Two Humbuckers and an LP - modular wiring design

[JohnH]

This is a system for wiring a 2Hb guitar, to give a wide range of options using humbucker and single-coil sounds, combined in series and parallel, in or out of phase, or singly. Compared to other such schemes, such as Jimmy Page types, the differences are:

• The use of the tone controls to make the single-coil sounds, with SC sounds occurring on each pickup as the tone is turned up to 10. At 9.5 and below on a 500k log tone pot, the sounds are humbucker
  
• Can keep existing simple pots, push/pull pots are not needed, so low cost
  
• Modular design, allowing several options for switching using the same wiring installation
  

.

The design was discussed further on this thread:

Lp wiring 16 sounds

I have built this into my LP studio, and here is the schematic and main cavity wiring:



The key to the design is to set up the pickup, volume and tone wiring independently for each pickup, then add a switching scheme chosen to suit the guitar, which can be remote from the main wiring using 4-core shielded cable. For example, with an LP, this gives the option of putting all the switching up in the upper switch cavity, which is how I did it.

Here are 6 options for switching, which go interchangeably into the green outlined box on the schematic:




1 – is the default, simple 3-way toggle – a good starting point
2 – adds a toggle or slide switch to provide series and parallel. It changes the main toggle from B, B+N, N to B, B, BxN
3 – combines a phased reverse switch with option 2
4 – is as 3, but the series/parallel switch now overrides the main toggle, which I think is better provided the S/P switch is accessible easily
5 – replaces the two extra switches in 3, with a single 4pdt on/on/on. This loses the parallel out of phase options, and offers single & parallel /series out of phase / series in phase
6 – is a version using a rotary switch or superswitch. Three poles are used. With a rotary switch, it could go in the upper LP switch cavity. A superswitch version would be good on a more Strat orientated layout.

I built option 3, using two slide switches mounted on the rear cover of the LP toggle switch cavity. This avoided the need to drill or rout the body, and it is reasonably accessible but not likely to be knocked. It was an easy installation with only about $5 in extra parts and it has worked out very well.

Upper switch cavity:





Main control cavity:



All finished, ready to rock again:



Cheers

John

[JohnH]

here are some sound samples, exploring series and parallel on and out of phase, with the full humbuckers:

Poop Soop Shuffle

This is the LP, using the full humbuckerer settings of each pup, with the pickups combined as follows:

start Neck
11sec Bridge
17sec Neck + Bridge parallel
23sec Neck + Bridge POOP
31sec Neck x Bridge SOOP
38sec Neck x Bridge

This following clip steps through neck single, neck HB, bridge single, Bridge HB, Both Hb, Both single

LP test

cheers

John

[borsanova]

Cute location for your switches!

[jessethompson56]

I would like to do a similar mod to a triple humbucker black beauty. Have you seen any diagrams for such a mod?

[reTrEaD]

Feb 27, 2012 11:33:11 GMT -5 jessethompson56 said:

I would like to do a similar mod to a triple humbucker black beauty. Have you seen any diagrams for such a mod?

The Gibson 3 pickup models use a different selector switch.

www.gibson.com/Files/schematics/solid.gif

www.gibson.com/Files/schematics/lpafwiring.gif

[JohnH]

Feb 27, 2012 11:33:11 GMT -5 jessethompson56 said:

I would like to do a similar mod to a triple humbucker black beauty. Have you seen any diagrams for such a mod?

Welcome to GN2. I doubt theres anything already drawn for three humbuckers using this system (ie, I haven't done one), but similar ideas could apply. Which aspects are you interested in? The coil cuts on the tone pots would work fine if you have 4 conductor pickup wiring, and probably the series and phase options too could be adapted.

John

[jessethompson56]

I believe the second diagram link matches that of my black beauty. I am interested in having the capability to switch my humbuckers to single coil. I like the placement of your two way switches on the toggle cover. I am wondering if it would be possible to implement a two way switch for each pickup and use the toggle as it is currently set up? There may not be enough room on the toggle cover for three switches. Do you think it would be possible to mount them on the other rear access plate?

[JohnH]

I also thought about the main rear cover, but I think switches there would be very easily knocked, so would need to be recessed.

If you want three switches and two are coil cut, what would the third one do?

(for coil cut switches - most people use push/pull pots)

[reTrEaD]

Feb 28, 2012 14:33:38 GMT -5 JohnH said:

If you want three switches and two are coil cut, what would the third one do?

His guitar has three HBs, John.

Feb 28, 2012 11:17:12 GMT -5 jessethompson56 said:

I believe the second diagram link matches that of my black beauty.

You should check carefully. If your pickups have single conductor with shield cables like most Gibsons, you'll need to do some delicate work or replace your pickups.

[jessethompson56]

I am a newb as my profile indicates. How would I know if I had the correct wiring?

[newey]

I am a newb as my profile indicates. How would I know if I had the correct wiring?

You'll need to pull one of your pickups out to look at the wiring. However, if this is a stock guitar (is it an actual Gibson LP 3 pickup?) we may be able to get the info from the manufacturer's website.

[reTrEaD]

I don't think he'd need to pull one of the pickups out, Newey. He should be able to check the wiring by removing the cover of the control cavity and/or toggle switch cavity.

[newey]

Yeah, maybe just pull the control cavity cover and have a look. But the series junction may be cut off shorter or buried back in the braid. So, a "false negative" is possible.

If it's an actual Gibson of more than a few years' age, it's probably a 2-conductor HB.

[reTrEaD]

Feb 29, 2012 20:17:37 GMT -5 newey said:

So, a "false negative" is possible.

tru dat.

Look in the control cavities first. (cuz it's easy) If you see 4 wires plus shield for each pickup cable, you're gold. If you don't see 4, look deeper.

[newey]

jesse-

First off, while this started as a discussion of JohnH's LPx design, it seems apparent that your design will be quite different. We try to keep general discussion to a minimum in the schematics section when it varies too much from the basic design, so I would encourage you to start a separate thread in the general Guitar wiring section for ongoing discussion of your concept.

That thread can, of course, be linked back to here for continuity's sake.

Second, we do have a specific HHH LP scheme from the late ChrisK, not quite the same as what you have in mind, but it might give you some ideas.

Chris's scheme assumes starting with a regular 2 HB LP and adding a third pickup, so his design still uses the regular 3-way Gibby toggle, not the same as the switch you have. And 4 push/pull pots are brought into play, with three volumes and a single tone control for the middle pickup.

But, although it's different, you may find some things to like there. One nice thing about this scheme is that it assumes 2 of the three pickups are 2-wire types, only the third needs to be a 4-wire HB. So, if all 3 of yours turn out to be 2-wire ones, replaciing (or modifying) a single pickup to a 4-wire HB could give you this scheme.

Plus, ChrisK's drawings were just plain pretty . . .

Add Pickup and Modes for an HHH LP