Can This Be Done With 3 Pick-Ups, 4 Knobs & LP Switch ?

[bbl4ck]

I have the electronics for my Firebird and can't quite figure out how to do what I want...
I have a Lollar P-90 neck & bridge with a Lollar Firebird in the middle.
I have been trying to adapt one of these two diagrams from guitarelectronics.com.

http://www.guitarelectronics.com/product/WDUHHH3T2201

http://www.guitarelectronics.com/product/WDUHHH3T2202

I would like to have 3 volume knobs and one tone because I have a 500k no load tone pot in my spare parts to use up. 
I would like to set-up the neck & bridge P-90's to use the standard LP switching. [neck / neck-bridge / bridge]
I would like to set-up the middle Firebird independently so I can turn it on and off randomly at any of the LP switch positions.
I would also like to be able to take the LP switch out of the circuit so that I can use the middle Firebird by itself without either of the P-90's.

Can this be done using a couple extra mini switches or am I just asking for too much?  :dontknow:
Any thoughts or ideas would be greatly appreciated as I am going wacky trying to figure this out...
Thanks  &  :rock-on:

 

[tfarny]

It can definitely be done and is not as tough as some of the stuff out there. You should see the wiring crammed into my latest tele.

If I have time tomorrow I'll sketch out a diagram. As a first step, you can go ahead and wire the pickups to their volume pots - you'll need the volume pots in the chains before any switching happens. Also go ahead and ground everything. The bridge and neck pickup + will go to a three-way as per any les paul diagram. Output from this 3way will go to an on-on-on DPDT switch, this could be a mini switch or another big Gibson toggle switch but not a push-pull. One side of this switch will take the output from the first 3-way, the other side will take the firebird +, the output from this switch (will come from the middle) is your hot signal which goes then to the tone control. The tone control will come just before the output jack.

Actually since I just described it, go ahead and make a diagram and I'll check it out if you want.

 

[tfarny]

Oh, and if you are interested in simplifying, just make the firebird pickup volume control an 'independent' volume (switch the in and out lugs) and wire it straight to the tone control, that will eliminate need for the extra switch while keeping all your pickup options - just turn on the firebird when  you want and turn the others down. That may or may not be better for your needs, for instance if you don't plan to use the firebird too much or don't want to drill more holes.

 

[bbl4ck]

Hey tfarny,

Thanks a bunch for your description of this wiring  :headbang1:

I really suck at wiring but I will put together a diagram according to your first plan and let you check it out. 
You mentioned the second option for simplicity if I don't plan on using the middle firebird often.
I won't really know how much I will use the middle firebird until I hear it.
That being said, are there any advantages or disadvantages to either plan. 

Thanks again and I will have a diagram posted for your critique by the weekend...
:rock-on:

 

[Unwound G]

As you mentioned that you are not very good in wiring, I did a rough schematic for the simplest possible way to meet all your requirements.  One of the volume knobs has to be a DPDT push-pull type to deactivate the two P90s leaving only the middle humbucker on.  It should work.

1.  With the pickup toggle switch at the neck position - Neck and Middle pickups on.
2.  With the pickup toggle switch at the middle position - Neck, Middle and Bridge pickups on.
3.  With the pickup toggle switch at the bridge position - Bridge and Middle pickups on.
4.  With the Middle pickup volume rolled off - Guitar will behave like any 2 pickup configuration using a 3 way toggle switch as in a Les Paul.
5.  With the Push-Pull pot up, only the Middle pickup is on.  It can be used as a kill switch with the middle volume rolled off.

 

[tfarny]

I don't think that works at all - all your push-pull does is ground the negative leads from bridge and neck. How is that a kill switch?

Check this out. You can change the dpdt to a push-pull but then it's firebird - or - P90s. A 3-way on-on-on gives you the middle position as "all three".

 

[Unwound G]

I don't think that works at all - all your push-pull does is ground the negative leads from bridge and neck. How is that a kill switch?

Check this out. You can change the dpdt to a push-pull but then it's firebird - or - P90s. A 3-way on-on-on gives you the middle position as "all three".

It will work, trust me.

When the ground wire is isolated from the neck and bridge pickups, they are turned off.  This leaves only the middle pickup on.

When the ground wire is in contact with the negative leads of the neck and bridge pickups, both pickups will be on plus the middle pickup.

When in this mode with the middle pickup already rolled off (becoming a two pickup Firebird), pulling the push-pull pot will act as a "kill" switch.

 

[bbl4ck]

Great thanks to both of you; tfarny and unwound g  :headbang1:
It looks like I have two options to try out. 
I will fire a note back and let ya know how it works out.
Be cool &  :rock-on:

 

[Dan025]

I don't think that works at all - all your push-pull does is ground the negative leads from bridge and neck. How is that a kill switch?

Check this out. You can change the dpdt to a push-pull but then it's firebird - or - P90s. A 3-way on-on-on gives you the middle position as "all three".

you may have already realized it but you answered the mystery to this diagram in a prior post! the middle pup is on an independant volume and the push/pull disconnects the other pickups from ground, turning them off. just a slight addition to what you had already suggested.