Extra pickup switch on Strat

[Graffiti62]

Hi Everybody--

I am wiring up my Squier project, and I had an idea on one trick I wanted to have on the guitar. I've seen where there's an extra switch in addition the the 5-spot blade that will throw either the neck or bridge pickup on, no matter where the blade is. This allows for neck/bridge pickup combo, as well as turning all three pickups on at once. However, I want to take the theory a step further. I would like to use an on\off\on switch to have the neck pickup kick on. In one position, the pickup would be wired in series with the bridge pickup, and in the other position, it would wind up being wired parallel to the bridge. Does anyone have an idea where I can start on this?  I can do up everything else, but this part of the build is coming off as a mystery to me.

Thanks!

 

[kreig]

I have a righty squier strat I play upside down like Jimi, as every lefty should. The knobs get in the way, so I disabled/bypassed them.
Only the blade is functional.

1.Bridge only
2.Bridge + Middle
3.Middle only
4.Middle + Neck
5.Neck only

Re: the 5 position blade . . ."as well as turning all three pickups on at once. " should be an error !? :icon_scratch:

 

[Mor Paul]

He wants a switch that will turn on the neck or bridge pup

Let's say neck

1.Bridge only
2.Bridge + Middle
3.Middle only
4.Middle + Neck
5.Neck only

With switch:
1.Bridge +neck
2.Bridge + Middle + Neck
3.Middle +neck
4.Middle + Neck
5.Neck only

 

[Graffiti62]

He wants a switch that will turn on the neck or bridge pup

Let's say neck

1.Bridge only
2.Bridge + Middle
3.Middle only
4.Middle + Neck
5.Neck only

With switch:
1.Bridge +neck
2.Bridge + Middle + Neck
3.Middle +neck
4.Middle + Neck
5.Neck only

Bingo--Thanks!  I've seen this trick done with custom jobs, and I think G&L does this standard on a few of their models. I know how to wire up just a simple on/off to do the trick, but I'd like to have the option of having it "series/off/parallel"

 

[kreig]

Max,

RE:

With switch:
1.Bridge +neck
2.Bridge + Middle + Neck
3.Middle +neck
4.Middle + Neck
5.Neck only

did you err? :icon_scratch:

 

[Mor Paul]

No.
If only the middle is on, and you add neck, it's Middle + Neck.
If the middle and neck are on, you can't add the neck, so it's still middle + neck.

 

[kreig]

No.
If only the middle is on, and you add neck, it's Middle + Neck.
If the middle and neck are on, you can't add the neck, so it's still middle + neck.

Where is the bridge only?

 

[Mor Paul]

That's only there if the switch for the neck is off.

 

[Graffiti62]

The added switch remedies, what I feel as, the only weakness of Leo Fender's design. With the 5-spot blade, you are only able to switch on two pickups that are next to each other. The switch allows you to activate the neck pickup in any spot on the blade. Some designs have the bridge pickup on the added switch, but I felt that I could go from doing rhythm work to lead work faster if I only had one switch to throw instead of throwing the switch and also the blade. This setup also allows you to have all three pickups on at the same time. This has been done by several folks in the past. All I want to do is add the ability to, when I turn the switch on, that I can choose between turning it on in phase, or turning it on out of phase, giving me kind of like a Fender Mustang sound when you have both switches thrown the same direction.

 

[kreig]

Graffiti62,
Anything is possible Edit* and don't forget about RW/RP in the Middle while you are figuring your config.
here's some food for thought . . .Good Luck.

http://www.guitarnuts.com/wiring/serpar.php

IMHO -
Some seek as much versatility as possible out of their guitars, endlessly searching for more sounds and colors.
I call these people "Knob Noodlers"

Some seek out being versatile guitarists, endlessly searching for more sounds and colors.
I call these people "Versatile Guitarists"

My last 2 builds had no pots or switches, just 1 pup hard-wired to the jack. It free's up more time to play guitar. :icon_thumright:

 

[tfarny]

Kreig, why hassle the guy because he wants a series switch on his guitar? Offer up your advice or don't. Sheesh. It's not your guitar.

Wait, is it series / parallel or in / out of phase that you want?
Here's phase reversal for single coils: http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=phase_reversal_singlecoils
A second switch for serial shouldn't be too hard to work out. Here's how to get about nine different settings of a single humbucker: http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=series_spl_parallel-w-phase
Hope that gets you started.

 

[kreig]

Kreig, why hassle the guy because he wants a series switch on his guitar? Offer up your advice or don't. Sheesh. It's not your guitar.

I 'm not hass'len bro, I believe I wished him good luck and offered him a link in the right direction.
should he choose to do so . . .

It was just food for thought, thats all . . .

tfarney, I consider you a friend.

 

[Graffiti62]

Kreig, why hassle the guy because he wants a series switch on his guitar? Offer up your advice or don't. Sheesh. It's not your guitar.

Wait, is it series / parallel or in / out of phase that you want?
Here's phase reversal for single coils: http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=phase_reversal_singlecoils
A second switch for serial shouldn't be too hard to work out. Here's how to get about nine different settings of a single humbucker: http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=series_spl_parallel-w-phase
Hope that gets you started.

I'm not interested in the phasing--I had a brain fart going on when I wrote that. I've returned to work from maternity leave, and its been my day to watch the phones at work. I really want to get a cool hum-cancelling sound in one position, have the ability to shut it off, and then if I throw it the other way, I can get that Mustang sound that you get when you throw both switches the same way.

 

[mayfly]

Kreig, why hassle the guy because he wants a series switch on his guitar? Offer up your advice or don't. Sheesh. It's not your guitar.

Wait, is it series / parallel or in / out of phase that you want?
Here's phase reversal for single coils: http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=phase_reversal_singlecoils
A second switch for serial shouldn't be too hard to work out. Here's how to get about nine different settings of a single humbucker: http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=series_spl_parallel-w-phase
Hope that gets you started.

I'm not interested in the phasing--I had a brain fart going on when I wrote that. I've returned to work from maternity leave, and its been my day to watch the phones at work. I really want to get a cool hum-cancelling sound in one position, have the ability to shut it off, and then if I throw it the other way, I can get that Mustang sound that you get when you throw both switches the same way.

So if I understand you correctly, you want a switch which puts the neck pickup in phase with the bridge in one position, out of phase with the bridge in the other position, and not on in the middle.  And you want to keep the existing operation of the 5 way blade switch - is that right?

If so, I've been working on a design for you.  Ill post it when I have it completely figured out - but it has the disadvantage that the second switch will always affect the neck PU even when not used with the bridge pickup.

 

[Graffiti62]

Kreig, why hassle the guy because he wants a series switch on his guitar? Offer up your advice or don't. Sheesh. It's not your guitar.

Wait, is it series / parallel or in / out of phase that you want?
Here's phase reversal for single coils: http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=phase_reversal_singlecoils
A second switch for serial shouldn't be too hard to work out. Here's how to get about nine different settings of a single humbucker: http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=series_spl_parallel-w-phase
Hope that gets you started.

I'm not interested in the phasing--I had a brain fart going on when I wrote that. I've returned to work from maternity leave, and its been my day to watch the phones at work. I really want to get a cool hum-cancelling sound in one position, have the ability to shut it off, and then if I throw it the other way, I can get that Mustang sound that you get when you throw both switches the same way.

So if I understand you correctly, you want a switch which puts the neck pickup in phase with the bridge in one position, out of phase with the bridge in the other position, and not on in the middle.  And you want to keep the existing operation of the 5 way blade switch - is that right?

If so, I've been working on a design for you.  Ill post it when I have it completely figured out - but it has the disadvantage that the second switch will always affect the neck PU even when not used with the bridge pickup.

Hey Thanks mayfly--you've got just what I have in mind. What disadvantage do you feel you may have with your design?

 

[RadsRock]

This is an interesting puzzle!

Here's one solution I came up with. I think would do your job nicely, although it is sorta backwards from how you were thinking about it, and is quite a departure from normal strat switching.

AND THE TRICK IS...  your extra switch doesn't control the neck pick-up.  It does the middle.  (And it's simply on/off.  You could do it with a push-pull pot if you want, so you don't even need an extra hole in the pick guard).

Then, your blade selector is a megaswitch, superswitch or 4-way tele switch (like this) 

So you got:

Middle off at switch
Selector gives:
    Bridge only
    Bridge Neck Series
    Bridge Neck Parallel
    Neck only
    (5th position optional if using superswitch - see below)

Middle on at switch
    Well, all of the above, plus the middle!

So you got all your options.

Now the drawback to using the 4-way tele switch would be that you have no way to have middle alone (also, I don't know how that fits in a strat).

Using a megaswitch or superswitch you could wire it so the 5th position is both bridge and neck off, which would give you the option of middle alone, but creates the possibility of having no sound if you hit your switches wrong. 

Maybe you could run the middle pick-up to the superswitch in addition to going to its own on/off... but I don't know if that would cut your output if it isn't on at both places?


PS - You might want to edit your earlier posts that say in phase/out of phase, since it may confuse people before they get to the later one that corrects this.  For instance, Mayfly is talking phase switching.