How to wire 2 Fralin pickups

[Schlieren]

Solid-body Alder Tele (routed for tremolo), mahogany / rosewood neck, Lindy Fralin SP-42 bridge, split-single P-92 neck.  Either Stratocaster knob setup or Thinline.

The tech I am using suggested either 2 knobs control individual tone, one for master volume; or two volume knobs, 1 master tone knob (recommending this option).  Naturally, with a 3-way switch for both / bridge / neck.

I'm not particularly sure there are any other options here worth trying out.  I could call Lindy again, but Lord I've already called him up enough times.

If someone knows of anything else which might make sense or provide some different tonal options, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks!

 

[tfarny]

I have dual vol master tone on my thinline, and a three way. It works great. I like them to balance the neck / bridge when they're both on, but at the same time in some ways I do like a master vol for simplicity - turn it down and your guitar is off no matter what else you've got going. I think if your pickups are not balanced in volume you should go for 2 volumes, otherwise 2 tones.

 

[Schlieren]

Phase switching, series / parallel?  I don't know how a split-single humbucker could work with a single coil insofar as tonal options..... are these sort of simple options the only ones available to me?

Not a gigantic deal because I usually have seven options on a guitar and use the one I like the most 90% of the time, I'm really just looking to close this decision loop so I can move on to yet more decisions...

 

[Unwound G]

Schliere, I have a similar set but not yet installed except I have a P92 for the bridge and a SP-42 for the neck.  I am quite curious to have some feedback from you regarding the tones.

As for controls, I am not sure if they are better with 250k or 500k pots.  Perhaps your conversations with Lindy may yield some answers and care to share with us.

My personal preference for a two pickup guitar with 3 controls is to have a Master Volume, Master tone and a Blender Pot.  The other most vital mod to have is a treble bleed hooked up for the volume.  The Blender Pot will come to use when both pickups are on and actually serve as a tone control to regulate more output from either the bridge or neck pickup to bring out more highs or mids.  I found this extremely useful when channel switching or stomping on floor Fx.

Series wiring using a Push-Pull pot can add some thickness to your tone but I am not too sure if they will have the same effect as with RWRP pickups since the Split coils in P92 and SP-42 are in itself in series individually.

Looking forward to hear some tone comments from you. 

 

[Mor Paul]

It could be interesting to hear how it would sound with one coil from each pickup working together. Bridge pickup for the low strings, and neck for the high strings?

 

[Schlieren]

It could be interesting to hear how it would sound with one coil from each pickup working together. Bridge pickup for the low strings, and neck for the high strings?

I'm not sure if the SP-42 is split the same as the P-92. . . in any event I've seen images of these pickups and it looks like they come with a "lead" wire and a "ground" wire and that's it?  (Please keep in mind I know absolutely nothing about electronics and my eyes go bleary any time I read about the subject. . .)

Series wiring using a Push-Pull pot can add some thickness to your tone but I am not too sure if they will have the same effect as with RWRP pickups since the Split coils in P92 and SP-42 are in itself in series individually.

Lindy told me to request either that the SP-42 be wound in Strat polarity, or simply that I let them know that these pickups will both be going in the same guitar. . . I really don't like knowing basically nothing about pickups, but then also ordering pickups that are sort-of a one-off design on their own. . . argh.  In any event

Also I hope you are patient because this won't be done and in my hands until, I estimate, the beginning of February.  But I will be sure to record some rudimentary tracks. . .

I like your idea about master tone / master volume / blend pots, and if I did it I'd probably go with a push-push switch.  That sounds like a whole lot of options!

 

[Mor Paul]

Whoops, I meant in a twin p-92 guitar.

 

[Schlieren]

Small change: push / pull switch, haven't read anything but bad news about push / push switches.

I think master tone / volume / blend w/phase switch would create for a bunch of options. . . actually I think having blend w/phase switch would be really interesting, since the out-of-phase "sound" is dependent upon the two pickups cancelling each other out. . . so it would be a combination "tone" and to a certain extent "volume" knob in that configuration. . .

. . . yeah I'm really liking the idea of that the more I think of it.  I think the thing will sound unlike anything else.

 

[Unwound G]

Schlieren, for the blender pot you may have to get one with a center detent meaning when the pot is rotated to the center you will feel a click (http://www.guitarpartsusa.com/item--Guitar-Blender-Pot--PROD284 ).  In this center position, output from both pickups are balanced.  However, I have not yet come across a center detent pot with push-pull function yet.  You have to use the tone pot for the push-pull function.

 

[Schlieren]

Schlieren, for the blender pot you may have to get one with a center detent meaning when the pot is rotated to the center you will feel a click (http://www.guitarpartsusa.com/item--Guitar-Blender-Pot--PROD284 ).  In this center position, output from both pickups are balanced.  However, I have not yet come across a center detent pot with push-pull function yet.  You have to use the tone pot for the push-pull function.

This was a thought to which I awoke this very morning - with tactile memories of fiddling with the pre-amp pots on my mixing board dancing in my head - and I come here to find someone is a step ahead already!

My buddy has a P-bass with a blend pot without a detent and while I appreciate the fun of moving it around and not knowing except vaguely - it's also just a knurled chrome knob with no numbers or other indicators of position - where I am in terms of how much of each pickup, it sure makes finding the exact same tone from one recording session to the next a little bit frustrating!

Interesting that there isn't a detent pot with push/pull, but once one gets too specific that tends to happen. . . not a big deal.  Thanks for being a step ahead!

 

[Schlieren]

O.K. I spoke with Zach at Lindy Fralin and I am throwing the kitchen sink at this setup:

pot 1) Master tone, push-pull with in phase / out-of-phase
pot 2) Master volume, push-pull with parallel / series  :headbang1:
pot 3) Blend with detent @ 50:50

4) pickup selector switch

The in-series thing sounds like it'll be a gimmick sort of sound at worst, but it might be sort of interesting.  I play lily-white college rock so why not hotrod the rig and make like Sonic Youth  :glasses10:

Luckily it's already got to be rear-routed (24 fret neck / 720 mod will require it), or there would never, ever be enough room in the control cavity for this rat's nest of wires, caps and pots.  Luck help my guitar tech.

In any event, it'll be like a completely stock Tele, exactly until you touch a knob or a switch which wouldn't be on one.  Seems like a slick setup in theory, at least. . .