7:15 he had several responses, and by 8:10, after some back and forth, he had a diagram.

Any tech support outfit would be proud of a response like that. Everyone involved gets a gold star! (And 1+ to ChrisK for the actual diagram!)

[prolife]

half way there guys. i've checked twice. it's 1.30am uk time and i've gotta hoover the solder up!!! anyway. vol is ok all positions. t2 is fine on bridge pickup. neck is very different to bridge but very les paul-ish no treble at all. mid and neck position sound the same t1 does not work...

[ChrisK]

Post some pictures of your wiring.

[prolife]

hi,

i'm just recovering from a party. i will give it another go and swap out all the parts for 100% tested pots from another guitar i also have a 2nd switch.
this is the type of switch i have...
cgi.ebay.co.uk/PKG2-3-WAY-Pickup-Selector-Switch-for-Fender-Strat-3F_W0QQitemZ290269087235QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item290269087235&_trkparms=72%3A1301|39%3A1|66%3A2|65%3A12|240%3A1318&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14

[ChrisK]

This is exactly the type of switch that my second drawing shows.

Post some pics of your latest wiring inside of your guitar (as you have soldered it).

Especially show the wiring on the switch and pots.

[prolife]

cool that got it. thanks. i think i got some pots i had from an old rusty strat in it or something because it's fine after i redid the job with other stuff.
what are the recommended pot and cap value for this setup? as i think i'm going to get some new ones anyway.

[prolife]

oh by the way if you could do the other pic of the one tone mid position option that would be cool. i am going to print them out and put them somewhere handy if i need the same again.

[ChrisK]

If you could do the other pic of the one tone mid position option that would be cool.

Which tone pot will be active in the mid position?

What are the recommended pot and cap value for this setup

Both drawings indicate that 500K pots are normally used with humbuckers. Typically, 0.022 uF (22 nF) caps are used with humbuckers.

[prolife]

hi,

i guess mid pot makes most sense...
you know i did wire up 250k pots and it sounded very bright! i guess i'll record the sounds and then try 500k. thats probably better than going by ear.

[newey]

If 250K was bright, 500K will be more bright, not less.

[prolife]

yeah i know. i found that odd. but i'm going to try it anyway as for some reason i don't like the tone i'm getting where i did before. i took out a mid pickup though. i had a single coil hsh config. actually i had it out of phase and i liked the variation. perhaps 2 hb's are just plain sounding after that config.

[newey]

Or perhaps 2 HBs are just really plain-sounding. ;D

No. I don't want to start that fight. Personally, though, I've never been a fan.

[ChrisK]

I guess mid pot makes most sense...[/quote]

Remove the wire from the bridge tone pot that goes to terminal 2 on the lever switch's upper group (the one with the upside-down numbers).

Leave the jumper in place between terminals 1 & 2 on the lever switch's upper group.

Reconnect the wire from the bridge tone pot to terminal 1 on the lever switch's lower group (the one with the upside-up numbers).

[prolife]

ha! ok job done. thanks.