Hairbrained idea for 3 single coils

[Shandrazar]

I like Tele sounds, Strat in-between sounds, and ways to get a lot of versatility from one guitar.  This got me thinking about Nashville Teles and variations on the design.  About half an hour ago I got an idea for a wiring scheme that I had never heard of before, and I'd like to see what people think of it.  It involves 3 single-coil pickups, a 4-way switch, and a push-pull.  The 4-way would be wired like a 4-way Tele.  The push-pull would put the middle pickup in parallel with whatever is coming out of the 4-way.  Here are the possible pickup combinations:

Push-pull down (normal 4-way Tele):
1A) Neck only
2A) Neck & Bridge parallel (normal Tele middle position)
3A) Bridge only
4A) Neck & Bridge in series (humbucker-ish)

Push-pull up:
1B) Neck &  Middle parallel (Strat-like)
2B) Neck, Middle & Bridge in parallel (new sound, sometimes seen in Strats with bridge-on push-pulls or mini-toggles)
3B) Middle & Bridge parallel (Strat-like)
4B) Neck & Bridge in series, Middle in parallel with both (new sound, dominated by middle pickup?)

You get everything a Strat or Nashville Tele can do and positions 2A, 4A, 2B and 4B.  What you loose is the middle-only position.  I am not sure to what extent my position 4B would compensate for that.  Also, many consider the middle-only to be the least useful position on a Strat.  Relative to a Strat or Nashville Tele with a bridge-on switch you gain positions 4A & 4B at the cost of middle only.  Comments?

 

[-CB-]

Push-pull down (normal 4-way Tele):
1A) Neck only
2A) Neck & Bridge parallel (normal Tele middle position)
3A) Bridge only
4A) Neck & Bridge in series (humbucker-ish)

Push-pull up:
1B) Neck &  Middle parallel (Strat-like)
2B) Neck, Middle & Bridge in parallel (new sound, sometimes seen in Strats with bridge-on push-pulls or mini-toggles)
3B) Middle & Bridge parallel (Strat-like)
4B) Neck & Bridge in series, Middle in parallel with both (new sound, dominated by middle pickup?)

You're going to have non-humcanceling in a at least one position.

4a = bridge and neck, which must be... lets call 'em North and South

Add a middle, and its gotta be either of those, so when combined alone with the other, it will not be hum canceling.  With all three it will be only 1/3 canceling.

 

[Shandrazar]

You're going to have non-humcanceling in a at least one position.

I knew that but didn't mention it because it also applies to Strats with a bridge-on switch.  I could still avoid it if I go with noiseless pickups to begin with.  What I am really interested in is whether it would work technically and what people think of the available pickup combinations.  If I am right about my guess that position 4B would be dominated by the middle pickup, I've come up with a guitar that can do everything a Tele with a 4-way can do, plus everything a Strat with a bridge-on switch can do.  That sounds like Fender heaven to me.  It seemed obvious once I thought of it, so I am trying to figure out if others have had the idea and given up on if for some reason I didn't think of.

 

[drewfx]

Well I would never do this, but only because middle only is probably my favorite strat position.

But if you made it a 5-way switch and...

 

[Shandrazar]

But if you made it a 5-way switch and...

Actually, what if i did use a 5-way?  I would wire positions 1-4 as previously described and then leave position 5 as a open circuit.  That would give me this:

Push-pull down (normal 4-way Tele plus kill):
1A) Neck only
2A) Neck & Bridge parallel (normal Tele middle position)
3A) Bridge only
4A) Neck & Bridge in series (humbucker-ish)
5A) Kill

Push-pull up:
1B) Neck &  Middle parallel (Strat-like)
2B) Neck, Middle & Bridge in parallel (new sound, sometimes seen in Strats with bridge-on push-pulls or mini-toggles)
3B) Middle & Bridge parallel (Strat-like)
4B) Neck & Bridge in series, Middle in parallel with both (new sound, dominated by middle pickup?)
5B) Middle only

Not the most intuitive switching layout, but it gives me 9 distinct pickup combinations and a kill position with just one 5-way and a push-pull.  I don't think I've even seen anyone do as much with as little. 

Another question is how to deal with the control knobs.  With a Nashville Tele setup it would be a simple master volume & master tone, but what about on a Strat?  I could do the same and use the other hole in the pickguard for a middle pickup mini-toggle or blend pot instead of using a push-pull, but I'm not sure what would make the most sense if I wanted to keep a 1 volume & 2 tone arrangement. 

 

[Alfang]

some of us have this idea about multiple switching for all kinds of dif sounds in 1 guitar.

Just build multiple guitars     

 

[drewfx]

You could also make 5A middle only instead of kill, if you prefer.

On a strat you can just add a 3 way on-on-on mini toggle to the standard controls to get more flexibility. You could do this with a tele too, but I think a tele loaded with extra (visible) knobs/switches is (usually) just plain wrong.

I wired the strat I built as follows, but there are many, many good possibilities - it just depends on what you want, and how you feel about PU combinations, possible "dead" positions, tone controls, extra switches vs. push-pulls, etc.

5-way Strat switch + on/on/on mini switch (TB=tone bridge, TN=tone neck):
                                 On/On/On  
    Up                    Center              Down
    "Parallel"          "Normal"          "Series"
5   N+B (TN)          N (TN)              N (TN)
4   N+M+B (TN)     N+M (TN)         N+M (TN)
3   M                     M                     M
2   M+B (TN)         M+B (TB)         M+ N->B (TB)
1   B (TN)              B (TB)              N->B (TB)

For me, I did it this way because:
I don't mind an extra mini switch on a strat.
I wanted a "normal" strat position on the 5-way (otherwise you could get the additional series/parallel options with just a push/pull).
It's simple enough that I don't need a chart to remember the combinations.
I also either like, or at least don't mind, some of the tone control weirdness (i.e. no tone on middle alone, bridge uses neck tone in "parallel" position), but if I wanted the tone controls to work differently, I could have done it if I had used a 5-way super switch (instead of the standard strat switch) along with the on/on/on.

 

[Shandrazar]

some of us have this idea about multiple switching for all kinds of dif sounds in 1 guitar.

Just build multiple guitars       

My gear budget is only $40 per month, and that includes buying strings.  That means It would take me about 3  years or more to buy a new guitar of the quality I want.  Alternately I can modify my guitars 1 - 2 times a year.  That is the path I have chosen for now.  Before summer is over I should be able to do a complete rewire of my PRS Soapbar II with either Lollar or Vintage Vibe Guitar pickups.  The next project after that will be a new pickguard assembly for my Strat.  Since moving wires around is cheap, I am looking at unusual wiring combinations i might experiment with.