Wiring 2 x HB 1 x T 1 x V with tap + shunt

[wolfynic]

Hi all,

First time on the site, and finding it's full of useful info and helpful people... so maybe you can help.

I'm in the middle of assembling my first Tele. I'm using parts from all different places, and have a wiring question.

I'm going to be using a DiMarzio Chopper T in the bridge position, and a Stuart Macdonald overwound humbucker in the neck (because I already had one, and the other was had for next to nothing). I'll be using a 4-way fender switch with 500k CTS pots and orrange drop etc..

I know the Chopper has four wires, and the StuMac has three. I think that the Stumac will allow for a coil shunt? My electrics knowledge is slim!

My question is how to wire the switch so that i have the following:

1: Full bridge (Chopper T)
2. Coil Tap Bridge
3: Coil tap bridge + Shunt from neck
4: Full humbucker (neck)

Like I mentioned, i've already got these parts, and could do without buying more/different parts (budget!).

Any help is much appreciated.

Cheers.


**EDIT**

I've managed to 'aquire' an oak 3 way switch and a 5 way switch from a charvel (japan). So any suggestions as to using these instead of the 4 way with additional configurations?
I suppose the 5 way could give me quite a few combinations.... if i know how to wire it!

[newey]

wolfynic-

Hello and Welcome!

First, if the Charvel switch is similar to a std Strat switch, it will not provide more options than the Tele 4-way you currently have. If the Charvel switch is more like one of the Fender Superswitches, then all 5 poles are independently wirable. A std Start switch isn't really a 5-way, it's really just a 3 way switch with 2 "in-between" positions.

Whether you can split the Stew-Mac pup easily depends on what wiring it has. Is it three wires or is it 2 wires plus a braided shield?

[wolfynic]

Hi Newey,

Thanks for your response.

The Stumac pickup has three wires; one white, one red and a shield wire.

According to their website, you can cut one of the coils. here's a linky:

repaired link

Stumped me a little... I can understand four conductor cabling being split but the three wire... hmm... I'm thinking it's a difference in that with a 4 wire, one is a coil split, and the 3 wire one is cancelling out a coil.. i think that's about right?

I suppose if it can't be done, then I could always use the stumac as a humbucker, and maybe a phase mod or something like that?


The switch is a sealed unit, with two sets of four connectors all in a straight line.

The two other switches I can use are Fender standard 3-way and 4-way.

Any alternative wiring sugestions would be welcome.

Thanks.

[ChrisK]

The Chopper is a 4-wire two coil humbucker. Since there are separate wires for each coil, coil tapping is not used, but rather coil selection.

The StewMac pickup is also a two coil humbucker with the coils permanently wired in series. While a parallel combination of these two coils is not possible, either coil or both can be selected by either shorting out a coil or selecting whether one or both coils are selected.

On the StewMac, the bare wire is connected to ground. This sets the coil orientation for the rest of the switching scheme.


For position 4., select the red wire for the full humbucker.


The south screw coil is the first one that can be selected by connecting the white wire from the pickup to the selector switch. If this is the coil that you wan to be combined with the bridge single coil in position 3., have the selector switch select the white wire. If you want the north slug coil to be selected, you will have to select the red wire and short the white wire to ground. This takes two poles.

You should choose the bridge coil that has the opposite magnetic polarity from the chosen neck coil for position 3 (humbucking). Once you choose the neck coil, the appropriate bridge coil magnet will attract to it. This will be the bridge coil also selected in position 3.

Note: Since you only have two pole switches, you will likely be limited to using the south screw coil on the neck pickup.


You will wire the bridge pickup into the same series structure as the neck. Two of the wires will comprise an inter-coil tap like the white wire on the neck pickup. One coil will be grounded, it should be the opposite magnetic polarity as the south screw coil on the neck pickup. It will attract to it.

Position 2 will select the inter-coil tap point on the Chopper.

Position 1 will select the full Chopper with both coils in series.


I'm not familiar with DiMarzio narrow blade single coil humbucker wiring. Also, the phasing between it and the StewMac may be opposite. Since the grounded coil connection on the StewMac sets the wiring order, the Chopper coil leads may have to be reversed.


In summary, both switch pole commons go to the volume pot.

Pole 1
Pos 4. neck red
Pos. 3. neck white
Pos. 2. not used
Pos. 1. not used

Pole 2
Pos 4. not used
Pos. 3. bridge inter-coil tap
Pos. 2. bridge inter-coil tap
Pos. 1. bridge full humbucker

[wolfynic]

Chris, that's great... thanks very much.

That looks spot on (I had to draw it out to get my head around it, but i'm only just getting around to the wiring side of things and it makes perfect sense).

Couldn't have worked it out with the help. It's much appriciated.

Cheers!

;D