Guitar... IN STEREO! (but I need help first, hehe...)

[greyson]

Hey y'all!

I'm doing another guitar build where I want to get a stereo situation happening. I have a jazzmaster with 2 humbuckers in it. I'm going to remove the rhythm circuit, so I have 2 switches available to me: DPDT 2-way slider, 3PDT 3-way toggle.

when the slider is UP - I'd like the neck to go to RING, and bridge to go to TIP (e.g. stereo)

When the slider is DOWN - I'd like nothing to go to RING, and the standard 3-way toggle to TIP (e.g. mono/normal)

I tried before, but I have a lot of sound bleed in each channel, so I gotta check my math... Can someone tell me if 1) the following diagrams achieve the same result (and one kinda looks like Linda Belcher, no? hehe), or 2) if there's an easier way?

Appreciate y'all in advance! Thank you! :-)

[newey]

Jul 22, 2022 18:40:29 GMT -5 greyson said:

I tried before, but I have a lot of sound bleed in each channel, so I gotta check my math... Can someone tell me if 1) the following diagrams achieve the same result (and one kinda looks like Linda Belcher, no? hehe), or 2) if there's an easier way?

The two diagrams are equivalent. Of course, only one set of V and T pots will be active when in "mono mode", whcih might take some getting used to.

I have a stereo Tele project that has languished on the workbench for years, but it uses 2 separate output jacks. One jack is a switched jack, so that inserting a cable into just the one output gives mono, but inserting the second cable switches it to stereo. After discussion, the consensus of members here was that I should completely separate the channels, not running a common ground. I don't know if that may be why you are getting bleed-over or not, but there are TRRS jacks available which would allow for both channels to be wholly separate- but then you'd need a TRRS cable to a splitter box of some sort.

With yours, you'll need a TRS cable of course. Will you then have a splitter box, or do you have a stereo amp?

While routing the pickups to separate channels is one way to do a stereo guitar, the fancier way is to have stereo pickups like the Gretsch Stereo White Falcon, such that the lower 3 strings go to one channel and the upper 3 strings to the other.

[greyson]

Hi there! Yes, thank you! Always helps to check your work. :-)

I actually have all my guitars set up in stereo one way or another. For 2 of them, it’s a standard jazzmaster setup to one side, and a middle pickup to the other side. For one (a tele), it’s stereo in position 3 of the selector switch. This guitar has humbuckers, so I’m trying something a little different.

The idea is that I run one side to a Marshall amp and the other to a fender without splitting a signal - it actually works great cause the signals are different and have their own electronics (I use a stacked pot for both tone and volume).

I have a pedal that takes a TRS jack, and I have a TRS cable. If only one amp is available, I just use a mono cable and it works the same as any mono guitar.

A TRACE bleeds through on all the guitars, and I’m okay with that - but this one with humbuckers is as if theres no split at all. I wired it with 500k pots, but they’re too muddy - gonna rewire with 1meg so may as well address this, right? Right….

:-)

[newey]

Jul 22, 2022 22:31:50 GMT -5 greyson said:

If only one amp is available, I just use a mono cable and it works the same as any mono guitar.

Yes, but wired as per either of your diagrams, using a mono cable will mean that, with the mono/stereo switch "up", the 3-way selector is bypassed and you'll have both HBs "on" at all times. Not a problem, just something you'd have to get used to.

[greyson]

Jul 24, 2022 9:09:29 GMT -5 newey said:

Jul 22, 2022 22:31:50 GMT -5 greyson said:

If only one amp is available, I just use a mono cable and it works the same as any mono guitar.

Yes, but wired as per either of your diagrams, using a mono cable will mean that, with the mono/stereo switch "up", the 3-way selector is bypassed and you'll have both HBs "on" at all times. Not a problem, just something you'd have to get used to.

Confused... Don't you mean that in "up" position, it would bypass the 3-way and only use the neck pickup? With a mono cable, the circuit wired to "ring" would shunt to ground at the jack, no? That's what happens in my other guitars... I think... lol.

Really this setup is more for recording - I use a lot of fuzz and distortion, so this helps to 1) better balance scooped mids and account for volume loss, and 2) get my tracks right and lessen the amount of overdubs needed (yes, I know there's probably better ways, or I should just grow up and do them all separately, blah blah blah, hehe - but I play everything and sing, and I have a day job and a spouse that likes to adventure outside, so I gotta be efficient! lol). For live playing or just jamming, I usually just go into one amp.

ANYWAY, woe-is-me tangent aside, this guitar is one I don't play often (even though it rips), and I didn't want to route a middle pup into it, so I outfitted it with humbuckers specifically for recording so I could get some fatter overdubs and it's my only guitar that has a switch-to-stereo; all of the others either have a separate pup to ring, or utilize one position in their switch to send a pup to ring, while tip gets your standard wiring setups.

Long story short, I make things complicated so others can point and laugh... ;-) hehe.

thanks again for the help. :-) I do appreciate it!

[newey]

Jul 24, 2022 9:26:50 GMT -5 greyson said:

Don't you mean that in "up" position, it would bypass the 3-way and only use the neck pickup?

My bad, you're correct, neck only with the switch up. Still would take me some getting used to, but hardly a deal-breaker.