A Better Single Coil Cut Switch

[frets]

Hey Fellow Nutz,
I’m sprucing up my Beetar. And I directly recall small discussions every so often pertaining to the good, better, best. - or - should I call it “differing” coil cut switches and/or pots - that render, in the authors opinion, the “best of” coil cuts. I’ve got two humbuckers that I’m going to cut. And I know how to do it on one switch or individual switches. But then I recall these little opinions that crop up on a coil cut that might be superior to the simple. That’s what I’m looking for. Can be on a switch or a pot.

[newey]

All I can offer are trivialities and truisms that you undoubtedly already know:

• Cut to opposite coils on each HB to have hum-cancellation when both HBs are cut at the same time
• "Hotter","overwound" HBs(in quotes due to the hype associated with these terms)sound better, fuller when coil cut than more anemic HBs
• The more dissimilar the 2 coils of a given HB are, the better the results when cut such that either coil can be selected. With identical coils, the difference between cutting one coil vs the other will be minimal
• HBs that have 2 skinny coils to fit in a SC-sized slot (like "dual-rail" HBs, for example) don't sound very good when cut to a single coil, as the volume drop is too extreme.

Again, you probably knew all that. But that's all I got . . .

[frets]

No, I forgot a couple of those...In Search Of the Better Coil Cut !!

[newey]

For any 'ol humbucker, Unklmickey's take on the series/parallel switch is the best thing to do with any HB. One simple DPDT gives you the std. series HB and parallel HB, if it's a DPDT On-On. But, with the same wiring, if you use a 3-position DPDT On-On-On, you get the split coil (your choice of which one) in the center position. Easy to wire, cheap switch, easy to fit into the cavity- what's not to like about this one?



I'm not a big HB fan, this old coot needs him some SC twang. But if you've got a HB, this is the way to go. I guess the word is "elegant"- it's an elegant solution, IMO.

[frets]

Newey,
Thank you, I’ve seen and done the Seymour Parallel,Cut, Series, but have never seen it done this way. Less mess with your version.

[reTrEaD]

The 'best' way to split a HB to single-coil depends on several factors.

• How many poles and throws do you have to work with?
  
• Will a single split switch be used for both HBs?
  
• Is there a phase switch on one or both of the HBs?
  
• Is there a series/parallel switch on one or both of the HBs?

Whenever possible I like to avoid leaving unused coils hanging from hot. I also like to avoid shunting unused coils. But in many cases, those targets can't be met due to the limited number of poles available. So then it's more a question of doing what you can with what you have to work with.

Which coil to remain active when you split a HB will make a difference. You won't hear much difference between the neck-most coil and the bridge-most coil of the Neck pickup when the Neck pickup is the only one selected. But you'll definitely hear the difference between the neck-most coil and the bridge-most coil of the Bridge pickup when the Bridge pickup is the only one selected..

Another way that position matters is in the spacing between the coils when both HBs are split and both pickups are selected. I like the contrast between inners and outers more than neck-most pair and bridge-most pair.

Also hum-canceling is always desirable. If you play your cards right, you can maintain hum-canceling (when both split HBs are selected) regardless of position the phase switch, if you wire that such that it 'swaps' coils in the out-of-phase position.

Also, if there are TWO phase switches (one for each HB) a single split switch for both HBs can get you 'inners' when both phase switches are in-phase and 'outers' when both phase switches are out-of-phase.

Series/Parallel adds complication when there is also a split switch involved. To avoid "collisions" between the two switches, you might choose to use a lug on the Series/Parallel switch that only presents the series link when in the Series mode, to accomplish your split. In UnklMickey 's diagram that newey posted, that would be the lower-left lug which doesn't currently have any wires connected.

[frets]

Thanks Retread, you’ve made me hone in on “just what do I want to do.” Or “what matters most.” Typically, within a three pickup setup, I rely upon the all to familiar Seymour Duncan Parallel/Cut/Series to Phase switch this two switches) on the bridge; and, split the middle and neck with the on/off/on north/south coil cut switch. But the whole dynamic is just too much; I.e., 3 switches to obtain 3 splits.

In retrospect, I should have stated my question in this manner (because this is what I desire a do), can I achieve a 3 pickup cut on one switch or with one pot? Perhaps a Push Pull. I’ve yet to run across one switch/pot that can cut all three coils. And it would be nice to have the ability to cut both north and south. That’s my Aim. To cut all 3 humbuckers in one fell swoop, and to have the ability to select north or south. So I guess it would be some modding of the on/off/on. Maybe I just add the third pup wires into the mix. (I have a pic of the method in the pics below.). I’ve seen so many cut examples with switches resistors, push pulls and even one called the “better coil cut”; but, I’ve never seen one flip and done. With UnklMickey’s two pup series/split/parallel, and an spst coil cut, I can move it down to two switches. I hope one of you have a one cut does it for all three. Preferably with the ability to cut north or south. I don’t know if such an animal exists.
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[reTrEaD]

Feb 25, 2020 20:21:08 GMT -5 frets said:

can I achieve a 3 pickup cut on one switch or with one pot? Perhaps a Push Pull. I’ve yet to run across one switch/pot that can cut all three coils.

There are two ways that can happen. One is is if you use a switch that has at least 3 poles, like a S1 switch. The other is if your pickup selector has enough poles to present only two of the series links at a time to to a 2pole switch like a conventional push-pull.

Feb 25, 2020 20:21:08 GMT -5 frets said:

And it would be nice to have the ability to cut both north and south.

It's possible if you don't mind shunting unused coils and in some cases having the unused shunted coil hanging from hot. To select one of the coils in a HB, you'd shunt the series link to ground. To select the other coil, you'd shunt the series link to hot.

The tricky bit is designing the wiring such that the two coils that are used are of the correct magnetic polarity to achieve hum-canceling. That's dead easy with a HH configuration. But without knowing what pickups are selected in each position of the selector for a HHH configuration, impossible to say with certainty.

One thing is for sure, I would never choose to split a HB like this unless I only had a SPST switch:


With a SPDT switch you connect the series link to one throw and the green (-) to the other throw (rather than directly to ground).

[frets]

I don’t desire using the SPST; nor, do I desire to have a hot just sitting there. Did not think of the S1. Thanks!