Strat with 2 dummy coils. Or maybe 3?

[korus]

I have successfully used one coil of humbucker without slugs (just wire wound on a bobbin) as a dummy coil connected in series to reduce hum of a strat single coil pickup.

So, I have 3 SC in a Strat with middle RW/RP, and it gives hum cancelling postions 2 and 4. I would like to keep these 2 positions as they are and to have dummy coils to reduce hum in positions 1,3 and 5.

I would like to use just 2 dummy coils – first one would be hum canceller for middle pickup and second one should be hum canceller for both neck and bridge. It should be do-able with a mega/super switch, I guess.

So positions would be (bridge to neck):

1. bridge SC, coil 2. - series
2. bridge SC, middle SC - parallel
3. middle SC, coil 1. – series
4. middle SC, neck SC - parallel
5. neck SC, coil 2. – series

If this is not possible with just 2 dummy coils, then solution with 3 dummies would be the one to do. The guitar is Squier Strat so it has wood removed/routed underneath the pickguard for almost 3 regular humbuckers - room for dummies is not an issue.

Anyone?

Thanks for your time.

[JohnH]

and thanks for the question. It actually presents quite a nice wiring puzzle, to do it as well as possible. Here are some suggested goals:

1. The dummy coil or coils are not in circuit in positions 2 and 4, since they are not needed there and it would be best not to have the slight loss of tone that they may cause.
2. No inactive coils hanging with connections at one end only, unless those are grounded connections - to minimise noise pick up
3. Minimum number of dummy coils needed
4. Simplest possible switch configuration and wiring

John

EDIT My best offering to achieve that, has two dummy coils and a 4-pole super-switch

'nuther EDIT (later). If you can wire the dummy coil in reverse, you can use one coil with all three pups. Ths can be done, almost achieving the goals, using the second half of the standard Strat 5-way, but with an infringement of goal 2. Better would be a single dummy, wired on the hot side of the standard coil switching, in series before the volume pot. Two poles of a super-switch wire this coil one way round (pos 1 and 5), the other way round (pos 3), or bypass it fully (pos 2 and 4). The other two poles of the superswitch replicate the standard strat coil selections.

[korus]

JohnH, thanks for your prompt reply. I actually hoped it would be treated as a puzzle. And I surely completely agree with your 4 suggested goals.

So, I will try to make schematics for what you described - single dummy, 4-pole Mega/superswitch - but if I fail ... I'll ask for help again. Thanks a lot.

btw - Any suggestion for software to draw schematics?

[JohnH]

No problem and good luck.

People draw their diagrams in different ways depending on what they have. I use the graphics features of MS Word, and then screen capture to make a gif. Others use anything from Autocad to MSPaint, or just sketch it and scan it.

John