Custom Wiring - Tone Control Query

[syddd]

Hello All,

I was wondering if it is possible to have independent tone controls for the following pickup options. Ideally I would want a neck pickup tone control to function only in position 5, and the middle tone control to function only in position 3. I could also live with both tone controls being engaged in position 4.Is there anything clever I can do with the following wiring scheme to meet those requirements, or am I out of poles on the superswitch?

[sumgai]

syddd,

I was about to give you what I thought would be an easy answer, but then I realized a couple of things.

One, your diagram lacks any labeling at all, making it difficult to call out where to put one or more wires.

Two, your Truth Table is a tad messy right where I need to be exactly sure of something.  In Pos 2, you wrote N ? -M +B, where the question mark is unidentifiable - it looks like X (meaning in series), but is that a correct assumption? 

Three, is that a Minus sign just beyond the unidentifiable character?  Is your intent to have the Mid pup OoP for this combo?

Please post an updated diagram with labels. You can either edit the original post, or just make a new posting, it's all good for us.

sumgai

[syddd]

Jun 24, 2017 0:57:39 GMT -5 sumgai said:

syddd,

I was about to give you what I thought would be an easy answer, but then I realized a couple of things.

One, your diagram lacks any labeling at all, making it difficult to call out where to put one or more wires.

Two, your Truth Table is a tad messy right where I need to be exactly sure of something.  In Pos 2, you wrote N ? -M +B, where the question mark is unidentifiable - it looks like X (meaning in series), but is that a correct assumption? 

Three, is that a Minus sign just beyond the unidentifiable character?  Is your intent to have the Mid pup OoP for this combo?

Please post an updated diagram with labels. You can either edit the original post, or just make a new posting, it's all good for us.

sumgai

Hi sumgai,

Your assumptions are all correct, however I have edited the attachment for clarity. Hope this helps!

[sumgai]

syddd,

Looks much better, makes your intent fully clear, thanks.

I'm off to find The Sandman, I'll get back on this in the morning. Of course, others may also chip in before I've had my first dose of morning meds caffeine.

sumgai

[sumgai]

syddd,

In general, a stock guitar places the tone control 'across the pickup' - it connects to the hot lead, and (usually) directly to ground. In effect, this is a shunt setup.

Now, I know that some folks aren't going to like this, but the easiest way to get what you want is to simply connect the tone pot and capacitor directly across the two pickup leads, as if they were the only things in the entire guitar. In this manner, you don't have any problem switching into or out of the remaining circuitry, so no additional switching is necessary.

Just be aware that in Pos 2 or 4, the two controls are both in place.  Under parallel wiring, this isn't so bad, but it is quite noticible.  Under series wiring, the interaction between the two (remember, one control set is now in series with the other control set) will be quite drastic.  If this turns out to be undesirable, then we'll have to revisit your diagram, and see if we can't find a way to wire it up so that only one control is in force for those positions.

p.s. You might consider just using a master Tone control, with a switch pole to bypass it for the the Bridge only position.  Just a thought.....

HTH

sumgai