Modding hsh guitar. Coil split + parallel/series

[limguy]

Hi! New member This will be my first time modding my guitar I've been searching for days on the forum but I can't find information on this anywhere.

What I'm trying to do is.

1. Add coil split on my hsh using push/pull on volume pot.

Like this
1. Bridge (hum)
2. Bridge + mid
3. Mid
4. Neck + mid
5. Neck

When switched is used

1.bridge(split)
2. Bridge (split) + mid
3. Mid
4. Neck (split) +m mid
5. Neck ( split)

I can do this one but what I'm trying to do is add another switch on the tone pot. To switch between parallel and series mode. Mainly on position 2 and 4. Or all positions but idk if that is possible. Is this possible and what are my options?

[unreg]

Nov 12, 2024 1:29:03 GMT -5 limguy said:

What I'm trying to do is.

1. Add coil split on my hsh using push/pull on volume pot.

Like this
1. Bridge (hum)
2. Bridge + mid
3. Mid
4. Neck + mid
5. Neck

When switched is used

1.bridge(split)
2. Bridge (split) + mid
3. Mid
4. Neck (split) +m mid
5. Neck ( split)

I can do this one but what I'm trying to do is add another switch on the tone pot. To switch between parallel and series mode. Mainly on position 2 and 4. Or all positions but idk if that is possible. Is this possible and what are my options?

Hi limguy,

Welcome to GN2!

Did you check the stickied Phostenix comments thread in Guitar Wiring?

guitarnuts2.proboards.com/thread/8893/phostenix-comments

In its HSH section, it has a few diagrams that meet, I believe, your first request. All of them use an S-1 vol pot… here’s the specified info for that 1st diagram:

HSH with S-1 for Strat or Fat Strat Type Switching

5-Way Switching:

S-1 Up:
1. Bridge Inside Coil
2. Middle & Bridge Inside Coil
3. Middle
4. Middle & Neck Outside Coil
5. Neck Ouside Coil

S-1 Down:
1. Bridge Humbucker
2. Bridge Humbucker & Middle
3. Neck & Bridge Humbuckers
4. Neck Humbucker & Middle
5. Neck Humbucker

Well, the only difference(?) is that your “when switch is used” works when S-1 is up.

Maybe you can add a series parallel switch to this? I believe some of the combinations, 2 & 4, are set to parallel in the Phostenix HSH diagrams with standard 5 way switches.

EDIT: Oh, yes, also a difference is that when S-1 is down, it uses both humbuckers instead of your specified middle.

FINAL-EDIT: You said you could do the first part; it wasn’t a request; I’m sry. Though, hope this helps you somehow.

[limguy]

unreg

Hi thank you for replying and for the link. I will check those diagrams and see if I can get what I want. I will update here once I get this done. This will be my first time modding and changing pick ups. I just don't like my current tones In all positions so muddy and the cleans sound so weak.

[unreg]

Nov 12, 2024 21:23:54 GMT -5 limguy said:

unreg

Hi thank you for replying and for the link. I will check those diagrams and see if I can get what I want. I will update here once I get this done. This will be my first time modding and changing pick ups. I just don't like my current tones In all positions so muddy and the cleans sound so weak.

You’re welcome limguy!

In my guitar’s, it’s an ESP LTD M-155, beginning my tones in all positions were also so muddy and the cleans also sounded weak. I learned that’s partly because it was made on a Korean assembly line. The soldering was terribly done AND the electronic cavity wasn’t fully shielded. I ended up replacing the bridge humbucker with a DiMarzio Bluesbucker, that’s a P90 in humbucker form… one coil is a dummy coil. But, I still had 500K pots so it was QUITE shrill. Now, I have a 250K Tone pot; that helps! But my guitar lost its muddiness and clean-weakness after I followed advice here; I set up a star ground. When a star ground is used, all grounding is done away from the pot shells. Pots or potentiometers are made cheaply now-a-days. So, they are more easily damaged by heat; soldering irons give off heat. A star ground can be any CONDUCTIVE piece; washers are often used (DON’T use a Fender washer).

I followed newey’s idea; he used a paperclip 📎 at least one time. I straightened my paperclip and made a small loop at one end with a pencil. Then I made a tiny hole in a wall in my newly painted, with frets’ conductive paint, electronic cavity with a conductive screw. I removed the screw, and then screwed my paperclip to the wall there; first trimmed (don’t trim too much; this star ground will receive every ground wire) and then bent the paperclip so it matched the wall’s curves; finally, I unscrewed the paperclip and soldered every grounding wire to it since soldering wires is tons easier outside guitar cavities (especially when using something like a Helping Hands). Please include the jack’s ground wire touching your star ground.

During that soldering, I took a soldering break, between each and every ground wire connection there, to test that new solder spot with a multimeter. I made sure that it had continuity, but more specifically a resistance of 0. If a solder spot has a resistance of 0 ohms, then that’s excellent! 1 or 2 ohms resistance is ok; multimeters aren’t perfect and their connections to your wires/electronics aren’t perfect; if you find a solder spot like that, then keep searching for the problem.

I reattached that paperclip to that wall with that screw through that tiny loop, and have an excellent ground now! My pot cases each just have only one tiny solder spot that a pot case grounding wire is connected to. That wire also reaches my star ground. Plenty of people here say that the case ground wire isn’t necessary since pot shells are supposed to be grounded with a washer connection near its shaft, that or the shaft itself and thus the case is grounded by the electronic cavity shielding, but I chose to add that wire anyway since ground loops don’t exist or cause problems if the loop is on the INSIDE of a guitar.

Now, that my guitar is cleanly grounded, its tones sound clear and its cleans sound strong!


EDIT: I also covered the paperclip with a bit of electrical tape so that any other items can’t become easily grounded.

[gckelloch]

All sound advice, IMHO. My question is: why replace pickups if it's a continuity issue, and what about the new pickups is an improvement?

[limguy]

Nov 13, 2024 16:29:13 GMT -5 gckelloch said:

All sound advice, IMHO. My question is: why replace pickups if it's a continuity issue, and what about the new pickups is an improvement?

Hello. I have a used rg 470 with the old stock pick ups the inf not quantum. Quite dirty and one of them might have been damaged. I ordered a cheap set for now to test with. But I plan to put bare knuckles on this guitar in the future.

[limguy]

I think I understand the wiring basics. I might use the HSH with S-1 for Strat or Modified Modern PRS Switching on the phoenix archive. I have access to the 5 way super switch but I can't find a 4pdt push/pull pot. I wonder if I can use a standard 1 or 2 dpdt pot.?

[unreg]

Nov 13, 2024 22:43:30 GMT -5 limguy said:

I think I understand the wiring basics. I might use the HSH with S-1 for Strat or Modified Modern PRS Switching on the phoenix archive. I have access to the 5 way super switch but I can't find a 4pdt push/pull pot. I wonder if I can use a standard 1 or 2 dpdt pot.?

I believe that the 4p part of 4pdt stands for four poles. And from random reading over time here, I believe that a pole allows something to be changed. So, if I’m right, a 4pdt pot/switch, like the S1, allows 4 things to be changed.

Two dpdt, aka 2p2t, pots will also provide you with 4 poles (since 2 + 2 == 4), but that will also provide you with 4 t… whatever t stands for; does t stand for throw?; also, you’ll need to drill another hole in your guitar to fit that extra pot shaft if you don’t have an extra hole available; and using 2 pots will require more switches or buttons to be pressed. If you don’t know, the d always stands for dual.

Obviously, I’ve never used a dpdt or 4pdt switch, so I don’t really understand. But, I found our late ChrisK say that S1 pot/switches sales can often be found on eBay. So I found this:

www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=s1+pot%2Fswitch

They are around $25 or less now.

No one replied, so hope this helps.