Wiring situation and choice of parts problem Q's

[oreng]

Hello,


I'm currently speaking to a luthier about a custom Steinberger GL type guitar and I'm doing something a little different with the wiring.

I'm going to be using 3 full size passive humbuckers and since I'm "unusual" I would like to have each wired to a 3 way switch.

I haven't entirely figured this out but I'm looking for a wiring schematic that will allow each pickup to work in regular humbucking mode, tapped coil mode, or off for each switch.

I'm not sure whether to use 3 gibson style switches, 3 mini SPDT switches or click on click off buttons with a push/pull pot to engage coil tapping of whatever pickup is switched on.

The whole wiring diagram ideally will be something like this.

3 humbuckers, three SPDT/Gibson style switches, One volume, One tone, and one output jack. There should be a capacitor somewhere in there.

Can anyone draw this up for me?

-Thanks,
Oren Gravenhorst.

[newey]

oreng-

Hello and Welcome!

I don't have a diagram at my fingertips, and I looked through the archives and didn't see anything similar. But help will be on the way.

I don't know that you can achieve both a coil cut as well as an "off" position with the standard Gibby type toggle. I won't say that it can't be done, I'm just not visualizing it. This may require DPDT switches.

But I'll let others weigh in. Do you already have the switches, or are you flexible on this?

Some folks like an "off" position, others swear at it, due to the possibility of having all 3 pups go off while quickly switching on stage, leaving you with a moment of "dead air", as they say in the radio biz. But if you've considered that and want the "off" positions, that's fine.

[oreng]

Dec 16, 2009 7:01:54 GMT -5 newey said:

oreng-

Hello and Welcome!

I don't have a diagram at my fingertips, and I looked through the archives and didn't see anything similar. But help will be on the way.

I don't know that you can achieve both a coil cut as well as an "off" position with the standard Gibby type toggle. I won't say that it can't be done, I'm just not visualizing it. This may require DPDT switches.

But I'll let others weigh in. Do you already have the switches, or are you flexible on this?

Some folks like an "off" position, others swear at it, due to the possibility of having all 3 pups go off while quickly switching on stage, leaving you with a moment of "dead air", as they say in the radio biz. But if you've considered that and want the "off" positions, that's fine.

Hello,

I do want both a coil tap and an off position as if I don't have it all three pickups will be on all the time

I am flexible with the parts as I haven't purchased any yet.

[sumgai]

oreng,

Hi, and to the NutzHouse!

Your question can't be fully answered until you decide how to operate your "new" setup. If you've been playing for more than 20 minutes, then you've already formed some opinions about what kind of switches you like to use, as versus other kinds that you don't like to use. These preferences are natural, and of course, individual. But without knowing how you feel, we can't tell you what's best - there is no "best" switching setup, pure and simple.

Once you tell us how want to "flip" switches, we can get you a diagram pretty easily. But diagrams change from switch type to switch type, so we're waiting on you.....

HTH




sumgai

[JohnH]

I think that Gibson-style toggles, although the best to operate, will not be found to be suitable because they do not have an off position, and cannot be contrived to have one.

So I think its down to mini-toggles and maybe push/pull switches. How its done depends, as sumgai states, on how you want the switches to operate. You can have three position and two position mini-toggles. The three-position ones have a centre setting.

If you want to use three-position toggles, it can be done with a single pole switch, but for reasons of minimising noise (hanging coils), a two pole switch would allow an more optimum design. THere are two types that may be applicable.

On-off-on switches will lead to a design where the centre positions are off, and you flick up for full Hb and down for single coil. The other type is on-on-on, and here, it would be possible to have down as off, centre as single coil and up as full humbucker. (or the other way round)

Which off those would be easier to operate? The three position mini toggles can be slightly fiddly, particularly in setting the centre position, so maybe its best if your two most useful settings (off and full Hb?) and the up and down?

Or you may decide that the more positive action of a two position toggle is better, and then you need different switches to do the single coil cutting.

John