Help w/HSS coil tap switch replacement

[jrb1976]

I have a Mexican Fender Strat Special with an HSS pickup configuration. There is one tone knob (2 pots), one volume, a 5 way switch, and a coil tap switch for the HB. The coil tap switch has 6 connectors, 3 on each side. The humbucker has 3 wires (red, green, and white) that are disconnected. The 5 way switch has a thicker white wire which is disconnected. I know they get soldered to the coil tap switch, but in what configuration? Any useful help will guarantee my eternal gratitude. Thanks from a wiring bonehead.

[jhng]

The joy of multicoloured wires!

All the manufacturers of different humbuckers have different colour codes for the wires coming out of the pickup. First thing is to sort out which code applies. I suggest you rummage on the web to find info on it.

The manufacturer will probably also have specific wiring diagrams for doing the coil tap switch which will be helpful.

Also have a look at the original guitarnuts site (http://guitarnuts2.proboards.com/page/gn1-pages) to learn a bit about the theory and practice of guitar wiring.

Hope this help point you in the right direction.

Hastings

[fobits]

With an inexpensive multimeter, you can at least determine which pairs of wires go to the same coil.

If they are from the same coil, you should read anywhere between 6 and 15 kilohms of resistance, depending on the coil. If they go to different coils, the resistance will be infinite.

After you figure that out, there's something else you can try. Set the meter to read DC volts at the most sensitive range and hook the leads to a pair of wires from a coil. Place the shaft of a screwdriver, or a similar steel object, across the pole pieces of a coil. Then yank the screwdriver away in a sharp motion.

This should give a brief plus or minus reading, if the meter reacts quickly enough to show it. You can't get an exact reading, but with some luck you can tell if it goes + or -, and roughly by how much.

By trying the two coils on the humbucker, and seeing which gives a higher reading, you can tell which coil the wires are from.

If you make a diagram and label things as you go along, you will know the colors of wire on each coil, and also which is plus and which is minus. That's a lot of good info.

[flateric]

try this from Seymour Duncan schematics:

Now the coil split is in pos.#4 of the 5-way blade switch. By connecting the red + white from the bridge hum to the push-pull pot instead, you can get back to what yuou are after.

[jrb1976]

Thanks everyone. That's close, but here's a pic of the mess:

img205.imageshack.us/my.php?image=im0001986qj.jpg

Any thoughts? Thanks

[flateric]

is the coil tap switch a dpdt on-off-on type? If you ask on the Seymour duncan forum theres a really helpful guy called Artietoo, in the pickups section that could draw you a schematic of exactly what you need in half an hour. But he will need to know what type of switch it is.

[jrb1976]

DPDT "On/On" switch.

Thanks.