HSH scheme with standard 5-way switch

[newey]

I've been playing around with various uses for a regular 5-way switch (since these are cheap and ubiquitous). I was going to go ahead and post this in schematics, but first I wanted a double-check on coil polarities.

This is a HSH scheme with coil splitting in postions 2 and 4. It should be cutting both HBs to the screw coils, and I'm basing this on SD colors and polarities (Screw coil is South for SD). What I couldn't find or figure out is whether the middle pickup would need to be RWRP or not so as to be opposite of the scre coils, and therefore hum-cancelling in both 2 and 4 positions.

[Yogi B]

Dec 4, 2020 11:31:58 GMT -5 newey said:

This is a HSH scheme with coil splitting in postions 2 and 4. It should be cutting both HBs to the screw coils, and I'm basing this on SD colors and polarities (Screw coil is South for SD). What I couldn't find or figure out is whether the middle pickup would need to be RWRP or not so as to be opposite of the screw coils, and therefore hum-cancelling in both 2 and 4 positions.

I don't know and I can't find a consensus either, but I think I'd put my faith in the table at the bottom of this page from OverDrive Custom Guitar Works.

That table also hints at perhaps why it's difficult to find a definitive answer: within their Antiquity line SD also likes to change from their standard definitions in order to be consistent with the period correct Fender pickups, i.e. the SD Antiquity IIs are RW, but not RP with respect to a 'normal' SD.

Also, a couple of suggestions:

• Currently, as you have it, in order to select position 1 & the lower (bridge) pickup you'd need to push the lever of the switch towards the top of the page. I'd probably flip this to avoid potential confusion, even though it will almost certainly result in more wire crossings.
• Also, I think we agreed that even when shunting coils it's preferable (if possible) to connect the ends of the unused coil to ground rather than hot. As such terminal 3 should be connected to ground rather than hot, and the HBs ought to be wired: red = hot; green & black = series link; and white = ground.

[newey]

Thanks, Yogi, I wasn't thinking switch orientation. I'll make those changes.