HSH Control Layout

GuitarMadCap

GuitarMadCap

Junior Member
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I’m considering a WGD body style with 24 frets and HSH. I was thinking of a Strat control layout with each of the 3 knobs fitted with a 500K Concentric Pot. I thought this would be cool for each pickup to have its own tone and volume. However, with this setup, I don’t think it would be possible to do coil taps on the humbuckers.

I’m pretty sure I’m going with these pickups:

SD Jazz Model Humbucker SH-2 (Neck)
SD Classic Stack Plus (Middle)
SD JB Model SH-4 (Bridge)

What would be the best control layout to maximize versatility with volume, tone and coil taps?
 
In my experience (I have 6 HSH guitars) I dont see the value in using anything other than a master volume and master tone.

I use a super switch, 2 mini switches, and sometimes a push/pull tone.

My "typical" setup is this:
1 Bridge Humbucker
2 Bridge split + Middle (strat quack)
3 Neck split + Bridge split (tele sound)
4 Neck split + Middle (more strat quack)
5 Neck Humbucker

The mini toggles are for the neck and bridge humbucker to split them in positions 1 & 5 respectively and they only operate in those positions. The push/pull tone will make position 3 be middle pickup instead of the tele sound.

I will sometimes simplify this down to just splitting the neck pickup with a push pull but I like all the options.

The other thing to consider is that my goal is to get a versatile guitar that gets close to the sounds I need. I am not concerned that it doesnt sound like my favorite Strat, Tele, or Les Paul but rather that it sounds and feels close enough for live use. If I need those other sounds to sound as good as those guitars for a particular reason, then I will use those guitars.

Your goals may be different but this is my experience.
 
supertruper1988 said:
In my experience (I have 6 HSH guitars) I dont see the value in using anything other than a master volume and master tone.

I use a super switch, 2 mini switches, and sometimes a push/pull tone.

My "typical" setup is this:
1 Bridge Humbucker
2 Bridge split + Middle (strat quack)
3 Neck split + Bridge split (tele sound)
4 Neck split + Middle (more strat quack)
5 Neck Humbucker

The mini toggles are for the neck and bridge humbucker to split them in positions 1 & 5 respectively and they only operate in those positions. The push/pull tone will make position 3 be middle pickup instead of the tele sound.

I will sometimes simplify this down to just splitting the neck pickup with a push pull but I like all the options.

The other thing to consider is that my goal is to get a versatile guitar that gets close to the sounds I need. I am not concerned that it doesnt sound like my favorite Strat, Tele, or Les Paul but rather that it sounds and feels close enough for live use. If I need those other sounds to sound as good as those guitars for a particular reason, then I will use those guitars.

Your goals may be different but this is my experience.
Click to expand...
This sounds exactly like what I’m looking for. Thanks for the info!
 
I'd go with what I just did on my most recent guitar build. Just poke around the Freeway website, and if you don't see something you like shoot them an email.
5b5-01 B25 png.PNG
 
Rick said:
I'd go with what I just did on my most recent guitar build. Just poke around the Freeway website, and if you don't see something you like shoot them an email.
View attachment 61223
Click to expand...
I have the in series/parallel options on my Jimmy Page wiring Les Paul. I never use it. Maybe I just don’t know the right way or when to use it. I’ll definitely use the coil taps though. Out of phase is great too! It sounds like I will need to add on a couple mini toggles.
 
Rick said:
OK, I'll bite, what switching options do you want?
Click to expand...
I like to ride the volume and tone knobs as I play. That was why I was thinking 3 concentric knobs so I could have total flexibility for each pickup. Coil taps for the HBs would be cool if it is possible with mini togles. I don’t think Warmoth cuts those holes out though. I don’t think I like the idea of drilling into the top of the guitar.

Also all 3 pickups on and the just the HBs on would be sweet but that’s probably getting into too many knobs/switches.
 
GuitarMadCap said:
I have the in series/parallel options on my Jimmy Page wiring Les Paul. I never use it. Maybe I just don’t know the right way or when to use it. I’ll definitely use the coil taps though. Out of phase is great too! It sounds like I will need to add on a couple mini toggles.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I did one of those...
It's great if you're Jimmy Page (or a tribute act) for not needing to take a Tele and Dano (both pickups coil split, in series + retune to DADGAD for Kashmir)...
I ended up stripping it out, just putting a phase reverse push/pull on one pickup and rewiring the rest 'standard'.

I've been down the 'all the options' route, found I didn't use many or any of them and ended up at a regular 5 way wired HSS... and I could happily live with a 'vintage' 3 way Strat switch on it.
Even the Brian May guitar in my picture thingy has (I think) 13 variations and I believe He only uses three of 'em.
 
somebodyelseuk said:
Yeah, I did one of those...
It's great if you're Jimmy Page (or a tribute act) for not needing to take a Tele and Dano (both pickups coil split, in series + retune to DADGAD for Kashmir)...
I ended up stripping it out, just putting a phase reverse push/pull on one pickup and rewiring the rest 'standard'.

I've been down the 'all the options' route, found I didn't use many or any of them and ended up at a regular 5 way wired HSS... and I could happily live with a 'vintage' 3 way Strat switch on it.
Even the Brian May guitar in my picture thingy has (I think) 13 variations and I believe He only uses three of 'em.
Click to expand...
Exactly!
 
Sorry, I might have taken this thread off topic with my Jimmy Page wiring reference. It was good for me to remember how much I don’t use it. I’m definitely going to keep it simple for this one.

I don’t think I got any comments about my idea for three 500K concentric knobs and a 5-way switch. Will a 500K be terrible for a single coil?
 
GuitarMadCap said:
I don’t think I got any comments about my idea for three 500K concentric knobs and a 5-way switch. Will a 500K be terrible for a single coil?
Click to expand...

Concentric pots can be sourced as 500K or 250K or a 500k/250K combination. So use a 250K for your single coil.

You can easily do coil splits for the humbuckers with a Super switch. A 470K resistor on the split positions might also let the split coil see 250K approximately, although you still have a 500K pot.

The downside I see to the concentric pot idea is that you could find them fiddly to use.
 
So I need to find a 250K “Stacked” pot. That solves that. I can see how some would see them as fiddly to use. It took me a while to get used to them on my Danelectro. Now, I think I prefer them to multiple individual knobs. I won’t know for sure until I get it all hooked up though.

Is a super switch just a 5-way Strat switch?
 
GuitarMadCap said:
So I need to find a 250K “Stacked” pot. That solves that. I can see how some would see them as fiddly to use. It took me a while to get used to them on my Danelectro. Now, I think I prefer them to multiple individual knobs. I won’t know for sure until I get it all hooked up though.

Is a super switch just a 5-way Strat switch?
Click to expand...
I dig that you said "stacked"
 
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