Help wiring HS with volume tone 5 way, and maybe push/pull?

[a914man]

Newbie to this forum.  Been playing for a long time, but just recently getting to working on my own guitars.  I've replaced and repaired stock wiring in a few guitars, but only direct replacement of stock components.

I just picked up a guitar that's got a humbucker at the bridge, a single coil at the neck, a single volume, and a 3 way Strat type switch, no tone knob.  It's not using some of the wires for the humbucker, which I assume to allow it to have a coil tap.  The 3 way switch is kind of cheap, as is the volume, so I want to update/mod the wiring of this guitar.

I'd like to add a tone pot, and go to a 5 way switch, maybe even a push/pull pot for coil tap.  I'd appreciate some advice and suggestions on what would offer the most tonal options, and how to wire this up.

Thanks for any input!

[newey]

porscheguy-

Hello and Welcome to G-Nutz2!

Nice eye-candy in your avatar. I mean, of course, the race-prepped 914.

But, inquiring minds want to know about the rest of your Avatar. Namely, is that the main grandstand at Bristol Motor Speedway in the backgound?

But, on to your questions. There are quite a few ways to wire this project with additional tone options, it really depends on what you want and what the guitar will be primarily used to do.

First, if you are looking to replace the 3-way with a 5-way, look to get a superswitch rather than the standard Strat-spec 5-way. The superswitch will allow for much more flexibility in terms of wiring up your desired options, whatever those may turn out to be. The regular 5-way switch isn't really a true 5-way switch, and your options will be much more limited with that type of switch.

However, fitment into the cavity may be an issue with a superswitch, so you'll need to check that before deciding. If a superswitch won't fit without major hacking away at your cavity, there are other options as well. There is a slimmer superswitch designed to fit in Tele cavities, and there is a "half-superswitch" as well.

If I were doing a SC-HB guitar with a 5-way and a push-pull, I think my choice would be to use the 5-way to select N/N+B/N*B/B parallel HB/Bridge series HB, where the "+" designates a parallel connection and the "*" denotes a series connection. I prefer the parallel HB wiring to just splitting the HB coils, since the parallel HB keeps the hum-cancellation intact, but still (sort-of)mimics the SC sound.

The push/pull could then be used to split the coils of the bridge HB, or perhaps for a phase switch if you like out-of-phase sounds.

But that's just one idea, I'm sure others will chime in with their ideas.

[a914man]

Thanks for the help Newy!  That's just the best 914 pic I could find for the moment (hot car, hot girl  .  

I can make you an engine wiring harness that will allow you to plug a 911 engine into your 914, plug and play; but I'm just now learning how to wire a guitar.

The cavity has a lot of un-used space, so I'll get the dimensions for one and see if it will fit.  I do like the configuration as you posted.

Looking forward to other suggestions.

[nikogo]

Hi a914man,
You can get some good schematics with 5 way switch from respected guitar nutz.
But I am rather a radical guitar screwer in my push for super-compact HaveItAll approach. 
I do not think that 5 way switch is a good match with humbuckers. It is like switching gears in your 914 with 3-speed automatic transmission. 
Just replace the 5 way with four SPDT microswitches and you can get this:




You will have 13 switching combinations:
Bridge:  Parallel HB, series HB, 1st single coil, 2nd single coil = 4;
Neck + parallel 4 bridge HB combinations;
Neck + series 4 bridge HB combinations;
Single neck.


The filter should be connected in point F. It could be a standard treble cut or any other.
The filter shown here is better described there:
guitarnuts2.proboards.com/thread/7438/more-tones-2-humbuckers

[a914man]

Apr 22, 2015 12:07:35 GMT -5 newey said:

Newey,


Do you have a wiring diagram that shows how wire as you suggest using a super switch.


PK

[a914man]

Is this what you'd do Newey?

Attachments:

[newey]

Porsche 914guy (or is it VW 914 guy? )-

That scheme wasn't what I was recommending, necessarily, because I was talking about a Superswitch-based design, and that design uses a regular 5-way Strat switch. But, that's not to say I wouldn't recommend that scheme to you- I'd been trying to cajole someone into building it for years, and finally it was built, apparently with happy results. See the extensive discussion that I began on this in may of 2008:

guitarnuts2.proboards.com/thread/3761/hb-tele-std-strat-switch

To give credit where credit is due, this scheme comes from Deaf Eddie over at the TDPRI forums. Deaf Eddie is a member here as well, although he hasn't stopped by in years.

[a914man]

Trying to tweek the 914'er eh   I tell ya I dont get no respect!

Do you have a schematic for your original suggestion?  I think I'd prefer the superswitch, but I'm clueless as to how this would be properly wired.

[lunaalta]

I hope you guys are pronouncing it Porsche....... 

Sorry, nothing to add to the other topic here............ 

[a914man]

Hijack! (where's the pirate smilie)


For reasons unknown to me some folks can get funny about correctly pronouncing Poor-shuh.  Who says Ford without the d sound at the end?  Say Dodd gee sometime instead of Dodge and see what kind of looks you get 

[newey]

In German, there is no "silent e", as there is in English. It's only English speakers who want to rhyme it with "porch".. .

And, sorry, I couldn't resist the dig at 914s, since it was originally sold in Germany as a VW, it got no respect from Porshephiles- at least until they came out with the 914/6, which is still winning races to this day.

But, back to the topic. I don't have a diagram for what I originally suggested, so I'd have to draw one up. Which I'll happily do for you, if you first determine that the superswitch will fit, and that this is indeed what you want to do. In other words, don't make me spend time doing it if you're going to change your mind.

[a914man]

Yes, a superswitch will fit.  The cavity is 1 3/4" deep and there's plenty of room around the existing switch.  There's plenty of room to add a tone pot as well.  Thanks in advance Newey, and if you should ever need any Porsche parts let me know.

[newey]

if you should ever need any Porsche parts let me know.

Well, since I don't own one, no need for parts.

I'll pull a diagram together for you, although it may be a week or so.

[Runewalker]

Not sure how wacky you want to get but two notions below will take you in a different direction. They presume that you would use a two blade or two coil single-coil-form-factor humbucker, such as:

SD Lil' 59

Alnico rails

Ceramic Rails

There are many versions of these type pups. I have used the Artec and just bought it for fun, having low expectations. It turned out to be very nice with a full tone.

Then with essentially a HH guitar there are many options in the wiring design section.

For example, one Son-o and I have built up many times and a favorite for its ability to control the "mix" of the pups with two volume controls:

Strat with two volume controls SSS, HSS & HHH

Later down in the options is one built with two singles and one stacked humbucker in the bridge. It uses an on-on-on DPDT, with the options set as [single/local-series/single]. You would select that or [local-parallel/single/local-series].

How do you get two volumes on this chassis? Concentric pots. You can also get the OoP option with a stacked pot that has the DPDT as a push pull. You would need a Strat style 5 way but not the super switch.


Or another option using the pots described can be built in very small cavities --- also using one of the pups above. But it would require 2 on-on-on DPDTs. I have built these in very tight spaces. The design has no OoP but it can be added – but that would be another DPDT. However you can use your existing Tele style lever switch.

HH Cubed

Just some ideas. Browse the Completed Designs section. Many can be adapted to your interests.

The design you posted had a kind of odd arrangement in the 3rd position: Neck single and Bridge single in system parallel, with the other Bridge single added in Series to that combo. (if I am reading it correctly). Unconventional.

[sumgai]

May 5, 2015 23:18:18 GMT -5 Runewalker said:

Not sure how wacky you want to get....

I'm sorry sir, but you seem to have wandered into the wrong house. You want to go back out the door and turn left - you'll find Whackjobs at the second door down the hallway, on your left. In case you may have missed the sign (our logo above), this here is The NutzHouse - Biiiig Difference!

Good day to you, sir, and have a whackin' good time.




sumgai
Propriator of all things Nutz