A simple diagram request and a question

[cem]

Can anyone provide me with a simple diagram that has a bridge-on switch?



It's an Hss strat. I am using a regular 5 way selector, 500k volume, 250k tone and 500k tone pot for bridge. It should have a resistor for the single coils to see 250k for the volume pot. Single coils will be connected to 250k tone pot. 2nd position should be connected to the 500k tone pot. And a bridge on switch.



I also have a question. When the switch is on in the 5th position, I'm guessing the tone pot will be connected to neck tone pot. Am I right? Is there a way for me to be able to use the 500k tone pot for every position when the switch is on? If so I would like It that way.



Thanks in advance.

[newey]

Jun 24, 2024 8:56:26 GMT -5 cem said:

When the switch is on in the 5th position, I'm guessing the tone pot will be connected to neck tone pot. Am I right? Is there a way for me to be able to use the 500k tone pot for every position when the switch is on? If so I would like It that way.

What you want is easy enough to do, but your question above is confusing. If you have a 250K tone pot for the 2 single coils, that tone pot (assuming standard Strat wiring) will be operating when the 5-way switch is in positions 3,4 and 5. At position 2, both tone pots will be in circuit if the 500K tone pot is wired to the bridge at position 1. At 1, only the bridge tone pot will be in circuit.

If you want to have a 500K tone pot in all switch positions, that's easy enough, the 500K pot just becomes your master tone, and the 250K tone pot is superfluous. You don't need to use the 5-way switch to switch between tone pots if you want all pickups to have the same value, just have a master tone and volume set-up. You will, of course, have an extra hole in the pickguard, though.

EDIT: Sorry, I misunderstood what you meant by "when the switch is on". If you want the 500K tone pot switched in when the "bridge on" switch is on, but have the 250K tone pot out of the circuit with the bridge on, that can be done assuming you're using a DPDT switch for the Bridge On.

[cem]

"assuming you're using a DPDT switch for the Bridge On."
Not sure about It but I'll buy one if it isn't.

Now that I know that this is possible, I'm wondering if the same thing can be done for the 4th position(when the switch is off).

I'm in love with the 4th position but when i set my amp the way I like it, all other positions sound too trebly and loud compared to the 4th. Having it wired to the 500k tone pot could be a game changer for me. I really like having all positions similar in output  and tone.

[newey]

Jun 24, 2024 16:06:34 GMT -5 cem said:

Now that I know that this is possible, I'm wondering if the same thing can be done for the 4th position(when the switch is off)

I may havew misspoke earlier. You can add the 500K pot to the bridge on switch no problem, but the 250K pot would still be in circuit at positions 1-4. To remove the 250K pot at the same time as you are bringing the 500K into the circuit would mean switching 3 things simultaneously- Turning the bridge pickup "On", adding the 500K pot at all positions, and deleting the 250K pot- that's 3 things to switch, you'd need a 3-pole switch. 3PDT switches in a size useful for a guitar either do not exist or are not readily available, I've never seen one at any rate. SO you're looking at a 4-pole switch, since those are readily available. One such switch is the Fender S-1, which ought to do the trick (but don't buy one just yet until we figure out the wiring for certain). But that could work and would replace one of the pots.

But I'm not clear on:

the 4th position(when the switch is off).

Are we numbering Bridge as #1? (my assumption, but the above doesn't seem to make much sense if #4 is N + M). Also, it would be relevant to know if your guitar does the usual HSS thing of splitting the HB to single coil at position 2 (or 4, if you're numbering opposite of what I'm thinking.)

In any event, I think you're over thinking this. If it was me, I'd make my life a whole lot easier by just assigning one tone pot to the neck pickup, 250K if that's what you like, and the second tone pot to the bridge. You lose the tone pot for the middle pickup by itself, but you have one or the other tone pot at 2 and 4. the neck gets its 250K when it's alone, and the bridge gets its 500K when its alone. That way, you never have 2 tone pots in the circuit when you're on the 5-way switch, but you'd have to live with both pots in circuit when you have the "bridge on" activated. I could certainly live with that (and I suspect you could as well, if you had the chance to play with it set up that way for a while). If you truly worry about having the two resistances in circuit together, then a no-load pot on one or the other (or both) tone pots would be a possible solution. Either way, it's a whole lot simpler than what you're proposing, no fancy pot switching needed. Just my 2¢

[cem]

 Just my 2¢

I agree. This is too complicated just for the sake of getting a very slight change to the tone. 

So let me answer some of your questions.
1st position is the bridge position for me. And I don't like splitting the coil for the 2nd position.

And I like the middle pickup wired to 250k tone pot.
If I understood correctly second position will be wired to both tone pots. And 5th position with the switch on will also be like this.

If so I'm totally fine with that.

[newey]

Jun 24, 2024 19:00:38 GMT -5 cem said:

And I like the middle pickup wired to 250k tone pot.
If I understood correctly second position will be wired to both tone pots. And 5th position with the switch on will also be like this.

If so I'm totally fine with that

OK, give me a few days to draw something up.

[cem]

newey I'm taking my guitar to my tech this monday. I can't wait to try the new pickup and silent single coil system.

Could you draw the diagram before monday? Can't wait much longer

[stevewf]

Hi Guitar-Freak.

Given the short deadline, I took a quick shot at it. I hope you or your tech can read it.



I make mistakes. So be sure to check this out carefully. If I did it right, then you should get
-With the push-pull down: the normal 5 positions (without the "auto split" in position#2). For tone knobs, #1=500K, #2=250k and 500K, #3-#5=250K (detail: position #2 has the two tone pots in parallel).
-The push-pull up will have no effect in positions #1 or #2, but will add the bridge pickup in parallel in the other positions. For tone knobs, it takes the same knobs as above.

I think it could be done with a single tone capacitor; this might eliminate having the two caps in parallel in position#2. Maybe your tech can see a way.

[newey]

stevewf- thatnks for jumping in on this, real life has intruded on my end.

cem- stevewf's diagram checks out by me. It could be done with a single cap, just like regular Fender wiring, but caps are cheap and by using 2, you can assign different values to the two tone pots.

[cem]

Awesome guys. Right on time. Thank you very much:)