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Can you wire a three way switch to split coil a pickup


burton4snow

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If I understand you correctly (do you want to use only one pickup in your guitar?) then the short answer is yes.

 

The switch is question is actually two single pole single throw switches so if you are not using it to select pickups then you can do some other simple things with it.

 

The easiest way to set it up would be to put one switch across one of the coils so that when it is engaged it takes that coil out of the circuit leaving the other one active as a single coil pickup.

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Knowing what kind of guitar you have would be a big help to giving you advise.

If we don't know what kind of control cavity you have its impossible to properly advise you. If your guitar doesn't already have an LP style route or deep enough route under a pick guard, that's not going to be the switch you want to use.

 

If this is a two pickup guitar you can easily use a simple mini toggle and use it for coil splitting one pickup in one direction and another in the other direction. You also have loads of other options like Push/Pull or Push/Push switches which may be better suited to your guitar.

 

One thing for sure. If the pickup sucks as you say, switching options isn't going to fix it. Splitting also requires a three or 4 wire pickup and strong enough winds to work. Some Pickups can sound great split and others horrible. Knowing what kind of pickup this is along with the guitar type would help so we don't have to throw up every option possible and hope one sticks.

 

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The way I read the original post is you want to turn a 2 pickup guitar into a single pickup guitar that is splittable using the existing switch (which currently switches between pickups/both)?

The answer is yes, although I can't take the time to write up an explanation of how to do it at the moment. Late for a meeting :)

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Who is going to coil tap a P90?

The OP said:

want to do this to one of my guitars were the neck pickup is proprietary and sucks ass. . . .

 

His sig lists the following gear:

Duesenberg Starplayer TV Outlaw

Fender Toronado w/Burstbucker Pros

Fender Highway One Telecaster w/SCs

 

Burstbuckers aren't proprietary to Fender and I presume he wouldn't be talking about splitting the coils on a Tele with SCs. That leaves either the Duesenberg, which has a humbucker in the bridge position that can be split and a P90 in the neck that can't, or some mystery guitar that's not listed in his sig. If the guitar in question is the Deusenberg, then the OP is talking about splitting the bridge humbucker and the sucky proprietary neck pickup is the P90, which looks to be humbucker sized so it should be possible to install a humbucker in its place.

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The OP said:

 

 

His sig lists the following gear:

Duesenberg Starplayer TV Outlaw

Fender Toronado w/Burstbucker Pros

Fender Highway One Telecaster w/SCs

 

Burstbuckers aren't proprietary to Fender and I presume he wouldn't be talking about splitting the coils on a Tele with SCs. That leaves either the Duesenberg, which has a humbucker in the bridge position that can be split and a P90 in the neck that can't, or some mystery guitar that's not listed in his sig. If the guitar in question is the Deusenberg, then the OP is talking about splitting the bridge humbucker and the sucky proprietary neck pickup is the P90, which looks to be humbucker sized so it should be possible to install a humbucker in its place.

 

It looks like there are a few mysries with this one

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Apparently the mystery guiar is a Mustang

 

Can you make a Mustang Switch Into a Split Coil switch? 09-28-2015, 02:56 PM

 

 

 

I just run one Dimarzio in the bridge and have the neck disconnected. Can I use one of the switches to split coil the Dimarzio rail? If so please show me a diagram of how to do it. Thanks

 

 

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The stock switch on a Mustang is centre off. You could set it up so in the middle position there is no effect on the pickup - it's a full humbucker. Wire the switch to conect the two wires of one coil together in one direction and the two wires of the other coil together in the other direction.

 

 

 

This will effectively allow you to select which of the coils you want to be active when you "split coil" the pickup.

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It is a Squier Carbonita with afiltertron type pickup that sucks. I already split the bridge with the switch sounds cool. It is a GFS Lil Puncher. For all you GFS HATERS. It kicks ass. Better than my Dimarzio Hot Area.

 

You say the pickup sucks then you say its kick ass? Sounds a bit contradictory but whatever. Anyway, Artec makes the pickups for GFS and I Have many of them. Their quality is mediocre at best. I do have of the ones you have in a Plexiglas Flying V so I'm very familiar with the pickup.

 

I'd think the guitars stock pickup would sound better but everyone has their own opinions about what sound good. They are wound a bit hot and hurt on the top end a bit for my liking.

 

In my case I used the third tone pot on the V to split the pickups. If I turned the knob in one direction It would split the bridge, turned the other way it split the Neck. It adds a little flavor to the sound but I'll likely swap those pickups at some later date.

 

Your cavity looks like this?

 

fetch?id=31096222

 

As far as fitting that switch in there you may have enough space. It uses a Tele route and there's not allot of room. The thing is when you drill that hole you're going to depreciate that instrument. I'd suggest using something that doesn't require additional drilling.

 

Push push pots are a very cool way of switching. Just bought a pair of these for a Mod I'm doing. You can push the knob down like a Bic Pen to switch settings. (I like these better then push pull because pulling up on a knob playing is tough when you're holding a pick.

 

PDB183-GTR_DSL.jpg

 

Another options could be a small rotary

RBS-1.jpg

 

 

 

Or a Freeway switch that has more then three positions.

 

fetch?id=31599457

None of these would require any drilling and are completely reversible if you ever plan on selling the guitar.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Clearly GFS is better than Dimarzio.

 

Sorry this is all my opinion. Alot has to do with setup guitar whatnot, but to my ears it sounds better than my Dimarzio Area Hot T. I just get tired of people calling GFS crap when so many people have so many good things to say about them. I have to say my self that there was a few that I didn't like but I have had a few Gibsons, Dimarzios, Lollars, and Duncans I did not like and that sucked after the money I pumped into them especially the Lollars. I really think they have to jell with your setup.

 

Was not trying to start something I was just happy it sounded so good.

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You say the pickup sucks then you say its kick ass? Sounds a bit contradictory but whatever. . . .

The pickup that sucks is the stock Fideli’Tron in the neck position. The pickup that kicks ass is the GFS Lil Puncher in the bridge position. Not that hard to understand if you're reading carefully.

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