HSH Control Layout

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.
 
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.
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
 
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
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.
 
OK, I'll bite, what switching options do you want?
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.
 
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.
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.
 
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.
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?
 
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?

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?
 
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?
I dig that you said "stacked"
 
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