Post by ashcatlt on May 19, 2011 19:12:56 GMT -5
It's finally come time for me to replace my Strat. Never really wanted a Strat, but I do want a three pickup guitar. I'm looking to get an Xavier Tele/Jaguar hybrid thing. It comes with a 4-wire miniHB in the neck which I'll probably keep. I'm going to put a GFS lil Puncher in the bridge and then route it and install the lil Killer from the middle of my Strat.
Right now the strat is HHH with three 5-way rotaries to give Series, Parallel, One Coil, Other Coil, and Off for each pickup. These are then connected in parallel. I've had it like this for a few years and I've come to a couple conclusions.
First, I never use the SC positions. The intrapickup parallel is close enough, and humbucking to boot. I guess if I could keep one of the SC for each pickup I wouldn't mind, but then I'd have to decide which two pickups I'm most likely to combine in phase to optimize the humcancelling.
Two - I'm really missing out on the inter-pickup series combos. I've got these on all of my other six strings, and want to get them on this as well.
Then, I'd like to have at least one OoP option. Better would be two: SOoP and POoP.
So the idea is to go with three rotaries for Series, Parallel, Off and maybe SC, two toggles to switch Series/Parallel between adjacent pickups (one would be Bridge and Middle, the other would be whatever is selected there and the Neck), and a phase switch for one of the pickups.
The issues:
1) In my Strat I found that I had to short the pickups, or disconnect them completely (both hot and ground) to get them to go off.
2). If I short the pickup to turn it off and then put it in parallel with another, I get nothing. If I leave it disconnected and then put it in series with something else, I get nothing. This is, at least, when both the intra- and inter-pickup switches have only two poles.
3). I'm afraid that a two-deck rotary will be too deep for this guitar. I've got one in my relatively deep Rick 330 and it barely fits. This means that the rotaries can have a total poles x throws no greater than 12. So I can do a 3P4T and get an SC on each pickup, or if I need 4 poles to overcome #s 1 and 2 (above) I'll have to live without the SCs.
4). I'm trying to fit all these switches into an area not too much bigger than a standard tele control cavity. Oh, and dod I mention I need to leave room for the Tele 3-way which will act as a kill/tone kill switch? I want the inter-pup toggles between the rotaries, and would like to have the phase toggle near the rotary for its pickup. This is another reason that a double decker rotary (with lugs hanging out the sides) won't work, and seems to limit the number of poles on the toggles so they don't get too wide.
5). Don't know which pickup I want the phase switch on. I guess if worse comes to worst I could omit this, I've got OoP options on other guitars.
6). Not completely sure which of the two-pickup combinations I'm likely to use if I do end up with SC options. I know I'll want the "Tele combo" (B + N) to be humcancelling, but which of the "Strat quack" positions?
I thought I had figured out a way to use 3P4T rotaries and DPDT mini-toggles to avoid dead positions, but I can't seem to work it out so that all possible combos (aside from all pickups off) will make noise. This is the part with which I really need help. What's the least number of total poles I need to accomplish this mission?
The others are more just fishing for opinions. Which two SCs are you most likely to use? And which OoP choices? The SC thing is relatively easily changed, but changing the phase switch will also mean moving the switch, which is something I don't want to do.
Thanks for any and all help.
Right now the strat is HHH with three 5-way rotaries to give Series, Parallel, One Coil, Other Coil, and Off for each pickup. These are then connected in parallel. I've had it like this for a few years and I've come to a couple conclusions.
First, I never use the SC positions. The intrapickup parallel is close enough, and humbucking to boot. I guess if I could keep one of the SC for each pickup I wouldn't mind, but then I'd have to decide which two pickups I'm most likely to combine in phase to optimize the humcancelling.
Two - I'm really missing out on the inter-pickup series combos. I've got these on all of my other six strings, and want to get them on this as well.
Then, I'd like to have at least one OoP option. Better would be two: SOoP and POoP.
So the idea is to go with three rotaries for Series, Parallel, Off and maybe SC, two toggles to switch Series/Parallel between adjacent pickups (one would be Bridge and Middle, the other would be whatever is selected there and the Neck), and a phase switch for one of the pickups.
The issues:
1) In my Strat I found that I had to short the pickups, or disconnect them completely (both hot and ground) to get them to go off.
2). If I short the pickup to turn it off and then put it in parallel with another, I get nothing. If I leave it disconnected and then put it in series with something else, I get nothing. This is, at least, when both the intra- and inter-pickup switches have only two poles.
3). I'm afraid that a two-deck rotary will be too deep for this guitar. I've got one in my relatively deep Rick 330 and it barely fits. This means that the rotaries can have a total poles x throws no greater than 12. So I can do a 3P4T and get an SC on each pickup, or if I need 4 poles to overcome #s 1 and 2 (above) I'll have to live without the SCs.
4). I'm trying to fit all these switches into an area not too much bigger than a standard tele control cavity. Oh, and dod I mention I need to leave room for the Tele 3-way which will act as a kill/tone kill switch? I want the inter-pup toggles between the rotaries, and would like to have the phase toggle near the rotary for its pickup. This is another reason that a double decker rotary (with lugs hanging out the sides) won't work, and seems to limit the number of poles on the toggles so they don't get too wide.
5). Don't know which pickup I want the phase switch on. I guess if worse comes to worst I could omit this, I've got OoP options on other guitars.
6). Not completely sure which of the two-pickup combinations I'm likely to use if I do end up with SC options. I know I'll want the "Tele combo" (B + N) to be humcancelling, but which of the "Strat quack" positions?
I thought I had figured out a way to use 3P4T rotaries and DPDT mini-toggles to avoid dead positions, but I can't seem to work it out so that all possible combos (aside from all pickups off) will make noise. This is the part with which I really need help. What's the least number of total poles I need to accomplish this mission?
The others are more just fishing for opinions. Which two SCs are you most likely to use? And which OoP choices? The SC thing is relatively easily changed, but changing the phase switch will also mean moving the switch, which is something I don't want to do.
Thanks for any and all help.