Help! :) Suggestion for Humbucker wiring...

[pleximaster]

Hi

I am looking for some input on a special Humbucker wiring setup. This is what I want to achieve.

a.) Two humbuckers (4 wires)
b.) Each pickup separate volume controls
c.) One common tone knob
c.) No traditional toggle switch between the pickups but a "master volume" that blends the volume from the two pickups.
d.) One miniswitch splitting the Humbucker so only one coil is used
e.) one miniswitch turning the coils in parallel or in series

So my questions are

1.) How do I wire this up the best way ( the order, where to put in tone control for instance)
2.) Values on the different pots (volume master tone)
3.) Tone cap value
4.) miniswitches? DPDT switch type?

best plexi

 

[fitz]

Hi

I am looking for some input on a special Humbucker wiring setup. This is what I want to achieve.

a.) Two humbuckers (4 wires)
b.) Each pickup separate volume controls
c.) One common tone knob
c.) No traditional toggle switch between the pickups but a "master volume" that blends the volume from the two pickups.
d.) One miniswitch splitting the Humbucker so only one coil is used
e.) one miniswitch turning the coils in parallel or in series

So my questions are

1.) How do I wire this up the best way ( the order, where to put in tone control for instance)
2.) Values on the different pots (volume master tone)
3.) Tone cap value
4.) miniswitches? DPDT switch type?

best plexi

I'm not lookin it up for ya, but I've used this site for a lot of my home builds and rewire jobs.

Guitar & Bass Wiring Diagrams & Resources | GuitarElectronics.com

You have some unusual parameters in your list that may be easier to do in other ways.
Pot values (also linear vs. audio) and cap values are a matter of preference, but generally 500k pots for humbuckers, 250 for singles.
Since you're doing coil tap splits, you're on your own again.
Similar thing with caps - hard to suggest one that will do both SC/HB, and it depends on what YOU like in a tone control.

 

[ricksdisconnected]

.

 

[fitz]

b.) Each pickup separate volume controls

c. #2 ) No traditional toggle switch between the pickups but a "master volume" that blends the volume from the two pickups.

Please clarify - you want separate volume knobs, and then another knob to blend from one p-u to the other?
A stacked pot with one sweeper wired backwards would do this, but the signal strength at the midpoint would be a strange level you might not like.
Not sure if an audio (logarithmic) taper would be better than a linear for that?

d.) One miniswitch splitting the Humbucker so only one coil is used
e.) one miniswitch turning the coils in parallel or in series

This other stuff is all doable - it's going to be a rat's nest in the control cavity.
Any thoughts on push/pull knobs instead of the toggle switches?
Might be a cleaner look on the outside of the guitar.

 

[Dogs of Doom]

typically, you'd have either 2 separate volume knobs, or a volume knob & a blend/balance knob...

Then a tone knob...

 

[pleximaster]

Please clarify - you want separate volume knobs, and then another knob to blend from one p-u to the other?
A stacked pot with one sweeper wired backwards would do this, but the signal strength at the midpoint would be a strange level you might not like.
Not sure if an audio (logarithmic) taper would be better than a linear for that?



This other stuff is all doable - it's going to be a rat's nest in the control cavity.
Any thoughts on push/pull knobs instead of the toggle switches?
Might be a cleaner look on the outside of the guitar.

Yes good point push pull

Blend is interesting ...
I am actually building the guitar for a friend and as I understand it he would like to "preset each pickup". Lets say 25% neck and 100% bridge or 100% neck and 0% from the bridge. Then a master control right next to the hand that he can easily control while he is playing. -Like having a volume pedal on the guitar. He is not use to use a foot controlled volume pedal.

I´m a bit more experienced with amps than guitar electronics but I'd like a "gain stage" of some sort before the "Master" and one could fit an active small transistor amp in the guitar but its agains all my gut feelings and I can't seem to be able to fit an all valve amplifier in an SG guitar.

typically, you'd have either 2 separate volume knobs, or a volume knob & a blend/balance knob...

Yes the blend might be a way to go, I personally can't really "hear it in my head" on how it with react and sound since I am not experienced in this. (I can do this quite good when it comes to amp modeling, but shit no in a guitar, so used to just standard Les Paul, Strat or Tele wiring, that's it.)

Then a tone knob...

"Tone knob last!" Great!

Yes the blend might be a way to go, I personally can't really "hear it in my head" on how it with react and sound since I am not experienced in this. (I can do this quite good when it comes to amp modeling, but shit no in a guitar, so used to just standard Les Paul, Strat or Tele wiring, that's it.)

PS. There is a signature Gibson SG - Kirk Douglas (The Roots on the late-late-later tonight show something) that has a SG with a volume Master. The diagram for this wiring I have not found. Any idéas on the way it works?

Read about it here. It has a master on the pickguard....

https://www.gibson.com/Guitar/USA19H701/Kirk-Douglas-Signature-SG/Inverness-Green


Thank you all for the help and please continue to add any thoughts and ideas! Love you guys!

plexi

 

[geddy]

A master volume is common , epi wildkat has one. Blend is more common on basses. You need to decide what you are after. Your first post says blend but subsequently you imply a master vol.

 

[axe4me]

 

[MW110]

Just an idea…how about using a rotary switch and internal trim pots for the different presets?
A mastervolume pot place after the switch or directly before output jack should work fine.

 

[johan.b]

As for the tone controll i suggest putting it on a push/ pull pot going between modern wiring(doesn't interact with volume setting) and 50's wiring(interacts with volume pot settings)
50's wiring open up so many possibilities for different tones but can at the same time be enormously annoying when you ride the volume and just want to cut a bit of highs...

On my les Paul's i have 50s on the neck pickup and modern on the bridge. Very versatile