Post by JohnH on Jan 19, 2007 19:16:05 GMT -5
Here is my current SSS project, the Stratocaster ‘Dual Sound’.
Schematic , to start with:
The concept is to be able to preset two sounds, one being a Rhythm sound based on the conventional selection of Strat single coil and parallel sounds, selected by a standard Fender 5-way switch. Then by flicking one toggle, without moving the 5-way, move to a pre-selected much more powerful series sound, for a lead.
The basic choices are:
Rhythm – B, B+M, M, M+N, N
Lead – NxM, BxMxN, BxM
The ‘lead’ sound is controlled by a blender pot, so you can move smoothly across those series combos.
Two other switches complete the pickup selection control:
A phase switch on the neck (S3) – which operates in both modes, to funk up the sound of all combos including the neck
A variation switch (S4), which in rhythm mode acts as a ‘bridge on’, giving access, in addition to those listed above, to B+N and B+N+M sounds. In series mode, it switches the middle off, giving BxN, with blending towards B or towards N.
A master tone and volume is provided, with treble bleed to preserve tone at reduced volume.
The parts list is not expensive, since the 5-way is a standard switch – no need for a Superswitch. The blender needs to have a section removed from the center of the track. Not a hard job, and which worked well on my ToneMonster 2 design. This ensures it is out of circuit in the middle.
With S3 and S4 as push/pulls on the volume and tone controls, the appearance is as a stock Strat, plus just the toggle switch. This design does all the in-phase combinations of singles, pairs and three pups, in series or parallel, plus variations with the blender and phase switch. It does not do mixed series/parallel however – but I reckon its enough, as many basic sounds as the ToneMonster2, but much nearer to a stock appearance, and with the useful feature of quick preset rhythm/lead changes.
EDIT 26/01/07
Here is a wiring diagram:
The core of this design is the 4PDT switch, and it is connected to just about everything. It sits like the Gorgon Medusa in the middle of the wiring, so it will definitely need great sobriety when attempting to wire this one up.
For general reference, I've done this diagram with installation in a standard Strat in mind, but mine will be different, since it will go into an Ibanez Roadstar. Since I don't have a normal Strat for reference, I'd be grateful for any opinion as to whether the 4PDT would fit in a Strat, orientated as I have shown.
EDIT 3/02/07
Yup - this works fine, all wired into an Ibanez Roadstar. I had the blender lugs inverted, so I've corrected the diagram above. Here's some pics:
To suit this guitar, I rotated the toggle switch 90 degrees, and moved it up into a space between the other controls. The diagram above though, I think would suit better in a Strat - same connections of course.
It's rather fun to play - heaps of sounds from thick to thin, and four very interesting blended ranges in series mode, depending on how S3 and S4 are set. The basic sounds in series and parallel are as for the ToneMonster2, so check there for sound samples.
In summary:
where '(N)' is neck reverse phase '+' = parallel and 'x' = series:
In parallel mode:
N, N+M, M, M+B, B, switched with the 5-way
N+B, N+B+M, (N)+B, (N)+B+M, (N)+M, using the S3 and S4 switches plus the 5-way
In series mode:
independent of the 5-way, blended ranges using S3, S4 and the blender pot:
NxM to NxMxB to MxB
(N)xM to (N)xMxB to MxB
N to NxB to B
N to (N)xB to B
EDIT 2/07/07
This ‘Dual-sound’ design can be adapted from SSS to HSS with a extra switch, to provide single-coil options at the bridge. Here’s the schematic, and it turned out to have a very nice opportunity to optimisecancelinging.
The neck and bridge pups are swapped in position within the circuit, so the bridge humbucker is now on the ground-side in series mode, and in parallel mode, the ‘variation’ switch is a ‘Neck-on’ rather than a ‘Bridge on’.
The extra switch is a single pole toggle, S5. The neat part is that, in Bridge single-coil mode, S5 always selects the best coil for optimum hcancelingng with the other pickups. Usually, this would be the bridge coil with opposite polarity to the middle pup, to get the normal B/M combos as hum-cancelling. But if the ‘variation’ switch S4 is operated, then S5 selects the other Bridge coil to balance the Neck, because the Neck will be on in parallel mode and the Middle will be off in series mode. Similarly, operating the phase switch swaps the selected bridge coil. So all the possible two-coil combos are hum cancelling (as near as possible with different pickups), in and out of phase, and the three coil mixes have no more than one unbalanced coil. All four coils selected is also inherently hum-cancelling.
I like it when a design addition just drops out without needing a lot more complexity!.
I believe the combo count is now 31:
5 single pup sounds (including 3 bridge sounds, using the phase and coil cut switches to select either of the bridge coils, or the full bridge humbucker)
13 parallel sounds
13 series sounds – across the blended ranges
This HSS version is not yet tested, but I don’t foresee a problem.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
EDIT 25 January 2008
Going back to the SSS version, I changed mine so that the tone control, when in series mode only, bypasses the neck pup with a capacitor when set at max treble. This actually makes the sound brighter, since more of the bridge or mid treble gets through. Turning the tone down a little restores the conventional series sounds.
It works logically in practice, since it does not affect the parallel mode, and in series, there is still a sensible progression from dark to bright tone.There's a particularly nice effect with the variation switch pulled to cut out the middle pup. Now, with tone at 10, the blender can select a bridge single coil, with a variable amount of pure bass added from the neck.
Here is the schematic:
And the wiring:
The other thing I've done recently is added a JFET buffer. For this, I removed the treble bleed, and instead put a 1nF and 150k in series across the volume control, to slightly tame the zinging treble of the buffered sound.That option is shown on the wiring diagram.
cheers
John
Schematic , to start with:
The concept is to be able to preset two sounds, one being a Rhythm sound based on the conventional selection of Strat single coil and parallel sounds, selected by a standard Fender 5-way switch. Then by flicking one toggle, without moving the 5-way, move to a pre-selected much more powerful series sound, for a lead.
The basic choices are:
Rhythm – B, B+M, M, M+N, N
Lead – NxM, BxMxN, BxM
The ‘lead’ sound is controlled by a blender pot, so you can move smoothly across those series combos.
Two other switches complete the pickup selection control:
A phase switch on the neck (S3) – which operates in both modes, to funk up the sound of all combos including the neck
A variation switch (S4), which in rhythm mode acts as a ‘bridge on’, giving access, in addition to those listed above, to B+N and B+N+M sounds. In series mode, it switches the middle off, giving BxN, with blending towards B or towards N.
A master tone and volume is provided, with treble bleed to preserve tone at reduced volume.
The parts list is not expensive, since the 5-way is a standard switch – no need for a Superswitch. The blender needs to have a section removed from the center of the track. Not a hard job, and which worked well on my ToneMonster 2 design. This ensures it is out of circuit in the middle.
With S3 and S4 as push/pulls on the volume and tone controls, the appearance is as a stock Strat, plus just the toggle switch. This design does all the in-phase combinations of singles, pairs and three pups, in series or parallel, plus variations with the blender and phase switch. It does not do mixed series/parallel however – but I reckon its enough, as many basic sounds as the ToneMonster2, but much nearer to a stock appearance, and with the useful feature of quick preset rhythm/lead changes.
EDIT 26/01/07
Here is a wiring diagram:
The core of this design is the 4PDT switch, and it is connected to just about everything. It sits like the Gorgon Medusa in the middle of the wiring, so it will definitely need great sobriety when attempting to wire this one up.
For general reference, I've done this diagram with installation in a standard Strat in mind, but mine will be different, since it will go into an Ibanez Roadstar. Since I don't have a normal Strat for reference, I'd be grateful for any opinion as to whether the 4PDT would fit in a Strat, orientated as I have shown.
EDIT 3/02/07
Yup - this works fine, all wired into an Ibanez Roadstar. I had the blender lugs inverted, so I've corrected the diagram above. Here's some pics:
To suit this guitar, I rotated the toggle switch 90 degrees, and moved it up into a space between the other controls. The diagram above though, I think would suit better in a Strat - same connections of course.
It's rather fun to play - heaps of sounds from thick to thin, and four very interesting blended ranges in series mode, depending on how S3 and S4 are set. The basic sounds in series and parallel are as for the ToneMonster2, so check there for sound samples.
In summary:
where '(N)' is neck reverse phase '+' = parallel and 'x' = series:
In parallel mode:
N, N+M, M, M+B, B, switched with the 5-way
N+B, N+B+M, (N)+B, (N)+B+M, (N)+M, using the S3 and S4 switches plus the 5-way
In series mode:
independent of the 5-way, blended ranges using S3, S4 and the blender pot:
NxM to NxMxB to MxB
(N)xM to (N)xMxB to MxB
N to NxB to B
N to (N)xB to B
EDIT 2/07/07
This ‘Dual-sound’ design can be adapted from SSS to HSS with a extra switch, to provide single-coil options at the bridge. Here’s the schematic, and it turned out to have a very nice opportunity to optimisecancelinging.
The neck and bridge pups are swapped in position within the circuit, so the bridge humbucker is now on the ground-side in series mode, and in parallel mode, the ‘variation’ switch is a ‘Neck-on’ rather than a ‘Bridge on’.
The extra switch is a single pole toggle, S5. The neat part is that, in Bridge single-coil mode, S5 always selects the best coil for optimum hcancelingng with the other pickups. Usually, this would be the bridge coil with opposite polarity to the middle pup, to get the normal B/M combos as hum-cancelling. But if the ‘variation’ switch S4 is operated, then S5 selects the other Bridge coil to balance the Neck, because the Neck will be on in parallel mode and the Middle will be off in series mode. Similarly, operating the phase switch swaps the selected bridge coil. So all the possible two-coil combos are hum cancelling (as near as possible with different pickups), in and out of phase, and the three coil mixes have no more than one unbalanced coil. All four coils selected is also inherently hum-cancelling.
I like it when a design addition just drops out without needing a lot more complexity!.
I believe the combo count is now 31:
5 single pup sounds (including 3 bridge sounds, using the phase and coil cut switches to select either of the bridge coils, or the full bridge humbucker)
13 parallel sounds
13 series sounds – across the blended ranges
This HSS version is not yet tested, but I don’t foresee a problem.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
EDIT 25 January 2008
Going back to the SSS version, I changed mine so that the tone control, when in series mode only, bypasses the neck pup with a capacitor when set at max treble. This actually makes the sound brighter, since more of the bridge or mid treble gets through. Turning the tone down a little restores the conventional series sounds.
It works logically in practice, since it does not affect the parallel mode, and in series, there is still a sensible progression from dark to bright tone.There's a particularly nice effect with the variation switch pulled to cut out the middle pup. Now, with tone at 10, the blender can select a bridge single coil, with a variable amount of pure bass added from the neck.
Here is the schematic:
And the wiring:
The other thing I've done recently is added a JFET buffer. For this, I removed the treble bleed, and instead put a 1nF and 150k in series across the volume control, to slightly tame the zinging treble of the buffered sound.That option is shown on the wiring diagram.
cheers
John
If you're willing to live with it, I'm sure not gonna pee in your Cheerios! In fact, I see now that the same thing also happens with the blend pot, in series mode. Either the Bridge or the Neck are shunted out, and as you note, this doesn't seem to affect the tone in a noticbly negative way.
)
