SSH help!

[mmartin046]

Hello all,


I'm currently wiring an SSH with standard strat pickups in N and M and a Dimarzio PAF 36th in the bridge. My current wiring is derived from a Suhr schematic and can be seen here: www.flickr.com/photos/24780245@N02/5762686942/in/photostream.

The basic idea behind this schematic is that the 5-way superswitch will "see" the single coils as 250k and the humbucker as 500k.

I would like to expand upon this by having a push-pull volume pot that will switch the HB from series/parallel and a push-pull tone that will add the neck pickup.

Here is a diagram of series/parallel courtesy Dimarzio: www.flickr.com/photos/24780245@N02/5762686962/in/photostream/, and a diagram of add neck www.dimarzio.com/sites/default/files/diagrams/1h2s_ep1112_1pptaddneck.pdf.


Where I'm really confused is in wiring the humbucker to the superswitch, ie what color wires go to what lugs after adding the series/parallel mod.

I'm not totally sure the original diagram (as I have it wired now) is 100% either, as when I'm supposed to be on the bridge pup the middle is also activated.


Any help is greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

[ashcatlt]

Hi. Thanks for stopping by!

That Suhr diagram is interesting with the resistors parallelizing against the volume pot to reduce the effective resistance. This will tend to change the taper of the pot a bit, but if you haven't notice a difference... You could accomplish the same thing by simply turning the Tone pot down a little when in SC positions, but that's not quite as convenient.

The problem I see is that the Superswitch is "autosplitting" the HB when combined with the Mid by shorting one coil to ground. This won't work if the HB is in local parallel, because it will end up shorting both coils, and it'll end up taking the Mid with it. To avoid this you'll have to either use more poles on at least one of the switches or re-work the whole thing. I don't know of any 5-way blade switches with more than 4 poles, nor any P/P pots with more than 2, so...

Anyway, the best way to verify your current wiring involves an Ohm meter. Got one at your disposal?

[mmartin046]

Hi Ashcatlt!

I don't mind if HB/Mid won't work while in parallel as I'd just have to switch it back to series to fix it, right?

I'm mainly just wondering what to do with the humbucker leads after wiring the parallel mod, cause I originally had the black and white wires soldered to the switch but in this configuration they'll be on the push/pull. If I jumper the red (hot?) back to the 1 lug on the upper left side of the switch, will this result in series wiring when I'm switched to the bridge pup?

I do have an analogue multimeter but the only things I know how to do with it are finding a pickup's DC resistance and using it on "beep" mode to verify conductivity.

[newey]

mmartin-

Hello and Welcome to G-Nutz2!

As far as using the multimeter, analog is fine so long as it works. What Ash was going to suggest was a bit of diagnostic work external to the guitar, to check your current wiring.

To do so, you will plug a guitar cord into the guitar. At the other end of the cord, hold (or clip) your meter's leads to the tip and sleeve of the plug. Select the range for 20KΩ resistance.

Turn all the pots to 10, and make up a chart of each switch position, take a resistance reading at each.

Ash is right about the problem with the Superswitch "auto-splitting" the HB.

One option would be to lose the coil split at position 2. This then gives you the full HB (in either series or parallel) plus the middle pup at position 2 of your 5-way. To do this, just disconnect the series junction from the 5-way, keeping the 2 wires (black and white) connected together.

[mmartin046]

newey,

I am like the idea you presented (I can just get quack from n+m after all). What do you mean when you say to "disconnect the series junction from the 5-way, keeping the 2 wires (black and white) connected together"? Forgive me I am a novice!

Also, what do you do once you have a chart of the resistances? Compare with known values?

[newey]

For a fuller explanation of the testing procedure, read "Brain Scanning Through a Nostril".

Also, what do you do once you have a chart of the resistances?

Post your results here.

What do you mean when you say to "disconnect the series junction from the 5-way, keeping the 2 wires (black and white) connected together"?

Follow the black and white wires from the HB to the 5-way switch. Both are attached together at Lug#2 on the lower left-hand pole of the 5-way. Disconnect those two wires from the 5-way.

The disconnected wires are then going to be connected to your series/parallel. I misspoke when I said they would stay together; I forgot you were adding the series/parallel switch.

All 4 wires from the HB now get wired to the series/parallel switch as shown in the DiMarzio diagram you linked to. The output wires from the series/parallel switch go to the 5-way and to ground, respectively.

You won't necessarily be giving up "quack" at position 2, you may just be accessing a different kind of quack with the HB + SC, particularly with the HB in parallel.

[mmartin046]

I did what you suggested, newey, and the push pull works now! However, the middle pickup is still on in the bridge position, making position 1 effectively the same as position 2. Is there something in the original schematic (http://www.flickr.com/photos/24780245@N02/5762686942/in/photostream) that might cause this to happen?


It is also worth noting that the hum level drops a bit when the volume pot is pulled (could I have it wired backwards?).

[newey]

However, the middle pickup is still on in the bridge position,

OK, this is the same problem you had to start with, right?

The diagram for Position 1 is correct. Check the pole on the 5-way switch to which the middle pickup connects. The pickup should be wired to lugs 2,3, and 4 only. Make sure that some stray wire or a blob of solder isn't contacting lug #1.

Also check that the side of the switch isn't making contact with the side of the cavity when assembled. Check that lug #2 isn't bent over to hit lug #1 on any of the 4 poles of the switch.

It is also worth noting that the hum level drops a bit when the volume pot is pulled (could I have it wired backwards?)

With 4 wires, "wired backwards" could mean several things. However, if the wires from one coil were "backwards", the 2 coils would be OOP and you'd probably notice that right away. If the whole thing were wired backwards, it should make no difference to the noise level.

So that is a bit of a mystery . . .

[ashcatlt]

I think newey's got you on the right track looking for your problem with the Middle pickup being on in the wrong positions.

If you wanted that autosplit back, you could have it active only when the HB is in series mode. Look at the series/parallel switch and you'll see two of the outside lugs jumpered together. If you run a wire from here back to the lug on the superswitch where the black and white wires had been previously. Then it'll split in series mode, but not in parallel mode.

[mmartin046]

newey and ashcatlt,

thanks to your help, everything is wired and working! The "middle on" problem was indeed due to a thin strand of solder linking lugs 1 & 2 that had escaped my attention.

I wired it to autosplit, and it's functional (sounds different between series and parallel), but it sounds kind of horrible with really accentuated highs that are almost sitar-like; nothing close to quack. It mellows out a little in parallel, but I'm going to be mindful of avoiding that position in live situations (it would make people puke).

The neck on mod works as described but I wouldn't recommend it, at least with HB in bridge position. It sounds thin and ice-picky and doesn't serve any particular purpose. I added it as an afterthought because I had an extra 250k push pull lying around.

Series/parallel with this Dimarzio 36th anniversary paf is great, especially on clean, where with a little chorus and delay the parallel setting sounds much like an amplified acoustic. It is also useful for switching between rhythm and lead sounds as parallel mode is a bit softer and more subdued than series.

In all I consider this project a success and I couldn't have done it without your guys' help!

Here is an updated schematic for this project including the series/parallel mod, courtesy Dimarzio www.flickr.com/photos/24780245@N02/5766209257/in/photostream.

[newey]

mmartin-

Glad it worked out for you. But-

The neck on mod works as described but I wouldn't recommend it, at least with HB in bridge position. It sounds thin and ice-picky and doesn't serve any particular purpose

This sounds suspiciously like you have the neck wired out-of-phase on that switch. Since you are using different brands of pickup, it's easy enough to do. It's 50%-50%, even money to do it, actually, unless you tested the pickups first.

It is also useful for switching between rhythm and lead sounds as parallel mode is a bit softer and more subdued than series.

That's what I found as well. My single-HB Strat has a dual-lipstick tube HB that is wired to a P/P for series/parallel, and I use the parallel setting much more than the series.

[mmartin046]

I don't think the add neck p-p is wired out-of-phase because position 3+add neck and position 4 sound identical. I could be wrong however!

I think in terms of practicality, a toggle switch would be more convenient than a push pull for series/parallel. If I were to do this, would I still be able to use the push pull for series out of phase?

[newey]

A DPDT toggle can substitute for the P/P, and yes, the P/P can then be used for OOP.