Wiring problem

TamDB

Hi all, I wonder if someone on here can help me. I`m trying to build a partscaster from stuff that i`ve had lying around here for a while. I`ve got all the big lumps stuck together now, but i`m stuck on the electrics. I`ve got two standard single coils (Wilkinson, I think), and an old Dimarzio Fast Track two for the bridge, and what i`m trying to do is wire it all up to one volume and three tone controls with a coil tap for the Dimarzio on it`s tone control.

Any suggestions or wiring diagrams would be a huge help, coz so far the best i`ve managed  is two volumes, one tone and one pot that does nothing at all, so i`ve pulled it all out to start clean the next time i`ve got enough courage face it again, (i`m taking a big stick with me next time)

Any kind of help will be greatly appreciated, cheers, Tam.

ICBM

Are the pots new? If you’ve been re-using old ones there’s a fair chance that they’re not working properly due to being overheated by repeated soldering.

What you want to do is simple - it’s effectively the same as a standard vintage Strat circuit but with a third tone pot connected to the unused terminal on the pickup switch and linked to the same tone cap.

The coil split can be done with a push-pull pot, but I probably would use parallel switching instead - a split single-coil-size humbucker usually doesn’t sound that good or like a normal single coil.

Funkfingers

What shape is this bitsacaster?
Where on the body is the selector switch?
How are the controls mounted? Through pickguard (like Stratocaster), through metal control plate (like Telecaster) or from the back of the body (like Charvel Pro-Mod)?

The simplest thing would be to connect each pickup to its own tone control. The signals then go to the selector switch. From there, the signal goes to the volume control and, thereafter, to the output jack socket.

Coil split for the DiMarzio can be via a push-pull pot. If you only need coil split when the Fast Track 2 is combined with the centre pickup, this can be automated via the second pole of a five-way lever selector switch.

TamDB

Thanks guys, It`s a strat shaped body with rear mounted wiring, with the switch in the same spot as a strat, and yes, I have used old pots, so as you say,that may be a problem. I think I`m just about OK with sorting out the standard type of wiring, but it`s sorting out the coil tap (or Parallel) push-pull tha tis stopping me, mainly as I havn`t got a clue which wire is which from the Dimarzio. The green and bare are soldered together (asI`ve used it before, so they probably go to ground), but then there`s a red, black ad a white to sort out, and as I took this out of a gutar a few years ago, I have no idea now of where they went 
I suppose it would make sense to go onto the Dimarzio site and see if I can find an appropriate diagram. (DUH, why didn`t I think of that before???)
Cheers, Tam.

Funkfingers

DiMarzio colour coding:
Green > white = bridge side coil.
Black > red = neck side coil

Black to white forms series link.

•

If the phase relationship with the Wilkinson single coils is wrong, it will be necessary to reverse the red and green wires.

To achieve this, it might prove easier to simply reverse the two output wires that run from the DPDT switch to the selector switch. 

To pre-empt this eventually, connect the bare ground wire separately from the green (or red) pickup conductors

TamDB

Looks like i`ve dived in way above my abilities here, but I`ll have a go anyway.
Thanks guys.

Funkfingers

Expect the DiMarzio (in series mode) to have double the output of the Wilkinson single coils. If this volume difference is going to be problematic, it would be a royal PITA to perform the complex wiring that you propose, only to be frustrated by the result.

IMO, it would be far more practical to have master volume and master tone pots. 

There is an argument for running two switchable modes;

1) the single coils plus the DiMarzio in low output mode via the five-way selector switch like a traditional Stratocaster.

2) just the DiMarzio in series mode, engaged by a mini switch, for loud moments - like an Anderson "blower" switch.

The type of switch required depends on whether you want the DiMarzio to switch between full and split or between series and parallel coil interconnection. (DPDT on/on for simultaneous split and "blower" functions. 4PDT on/on for s/p and "blower".)

•

There is a part of my brain that feels bad about burdening you with these complex wiring suggestions.

Experience tells me that, once you hear the DiMarzio Fast Track 2 in series mode, you will want two more DiMarzio Track pickups for the middle and neck positions. 

TamDB

I don`t want to upset you but, there`s a part  of my brain that`s fried itself, just thinking about hese complex wiring suggestions, but thanks for them anyway.
I vaguely remember what the DM was like as I had 3 of them in a previous partscaster with individual switches and coil taps, and this thing would take you head of given the slightest oportunity,but it was WAY too raucous for me so I striped it down and left it for a while, about ten years or so, and I`ve still got the other two DMs somewhere.
I`ve checked the other pups and they are actually Irongear Pig Irons, so I think they would have a bit more grunt than Wilkinsons, so they may be able to hold their own a bit more against the DM.
I think I might actually just leave this to one side for a while, and amuse myself with one of my other guitars for the time being, I`ve got to get round to selling a couple of them as well, so that will give me something to do and stop me pretending that I can still drive a soldering iron.
Thanks for your help anyway guys, cheers,Tam.

Funkfingers

The IronGear Pig Iron comes in two variants. Of these, the overwound versions stand a far better chance of keeping up with your DiMarzio FT2.

My nearest experience to what you are attempting has been with two Fender Texas Specials and a DiMarzio The Chopper.

Which models are your other DiMarzio single coil-sized pickups?

I am tempted to suggest that you combine like with like. All DiMarzio on one pickguard assembly, all Irongear (or Wilkinson) on another assembly.

Alternatively, sell off any "raucous" DiMarzio pickups to finance an Irongear Jailhouse Track or two.

TamDB

Can`t realy remember what the others were, I think the neck was a Fast Track1 and the middle was yet another one of DMs stacked singles but I don`t remember which one.
I`m not going to lay out loot for more pups, I`ll just fiddle with these until I either get some results or get bored with it,but thanks again for your help.
Cheers, Tam.