Help with my project

[spook]

Hey there!

I've been a lurker for some time, just because I like looking at cool things people come up with. However, now, I'm wanting to do something to my guitar!

I'm planning on buying a Shadow EQ5 pickup to stick in my guitar. I think I'll put it in the Bridge position and leave the stock humbucker in the neck position. But I want to do some more interesting things with it. Anyway, I'm another one of those musician types who has no idea what is going on in the world of wiring, at least, not enough to design what I want myself. So, I'm asking for any help you could give me!

Here are the controls

1-3 position pickup selector

Just a regular pickup selector. To select between Bridge, B+N, and Neck. I assume it would still be the same if I later wanted to later add another EQ5 in the neck?

2-Series/Paralell Wiring between both pickups

This is in reference to BOTH humbuckers, not the coils within them!

3-Series/Paralell/South Coil(single coil) for Bridge Pickup

This is just the coils inside the Bridge PU

4-Series/Paralell/North Coil(single coil) for Neck Pickup

same, Neck PU

5-Active/Passive Switch

they have this switch on a push/pull on your diagram. I think push/pulls are hard to use in a real playing situation, personally. I'll probably hide it inside my guitar, as it is a Les Paul control layout (save for the pickup selector being in a different spot) and has F-holes I can stick it inside of/

6-Phase flip switch between neck and bridge pickup

This just switches the phase of the two pickups. I think this should still work with the coils tapped? I think I'm going to hide this one inside as well.

7-Master Concentric Volume/Tone

I'm actually wondering if just ommiting the tone knob won't help the versatility. Isn't it redundant and ineffected compared to having an EQ on your pickups? I never like to USE it when playing, just set and forget. Is that so do you think? The reason I want this pickup is mainly to have an on board EQ, as I always have an EQ rack or pedal of some sort between my guitar and the first distrotion stage or effect. I think it does more for tone than anything else possibly can, and developing a voice on my instrument even independent of my technique is important to me.

Also, would having a higher value pot for the volume help retain the EQ settings with less coloring? That's another thing, there are apparantly no 1m concentric pots!

From the Shadow site, if it helps;

SH-EQ5 Wiring
This wiring schematic shows how to wire the SH-EQ5 and two additional passive pickups (SH-660 shown) with switching for single coil and passive modes. In this example, switch 1 (SW 1) is a push-pull switch (SH-122) on the volume control pot and selects between humbucker (switch down) and single coil (switch up) mode. Switch 2 (SW 2) selects between "active" (EQ on) mode (switch down) and "passive" (EQ off) mode (switch up). You can also
use SPST mini toggle switches instead of the push-pull switches. Note that the passive pickups also go through the EQ/preamp circuit and become active. To conserve battery life you should always unplug the guitar when not in use.

I guess it's probably a lot to ask people to just come up with a schematic for me, but I really don't know enough to do what I want.

Thanks for any help!

[Runewalker]

Other than your dislike of PPs this design:

guitarnuts2.proboards45.com/index.cgi?board=schem&action=display&thread=1181507361

will get you all you ask for but more.

Others for your config include:

guitarnuts2.proboards45.com/index.cgi?board=schem&action=display&thread=1169255966

guitarnuts2.proboards45.com/index.cgi?board=schem&action=display&thread=1162598765

guitarnuts2.proboards45.com/index.cgi?board=schem&action=display&thread=1156945763

etc.

However your twist is the active pup with the Eq. that is more switches, and also technically PPs could be replaced with DPDT minis, that just gets a little switchy.

As for PPs being difficult in live play, Jimmy Page played his 59 LP with 4 PPs and seemed to do just fine.

It is all in what you get used to. First time I tried a 5-way on a Strat after years of LP arrays, I was like, "what the he|| is this???"

I have played live with the design referenced and found no real issues, once I learned to pilot the machine.

But this active pup you are pursuing is in many ways designed to emulate various benchmark setups with EQ opposed to these advanced switching arrays (using 50's technology ... ironic isn't i?).

You may be going into uncharted realms with the active pups and the arrays you are seeking. But hey, we're all spaceship captains.

Look at the Schematics section. There are so many good and ground breaking designs there. JP mods, other HH mods. No reason to re-invent the wheel, unless of course, you must.

[spook]

runewalker said:

Other than your dislike of PPs this design:

guitarnuts2.proboards45.com/index.cgi?board=schem&action=display&thread=1181507361

will get you all you ask for but more.

Wow. I glanced through that one, but I guess the fact that it was exactly what I was looking for, tonewise didn't hit me until someone told me to read it.

However your twist is the active pup with the Eq. that is more switches, and also technically PPs could be replaced with DPDT minis, that just gets a little switchy.

I'm willing to try out push-pulls, if they make experimenting with tone easier, as that's what I'm after more than ease of use.

But this active pup you are pursuing is in many ways designed to emulate various benchmark setups with EQ opposed to these advanced switching arrays (using 50's technology ... ironic isn't i?).

Irony is an old, estranged fiance of mine. She follows me around asking to get me back constantly. And I realize the relative redundancy of the EQ and doing all sorts of backflips to trick out the wiring. But then again I am a redundant combination of anachronisms and new fangledness myself, as a person.

You may be going into uncharted realms with the active pups and the arrays you are seeking. But hey, we're all spaceship captains.

"And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by".

Spaceship captains indeed. I am excited (possibly even a little turned on) by uncharted realms, you see.

Look at the Schematics section. There are so many good and ground breaking designs there. JP mods, other HH mods. No reason to re-invent the wheel, unless of course, you must.

I'll look through, but you've already been helpful, at least in helping me rethink things, which is probably more helpful than anything else don't you think? I may need some help adding in the neccesary components for active pickups, but now I have a starting point at least!

And I don't plan on reinventing the wheel. Really it's a fun little invention. But I would rather like to put pink chrome spinners on it, maybe get some bigger tires and put snow chains on.

Thank you sir, you are a gentleman and a scholar.

EDIT:So, nosing through that setup, am I correct that the Bridge Volume PP is unused? Could I use that for the on/off switch for the active pickup(s)? The other thing I'm curious about is being able to turn off that buffer option. It sounds like it could add some cool possibilities Also, how does the buffer interact with the tone bleed components?

Again, thanks.