HHH Strat wiring help

[nhirvana]

I rebuilt an FSR Squier with 3 full size 4 wire humbuckers. I have 3 push/pulls and 3 on/on dpdt slide switches. I want to have the slide switches control coil split and the push/pulls to put each pup in parallel (when pulled up). This guitar is already put together. I’m aware there may be different ways of getting what I want here, but I’m committed to this configuration at this point. I’ve wired humbuckers for split coil or series/parallel before, I just can’t figure out how to do both with this switch combination. If someone has a wiring diagram or can make one without too much trouble, I’d really appreciate it.
Thanks

[newey]

nhirv-

Hello and Welcome to G-Nutz2!

Sorry, but I had to move your thread here from the schematics section, as that area is for completed schematics.

What you want to do can probably be done, but a few questions:

What pickup switching do you have on this guitar at present, and are you keeping that "as is"?

What type of DPDT slide switches do you have? (there are a couple of different lug configurations used for the slide switches) How many lugs are there and how are they arranged?

One limitation you will (I believe) face is that, with three pickups all being able to be split, not all the single-coil combos can be hum-cancelling without employing more sophisticated switching (as in, I think you'd need 4 poles to do it, and there aren't any P/P pots with 4P switches attached. AFAIK, anyway.

[nhirvana]

Thanks for the response. The guitar isn’t wired at all right now.
The p/p’s are Bourns, 6 lugs. The slides are 6 lugs also.
I’m fine if some combinations don’t humbuck

[newey]

OK, one more- what are the wire colors for the pickups you will be using?

And, ok, so you're not wired up at the present, but what will, in your vision of this, be handling the switching of the 3 pickups?

[nhirvana]

Seymour Duncan wire colors.
I want the push/pulls to control series/parallel. Pull up to get parallel. And the 3 slide switches would do the coil split.
Thanks!

[nhirvana]

Otherwise it’s basic Strat. 1 volume, 2 tones each with its own cap. Bridge and middle share a tone pot. 5 way switch wired normally.
Thanks!

[nhirvana]

Bear with me and the drips and drabs responses. And my very basic understanding of electronics.
If I understand what’s going on with series/parallel switching on a humbucker is one coil would have its leads reversed to take it out of series and into parallel with the other coil. If that is correct, that coil would need to be the active coil when doing the coil split, right? Would I get a different tone switching between series and parallel in single coil mode? And would playing in position 2 or 4 humbuck if the middle is reversed compared to neck and bridge?
Thanks for your patience!

[newey]

Mar 9, 2021 6:54:12 GMT -5 nhirvana said:

5 way switch wired normally.
Thanks!

OK, that makes sense now. Normal Start wiring on the 5-way, N, N + M, M ,M + B. Then, P/Ps put the coils of each HB in either series or parallel, and the slide switches split each HB to single coil.

We can think of this design in a modular fashion. The wiring for each pickup will essentially be the same, so we only need to draw up a single module representing the switching for one of the 3 pickups, the other 2 will be just like the first (although we'll move some wire colors around so as to maximize hum-cancelling.)

How quickly do you need this? I have a busy week IRL, so it will probably be the weekend before I can take a look at this for you.

BTW, just a thought (and a bit pricey), but you could do all of this (and a bit more) without needing to cut up the pickguard for slide switches and save yourself a lot of time if you were to buy 3 of SD's Triple Shot™ humbucker mounting rings. These contain a circuit using 2 small slide switches to give series HB/parallel HB/Coil A only/Coil B alone. The wiring is butt simple since it follows SD colors and no new holes in the guitar. But at $40 a pop, you're looking at $120 of parts. The plus side is that you can split to either coil alone, rather than having to pick just one (allowing all SC combos to be hum-cancelling). Just a thought.

If I understand what’s going on with series/parallel switching on a humbucker is one coil would have its leads reversed to take it out of series and into parallel with the other coil.

Sorry, nope, no leads are reversed to do this. Two coils in parallel have both of their "-" connections wired to "ground", and both of their "+" connections go to the output jack (usually via a V and T pot). Two coils in series are wired one to the other, like 2 links in a chain.

HBs are ordinarily wired with their 2 coils in series; there is a "series junction" where the two coils are wired togehter. The other end of one coil goes to "ground" and the opposite end of the othe coil goes to "hot" output. To change the wiring to parallel coils, we have to disconnect the "series junction" between the 2 coils, and wire those two wires to "hot" and "ground, respectively.

If you think of two coils in series like a chain, two coils in parallel are like the parallel bars in gymnastics, with one coil on each bar, next to one another.

If that is correct, that coil would need to be the active coil when doing the coil split, right?

Nope, see above explanation.

Would I get a different tone switching between series and parallel in single coil mode?

When we talk about series vs. parallel wiring, we are talking about how two coils are wired together into a circuit. If we split a HB such that only one coil is operating, then we only have one coil, and the terms "series" and "parallel" cease to have any meaning (Well, the single coil is going to be in parallel with the V and Y pots, or with other elements in the circuit perhaps, but that's a differnet topic)

And would playing in position 2 or 4 humbuck if the middle is reversed compared to neck and bridge?

Again, no reversing is taking place here. Your HBs will cancel hum, just as they do now, whether wired in series or parallel. If you split one or more of the HBs to single-coil, then whether it hum cancels or not will depend on what other coils it may be paired with.

[nhirvana]

Thank you for taking the time to explain that. That definitely gives me a better idea of what’s happening with switch wiring.
I’m in no rush. This guitar has been “in work” for months. I have 18 others to keep me occupied! I have bad g.a.s. but all of them were (originally) made in Indonesia or China so not a huge expense.
Thanks again!!

[newey]

Mar 9, 2021 14:01:52 GMT -5 nhirvana said:

I have 18 others to keep me occupied! I have bad g.a.s.

I'm only up around a dozen at the moment, so your G.A.S. is worse than mine!

[nhirvana]

I’m not sure if this will work but this is a pic of the guitar in question

u.pcloud.link/publink/show?code=XZ90bBXZ8GQGW2edXYBJKpMd1IaNzXCHLR7k

[newey]

OK, so the slide switches are in, but not wired to anything?

[nhirvana]

Yes, that’s correct, nothing is wired yet

[newey]

OK, I've assumed the slide switches are 3 lugs per sided, On-On, correct? (If not, let me know)

I think this will work OK, but let's get someone to double check it first. What I show here is a module for one hb, you will have 3 of these modules. Now, if more hum-cancelling selections are wanted, we can switch the wiring of one of the HBs around so that some of the single coil combos are hum-cancelling (diagram does not do that now). With three HBS, we can't have all single-coil combos be hum-cancelling without more elaborate switching.

[nhirvana]

They are on-on 6 lug slide switches. Thanks for the diagram, I’ll try it when I get home!

[newey]

As I said, let's wait for verification before you start soldering. I think this is right, but I'd hate you to wire you guitar from an eroneous diagram.

[nhirvana]

I’m holding off wiring it until this weekend