Want to mod HH with 5-way switch and 1 vol 1 tone

[cola1987]

Hey guys. As the subject says I have a HH, 5-way switch, 1 volume, 1 tone setup and want to replace with 2 push-pull pots. What CAN I do with such a setup? I'm not crazy about OoP but would consider it a bonus if necessary. I've read about people replacing the 5-way with a 3-way, but why? I don't really want to limit myself. ;-)

I would like the guitar to have stock functionality when the P-P's are in the down position. (Although, it might be smarter/easier to keep series setups and parallel setups together, not sure. Opinions?) I've attached a schematic of the stock setup. It's an Ibanez RG7620. Hopefully you can make out what the switch does in each position, and sorry it's sideways. I couldn't get it to view properly.

I'd like to specifically have the ability to take the inner and outer coils of each PuP and make a new humbucker. I know I can do that and lots more, but I could use ideas and if eventually somebody might be so kind as to make me a schematic it would be greatly appreciated. I'm kind of a newb but I (like to think I) catch on quick.

Thanks for the help in advance!

Attachments:

RG7620.pdf (18.62 KB)

[newey]

cola-

Hello and Welcome to G-Nutz2!

I've read about people replacing the 5-way with a 3-way, but why?

Presumably, this is done for ease of "switching on the fly" while gigging. It is easier to find the center position quickly with the 3-way switch, and if positions 2 and 4 aren't used much by the player in question, it does make some sense to do so.

As far as what you can do, the Ibanez switch is a proprietary design which operates differently from most 5-way switches as far as its internal connections are concerned. Ibanez apparently uses several types. If any of what you want is going to involve rewiring the 5-way, then we may need to delve deeper into the workings of that switch.

I'd like to specifically have the ability to take the inner and outer coils of each PuP and make a new humbucker.

At position 4 of your switch, the coils are split on both HBs to the neckward coils (i.e., Br. inner, Neck outer). If this position is hum-cancelling (and I assume Ibanez would have made it so), then neither both inner nor both outer coils will be hum-cancelling. So, you may want to rethink this. Also, if both pickups are identical, there may not be much tonal difference between the inner vs. the outer coils.

With the Ibanez switch set up to have series/parallel for the neck HB at positions 1 and 2, it will be difficult to do much with the neck pickup without, as I said above, delving into rewiring your 5-way. Since the bridge pickup doesn't have that, there may be more we could do with the switching of the bridge than with the neck. A phase switch, for one example, could be easily added without involving the 5-way switch. And, there are some other options as well.