wiring options with 2 HBs

axisus

I have a guitar with 2 HBs and a 3-way, I wired in 2 mini switches to give each HB humbucking mode, split coil mode and parallel mode. HB is fine. and I rather like parallel, but split mode is pretty meh. Anything else interesting  I can try for that switch position?

Andyjr1515

I do all sorts of options on mine but interestingly I usually end up using split in live gigs - but never by itself! I find the not-quite-single coil too much of a volume drop and too weedy to make it on its own. However, with the 3 way in the middle poition and one pup in HB and the other split adds a subtle clarity if you have the balance between the pups right. With my Swift III, I can choose which coil is split - one option is not impressive and the other great. How about trying splitting the other coil as a first step. If I get chance, I'll try to do some clips to post. In the meantime, I will think through some of the other strange things I've done with 2switches :-) Andy

Adam_MD

I'm waiting on a new set of humbuckers for a guitar at the minute and am going to be trying resistors on the splits to see what that's like.  PRS are using a 1.1k on the neck and 2.2k on the bridge at the minute, I'll be reporting my findings when I'm all done.

Megii

An option I like is to have the series-parallel switching on the neck pickup, but with the other switch working as a phase-reverse for the bridge pickup. I don't often find I want to use a tapped or parallel option for the bridge pickup anyway - just too quiet and thin sounding. So the phase reverse gives me more useful options - if interested I can point you towards a circuit that allows the phase switch to also put the two pickups into series overall when engaged  (instead of the normal parallel combination). This compensates nicely to prevent the usual drop in volume when switching to out of phase.

axisus

@Adam_MD: What do the resistors do? 

@Megii: I'd be interested to see that circuit!

For single coil, I thought that I'd get noticeably less 'power' than the HBs setting, but it still has a lot of volume in comparison? If I 'scratch' the pole pieces with a screwdriver, the cut coil is less 'on' but still on a bit - is that expected? Also, the parallel doesn't sound as thin as expected? I'm pretty sure I wired up as per the diagram, but does it sound like something is wrong?

Adam_MD

axisus said:

@Adam_MD: What do the resistors do? 

@Megii: I'd be interested to see that circuit!

For single coil, I thought that I'd get noticeably less 'power' than the HBs setting, but it still has a lot of volume in comparison? If I 'scratch' the pole pieces with a screwdriver, the cut coil is less 'on' but still on a bit - is that expected? Also, the parallel doesn't sound as thin as expected? I'm pretty sure I wired up as per the diagram, but does it sound like something is wrong?

Allegedly according to an interview with Paul adding the resistor will keep part of the cancelled coil giving you a little noise cancelling and a slightly fuller single coil sound with a lower drop in volume between full and split modes They're using this now on the DGT, McCarty 58 and the Dave Navarro model.  

http://www.prsguitars.com/csc/schematics/2012/navarro_2012.pdf

I'm going to use this diagram though with a 0.22 cap instead of the 0.33.  Never tried it before so I'll try with and without to see if I can tell the difference. 

Megii

axisus said:

 

@Megii: I'd be interested to see that circuit!

 

 

I can't claim to be the author - a nice chap on the GuitarNutz2 forum designed it in response to me asking if it was possible. "SOOP" stands for "series out of phase" btw. It just shows the schematic up to the 3-way switch, but it's then just a case of the standard stuff from there for a volume and tone control. I have it wired into one of my guitars, with the switching being done by push-pull's on the volume and tone control. I realise it's not really answering your original question, since this uses a pair of 2-way switches, not 3-way like you have. But IMO it is a pretty cool circuit that gives 7 fairly distinct and useable tones.