Tele hs wiring help. -no one knows this-

[Jackman]

Here's what I've got:
Pearly gates jr. single sized humbucker in the bridge, five two single coil in the neck. Both Seymour Duncan.

Three way switch.

What I want:
First position- humbucker
Second position- single side of humbucker.
Third position- neck.

I have scoured the internet and the only thing I have found was on here 7 years ago. The post is so old I'm guessing the photos are no longer linked to the thread. Here is the thread-
http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=13936.0

I'm open to a 4 or 5 way switch if there's a way. I would like a drawing if it can be done. I have even considered a toggle to interrupt the neck in a series configuration but would prefer that as a last resort.

 

[Fat Pete]

Assuming you're using a standard 3-way blade switch, Could you not just connect both the red & white (series link) wires to position 2 on the switch to achieve this? This would give you just the south coil.

Edit: Sorry, as this is not standard wiring, the above may not be as obvious as I was thinking. So to be clear, as you're not requiring both pickups at once, you'd only need to use one side of the switch. Humbucker hot (black) to 1, red & white to 2, hot from the single to 3. With common as the output.

 

[rgand]

If you used a 5-position switch and Strat wiring then split the humbucker as two single coils wouldn't you would have:

1 - humbucker single coil #1
2 - humbucker
3 - humbucker single coil #2
4 - humbucker single coil #2 + neck
5 - neck

 

[Fat Pete]

If you used a 5-position switch and Strat wiring then split the humbucker as two single coils wouldn't you would have:

1 - humbucker single coil #1
2 - humbucker
3 - humbucker single coil #2
4 - humbucker single coil #2 + neck
5 - neck

You could do this, but you would only get the humbucker in parallel mode, not (normal) series.

 

[Fat Pete]

If you used a 5-position switch and Strat wiring then split the humbucker as two single coils wouldn't you would have:

1 - humbucker single coil #1
2 - humbucker
3 - humbucker single coil #2
4 - humbucker single coil #2 + neck
5 - neck

You could do this, but you would only get the humbucker in parallel mode, not (normal) series.

Actually, no. It's late here and I'm tired (so my original suggestion should not be taken as definitive) but remember that a 5-way strat switch is still just a 3-way switch with extra 'notches' -
so in pos. 2, 1 & 2 are shorted, likewise 2 & 3 in pos. 4.

 

[nullref]

For a 3 way switch, I think it would be something like...

1. Humbucker
2. Jumper with #1
3. Neck
4. To volume pot

Other side...

1. Ground
2. NC
3. Coil split from Humbucker
4. NC

I did something like this for my HSS Strat.

 

[stratamania]

A three way tele switch has two sides to it.

C  3 2  1
-------------
3  2  1  C

What you want:
First position- humbucker
Second position- single side of humbucker.
Third position- neck.

Assuming second position is just the single side of the bridge humbucker.

This is what to do.

I am using upper and lower in the explanation below to distinguish the two sets of terminals.

C means common.

C  3 2  1    upper row
-----------
3  2  1  C

Using one side of the switch (for explanation upper row shown above)

Upper row.

Black hot wire of humbucker to 1
Black hot wire of neck single coil to 3
Jumper wire from 1 to 2
From C of this row to Volume pot input lug

So the upper row inputs the hot wires from the pickups and dependent on the position of the switch outputs the selected pickup to the volume control and onwards.


Next we need to look at the rest of it.

Green and bare wires of both pickups to ground (traditionally back of a volume pot or better a grounding lug )

Neck mini humbucker join red and white together, and insulate.

Next on the lower row of the switch.

C  3 2  1 
-----------
3  2  1  C lower row.

Red and white of bridge humbucker join together and solder to lower 2. That gives you the full humbucker in series when 1 is selected.

In order to split the coil in position 2 next join a wire from lower C to the grounding point of the back of the volume pot or alternative.  This means in position 2 and position 2 alone the red and white of the now selected bridge pickup is shunted to ground giving the split bridge humbucker required.

There must be no connections between the upper and lower row, so you need to ignore any standard tele wiring diagrams for the switch you may have seen.

Hope that helps.

 

[Logrinn]

Excellent explanation, stratamania
:icon_thumright:

 

[Jackman]

Excellent indeed!
Thank you a million times over. I have spoken to dozens of people and read every page I can find, and no one has been able to help. I have some free time over the next couple of days and will post some results.

 

[Fat Pete]

stratamania (& nullref): is there something in my suggestion that actually wouldn't work, or is it just that using the north coil is better (and if so, why)?

 

[nullref]

stratamania (& nullref): is there something in my suggestion that actually wouldn't work, or is it just that using the north coil is better (and if so, why)?

I'm not an electrical engineer, so I can't comment on pros and cons.  I just prefer to have a coil connected to ground all the time.

 

[Logrinn]

Since the green and bare are still connected to ground, the wiring in Fat Pete's case would mean that the coil is still connected to ground. The only difference in these two wirings would be which of the two coils that are active in the switch's middle position. In fact, FP's wiring is an easier one.
I think.

 

[nullref]

Since the green and bare are still connected to ground, the wiring in Fat Pete's case would mean that the coil is still connected to ground. The only difference in these two wirings would be which of the two coils that are active in the switch's middle position. In fact, FP's wiring is an easier one.
I think.

But what happens to any charge that builds up on the unused winding (static, etc...)?  It would need to go somewhere other than the signal path.

I kinda want to setup an experiment now to see what happens...

 

[stratamania]

Excellent explanation, stratamania
:icon_thumright:

Thanks

 

[stratamania]

Excellent indeed!
Thank you a million times over. I have spoken to dozens of people and read every page I can find, and no one has been able to help. I have some free time over the next couple of days and will post some results.

Your welcome, post an update and let us know how it works out.

Just a case of thinking it through using a bit of a reductionist approach.

 

[stratamania]

stratamania (& nullref): is there something in my suggestion that actually wouldn't work, or is it just that using the north coil is better (and if so, why)?

The first post to just use one side of the switch with red and white on 2 and inputs to 1 and 3 with common as the output to volume would perhaps give the other coil but normally when splitting a Seymour Duncan pickup the red and white is shunted to ground.

Using the method I described should give the required selections and maintain the red and white shunt to ground.

Worth experimenting either way I guess.

 

[Fat Pete]

stratamania (& nullref): is there something in my suggestion that actually wouldn't work, or is it just that using the north coil is better (and if so, why)?

The first post to just use one side of the switch with red and white on 2 and inputs to 1 and 3 with common as the output to volume would perhaps give the other coil but normally when splitting a Seymour Duncan pickup the red and white is shunted to ground.

Using the method I described should give the required selections and maintain the red and white shunt to ground.

Worth experimenting either way I guess.

Ok, thanks.