In search of schematic for HHH superswitch

[bfglp]

Hey nube here, I’m helping my friend spend some money on an ‘03 American series strat he recently purchased with a Mexican loaded pickguard.
So what I have in my head is 3 Duncan HB pups (already purchased) wired to a superswitch (on the way) volume tone tone and no more than one small switch or push pot
Would it be possible to wire for 5 position standard humbuckers with switch off and 5 position single coil switch engaged?
Not seeing anything for HHH superswitch on the internet

[newey]

bfglp-

Hello and Welcome to G-Nutz2!

Sorry, but I had to move your thread, as it was non-germane to Tone Control Discussions. No worries.

Would it be possible to wire for 5 position standard humbuckers with switch off and 5 position single coil switch engaged?

Not sure what you mean by "5 position standard humbuckers". I assume "5 position single coil switch engaged" means you want that setting to yield the normal single-coil Strat selections of N,N+M,M,M+B,B?

Please delineate what pickup combos you want for each of the two "modes", and we can then perhaps reverse-engineer a solution. A 5-position Superswitch, if coupled with a push/pull or toggle switch as a "mode switch", offers a ton of options. But let's zero in specifically on what you want.

[bfglp]

Thanks 
the pups are all Seymour a JB for the bridge, ductbucker for the middle and a little ‘59 in the neck
i was thinking a 5 way superswitch N,N+M,M,M+B,B with a switch to have two modes all single coil or all humbuckers. With a volume and two tone pots. One tone pot 250k with.047 for single coil mode and the other tone pot 500k with .022 for humbucker mode 

[Yogi B]

Mar 19, 2019 5:47:43 GMT -5 bfglp said:

the pups are all Seymour a JB for the bridge, duckbucker for the middle and a little ‘59 in the neck

I presume that's a JB Jr. for the bridge?

The conventional wiring for a duckbucker is with its coils in parallel, so splitting it probably won't give a great deal of tonal variety. Plus, due to it's wide-range-esque 3+3 construction, I'd be wary that splitting it would give unbalanced output across the strings.

[bfglp]

The Jb is a full size humbucker
i agree lets not split the duckbucker 

[newey]

OK, I think this should be doable with the 5-way superswitch and a DPDT switch to cut the coils of the neck HB and bride HB to single coil operation. Since the duckbucker in the middle won't be split, we don't have to worry about hum-cancellation when in single coil mode, since you'll never have the two SCs selected together, but only in combo with the duckbucker.

[reTrEaD]

Mar 19, 2019 8:31:21 GMT -5 bfglp said:

The Jb is a full size humbucker
i agree lets not split the duckbucker 

Mar 19, 2019 5:47:43 GMT -5 bfglp said:

Thanks 
the pups are all Seymour a JB for the bridge, ductbucker for the middle and a little ‘59 in the neck
i was thinking a 5 way superswitch N,N+M,M,M+B,B with a switch to have two modes all single coil or all humbuckers. With a volume and two tone pots. One tone pot 250k with.047 for single coil mode and the other tone pot 500k with .022 for humbucker mode 

Okay...

One pole of your DPDT will be used to shunt the series link of the selected HB to ground in SC mode only.

The other will be used to select which tone control is enabled.

The pickup selection is the same as a SSS strat so a plain old Fender 5-way could be used.  Only one side of that switch is needed for this task.

The other side, which normally selects the tone control, will be used to select the series link of the Neck HB in positions 5 and 4 (Neck and Neck+Middle) or the series link of the Bridge pickup in positions 1 and 2 (Bridge and Bridge+Middle).

A Superswitch can be used for the pickup selector if desired (and it would make it possible to bypass the unused coils of the HBs in the SC mode rather than shunting) but it's not absolutely necessary.

[bfglp]

That’s it!
I’ll save the superswitch for another project. I have 3 500k pots, dpdt switch a mojotone .022cap a vitamin Q .047 cap and the 5 way standard strat selector.
dose anyone have time to doodle me up a schematic?

[JohnH]

Mar 19, 2019 13:03:22 GMT -5 reTrEaD said:

Mar 19, 2019 8:31:21 GMT -5 bfglp said:

The Jb is a full size humbucker
i agree lets not split the duckbucker 

Mar 19, 2019 5:47:43 GMT -5 bfglp said:

Thanks 
the pups are all Seymour a JB for the bridge, ductbucker for the middle and a little ‘59 in the neck
i was thinking a 5 way superswitch N,N+M,M,M+B,B with a switch to have two modes all single coil or all humbuckers. With a volume and two tone pots. One tone pot 250k with.047 for single coil mode and the other tone pot 500k with .022 for humbucker mode 

Okay...

One pole of your DPDT will be used to shunt the series link of the selected HB to ground in SC mode only.

The other will be used to select which tone control is enabled.

The pickup selection is the same as a SSS strat so a plain old Fender 5-way could be used.  Only one side of that switch is needed for this task.

The other side, which normally selects the tone control, will be used to select the series link of the Neck HB in positions 5 and 4 (Neck and Neck+Middle) or the series link of the Bridge pickup in positions 1 and 2 (Bridge and Bridge+Middle).

A Superswitch can be used for the pickup selector if desired (and it would make it possible to bypass the unused coils of the HBs in the SC mode rather than shunting) but it's not absolutely necessary.

Just fine tuning this idea:

I think it may be possible, with the standard 5way and also no coil shunting.

One side of the dpdt selects the tone pot.
The other side has its pole to ground, and selects either the usual cold/ground side of both humbuckers (usually a fully grounded place), or the series connection of the selected HB, as directed by the second side of the 5way.

The outcome looks a little unusual, but with no adverse consequences that I can see. In single coil mode, say a bridge single is selected, then there is a grounded chain of the other bridge coil, and then both neck coils. But none of them are selected nor connected to anything except ground.

[reTrEaD]

Mar 19, 2019 15:07:40 GMT -5 JohnH said:

Just fine tuning this idea:

I think it may be possible, with the standard 5way and also no coil shunting.

One side of the dpdt selects the tone pot.
The other side has its pole to ground, and selects either the usual cold/ground side of both humbuckers (usually a fully grounded place), or the series connection of the selected HB, as directed by the second side of the 5way.

The outcome looks a little unusual, but with no adverse consequences that I can see. In single coil mode, say a bridge single is selected, then there is a grounded chain of the other bridge coil, and then both neck coils. But none of them are selected nor connected to anything except ground.

Yes, it does but ...

SPOILER: Click to show

[bfglp]

Do you think the 500k pot is a good choice paired with the.047 cap or should I use a 250k ?

[newey]

I'd go with the 500K. If you turn the 500K down to about "8", you'll roughly approximate what the 250K would sound like.

[reTrEaD]

If you're using a 250k pot for the volume control, I'd use either a 500k for the tone control in HB mode or a 250k no-load pot.

[Yogi B]

Mar 19, 2019 12:34:56 GMT -5 newey said:

Since the duckbucker in the middle won't be split, we don't have to worry about hum-cancellation when in single coil mode, since you'll never have the two SCs selected together, but only in combo with the duckbucker.

Yes, but note that the split and duckbucker combos won't themselves be hum-cancelling, which is unfortunate.

Also regarding the duckbucker, with its relatively low impedance (being parallel wired) it will tend to dominate the tonality in the 2 & 4 positions.

I was therefore thinking it would perhaps be better to put bridge and neck in local parallel, instead of splitting them. However, it doesn't seem feasible to do that and the tone pot switching with only a DPDT (and the superswitch).

Then again, maybe I'm just trying to be too clever for its own sake.

[newey]

I was therefore thinking it would perhaps be better to put bridge and neck in local parallel, instead of splitting them. However, it doesn't seem feasible to do that and the tone pot switching with only a DPDT (and the superswitch).

Then again, maybe I'm just trying to be too clever for its own sake.

Around here, we don't call that being too clever, we call it "nutz". Such behavior is encouraged.

[Yogi B]

Mar 20, 2019 9:58:37 GMT -5 newey said:

Around here, we don't call that being too clever, we call it "nutz". Such behavior is encouraged.

I suppose it is a question of how small is a "small switch"? A 3PDT isn't much bigger than a DPDT.

With a bit more thought, I realised that if a 4PDT was viable (either in the form of a regular switch or S-1 Switch/Pot), then we could have all the pickups (i.e. including the duckbucker) in local series in one mode and local parallel in the other (and still have the tone pots switch too).

... well, and the other question of whether it's worth it.

---

Even if it's not the answer here, I think the second option is pretty neat, so I'll probably draw it up for the Guitar Schematics sub-board anyway.

[reTrEaD]

Mar 20, 2019 12:04:32 GMT -5 Yogi B said:

Mar 20, 2019 9:58:37 GMT -5 newey said:

Around here, we don't call that being too clever, we call it "nutz". Such behavior is encouraged.

I suppose it is a question of how small is a "small switch"? A 3PDT isn't much bigger than a DPDT.

With a bit more thought, I realised that if a 4PDT was viable (either in the form of a regular switch or S-1 Switch/Pot), then we could have all the pickups (i.e. including the duckbucker) in local series in one mode and local parallel in the other (and still have the tone pots switch too).

... well, and the other question of whether it's worth it.

---

Even if it's not the answer here, I think the second option is pretty neat, so I'll probably draw it up for the Guitar Schematics sub-board anyway.

I might not be looking closely enough but I think a 4PDT might leave you one pole shy of being able to select the tone pot AND prevent tying the series links of two pickups together in the HB mode, in the #2 and #4 positions.

That isn't a deal-breaker, imho. Looking forward to see what you come up with.

[Yogi B]

Mar 20, 2019 12:04:32 GMT -5 Yogi B said:

I suppose it is a question of how small is a "small switch"? A 3PDT isn't much bigger than a DPDT.

Taking the same logic that allows the use of a 4PDT in the latter case, the former still need only be a DPDT -- I misssed that.

Mar 20, 2019 12:34:11 GMT -5 reTrEaD said:

I might not be looking closely enough but I think a 4PDT might leave you one pole shy of being able to select the tone pot AND prevent tying the series links of two pickups together in the HB mode, in the #2 and #4 positions.

I thought so too, until I realised that keeping one of the ends of the parallel-mode tone control attached to ground (or hot) was false economy.

---

Here are the diagrams, first JohnH's wiring then my two.

---

And here is the first of mine (the centre above) as a schematic.

SPOILER: Click to show

The other just uses the additional poles of the 4PDT to do the series/parallel switching of the middle pickup, but is otherwise identical.

[reTrEaD]

Mar 21, 2019 1:43:49 GMT -5 Yogi B said:

Mar 20, 2019 12:34:11 GMT -5 reTrEaD said:

I might not be looking closely enough but I think a 4PDT might leave you one pole shy of being able to select the tone pot AND prevent tying the series links of two pickups together in the HB mode, in the #2 and #4 positions.

I thought so too, until I realised that keeping one of the ends of the parallel-mode tone control attached to ground (or hot) was false economy.

That's a lovely convolution with that wire connecting lug 1 of SW2[A] to lug 3 of SW2[B].

[bfglp]

You Gus did an awesome job. I can’t wait to get to my bench and solder it up.

[JohnH]

Mar 21, 2019 1:43:49 GMT -5 Yogi B said:

Mar 20, 2019 12:04:32 GMT -5 Yogi B said:

I suppose it is a question of how small is a "small switch"? A 3PDT isn't much bigger than a DPDT.

Taking the same logic that allows the use of a 4PDT in the latter case, the former still need only be a DPDT -- I misssed that.

Mar 20, 2019 12:34:11 GMT -5 reTrEaD said:

I might not be looking closely enough but I think a 4PDT might leave you one pole shy of being able to select the tone pot AND prevent tying the series links of two pickups together in the HB mode, in the #2 and #4 positions.

I thought so too, until I realised that keeping one of the ends of the parallel-mode tone control attached to ground (or hot) was false economy.

---

Here are the diagrams, first JohnH's wiring then my two.

---

And here is the first of mine (the centre above) as a schematic.

SPOILER: Click to show

The other just uses the additional poles of the 4PDT to do the series/parallel switching of the middle pickup, but is otherwise identical.

These designs are things of great beauty. It is worth learning to read schematics in order to appreciate them!
v nice

[Deleted]

Just reading each circuit at a time, and picking out bits.. so will ADD to this post each time..


Local Series/Split HHH Strat

Dual POT, so when one turns the other goes with it, in Series so 250K or 500K
the side of the switch being using is still used but this time cut the Dual Pot from Both parts to just one
A250K with 47nF or A250K+A250K with 22nF 
Should save one Space

I will look at the 5way switch as to me they cost £10 where the S-Type cost £1
And for the Cheaper seats 1)Bridge Red+White 2) N/C 3) Neck Red+White 4)PurpleCable 5)RedVolume 6) Bridge Black 7) Middle Red/Black 8) Neck Black


Local Series/Parallel HHH Strat (#1)
Bit lost on this one,
OUTPUT Black, White GND .... OUTPUT Red, Green GND and the 250K 47nF
OUTPUT Black , White to Red to Green GND (Shorting out the 250K 47nF) and the 500K 22nF
to replace the 5way Switch id have to make a New PCB board for a cheap S-Type

Local Series/Parallel HHH Strat (#2)
on looking at both of them, I'd have a Push Pull on both Volume and Tone
One to change the Coil Split of the Neck/Bridge+250K 47nF/500K 22nF
And other to change the Middle Pickup as shown in Local Series/Parallel HHH Strat (#2) Right hand side of the 4P2T switch.

-------


Looking at this, just use a cheap S-Type Strat Switch
1) BridgeN, 2)Middle N&S 3)NeckN 4)Output 5)SW2A-3 6)BridgeS 7)N/C 8)NeckS
Tie Bridge/Neck N - ends together, then on to SW2A-2 and SW2A-1 to GROUND
As I suggested before Dual 250K Pot, Top Lug 1&2 Linked Lug 3 to SW2B-2
SW2B-1 to 47nF and Ground, SW2B-3 to Second 250K Pot Lug 1&2 with Lug 3 Leading on to 22nF and Ground.
One Post saved from waste, and a cheaper switching system.