Wiring a strat like a les paul

[catscurlyear]

hi there,i`m experimenting with a strat i`ve just knocked together i have two humbuckers in it , i have disconnected the middle strat pickup , i have put in a phase reverse switch for the humbuckers and it works fine , where i`m stuck is, i am trying to make it so when i am on the middle switch of the pickup selector,i want both humbuckers to be on , by the way it is a regular 5 way strat pickup selector, thanks.

[WRGKMC]

Using a three way Tele switch would be the easiest.

Otherwise you need to figure out how to jumper the switch connections to just run the two pickups.

 

May be easiest to wire the bridge pup where the middel pickup normally connects.

Positions 1 will be bridge, position 2 will be bridge and neck, and position three will be the neck only.

Short the connects where the neck used to connect and it will wind up being a kill switch for Positions

4 & 5.

 

Its Kind of a waste having two dead spots on a 5 way switch. I'd connect the center pickup myself.

In fact I'd wire the whole thing like a strat and use a switch to connect the Bridge and Neck or just use

three Mini Toggels in place of the 5 way rotary.

 

I have one strat wired with three DPDT switches.

In the center the pickups off, then in one direction I have forward polarity and the other reverse polarity.

Pretty simple to do and you have all kinds of tonal combinations. With humbuckers you could use DPST on off

switches for the humbuckers and haver a DPDT phase reverse for the single and get all kinds of cool combos

with that single.

added.

[Surfdude]

Can you put in a three way switch and wire it like an Explorer? (One volume and two tone controls)

 

Surfy

[catscurlyear]

 

Using a three way Tele switch would be the easiest. Otherwise you need to figure out how to jumper the switch connections to just run the two pickups. May be easiest to wire the bridge pup where the middel pickup normally connects. Positions 1 will be bridge, position 2 will be bridge and neck, and position three will be the neck only. Short the connects where the neck used to connect and it will wind up being a kill switch for Positions 4 & 5. Its Kind of a waste having two dead spots on a 5 way switch. I'd connect the center pickup myself. In fact I'd wire the whole thing like a strat and use a switch to connect the Bridge and Neck or just use three Mini Toggels in place of the 5 way rotary. I have one strat wired with three DPDT switches. In the center the pickups off, then in one direction I have forward polarity and the other reverse polarity. Pretty simple to do and you have all kinds of tonal combinations. With humbuckers you could use DPST on off switches for the humbuckers and haver a DPDT phase reverse for the single and get all kinds of cool combos with that single. added.

 

thanks for your reply ,i had done it already the same way as you mention in your second paragraph, but i want it like i say in the middle for both pickups . i am only using a 5 way at the moment cause i don`t have a 3 way spare ,but it seems like a 3 way probably wouldn`t work. the tele switch seems like a good idea i wonder if it would fit in a strat pickup selector switch slot on the scratch plate? . i don`t like individual switches for each pickup ,i`ve had them before on an ESP , it was too much of a fiddely job changing pickups in the middle of songs when on a gig

[catscurlyear]

 

Can you put in a three way switch and wire it like an Explorer? (One volume and two tone controls) Surfy

 

Ta, i don`t know ,i have never had an explorer , i don`t know how they are set up. by the way i have just one volume and one tone pot on the guitar.

[honeyiscool]

Five way and three way switches are electrically identical. Just use the diagrams for a Tele style blade switch.

[=JL=]

A Tele 3-way is the same switch as a Strat 3-way, so yes it will fit.

You can actually use a 3-way or a 5-way. In all my 2-pickup Teles I use a 5-way, because Tele switches are too close to the volume knob.

I put a jumper wire on it so that positions 1,2 and 3 are all bridge pickup alone. I never use 1 or 2, but if I overshoot it doesn't matter.

There's nothing stopping you wiring a 5-way so that position 1 is bridge only, position 5 is neck only, and 2, 3 and 4 are both pickups together.

[honeyiscool]

Another easy config you can do is a 5-way switch where the pickup positions are:

 

1: Bridge

2: Bridge + Neck

3: Neck

4: Neck + Bridge Split

5: Bridge Split

[catscurlyear]

A Tele 3-way is the same switch as a Strat 3-way, so yes it will fit. You can actually use a 3-way or a 5-way. In all my 2-pickup Teles I use a 5-way, because Tele switches are too close to the volume knob. I put a jumper wire on it so that positions 1,2 and 3 are all bridge pickup alone. I never use 1 or 2, but if I overshoot it doesn't matter. There's nothing stopping you wiring a 5-way so that position 1 is bridge only, position 5 is neck only, and 2, 3 and 4 are both pickups together.

ok sounds good ,could you maybe explain or do a diagram of how to have it --> 1 is bridge only, position 5 is neck only, and 2, 3 and 4 are both pickups together ,if that isn`t too much trouble, thanks.

[thecornman]

 

Another easy config you can do is a 5-way switch where the pickup positions are: 1: Bridge 2: Bridge + Neck 3: Neck 4: Neck + Bridge Split 5: Bridge Split

 

 

This is the one I am using on my HH Strat! You can find it on Seymour Duncans site!

[catscurlyear]

 

Another easy config you can do is a 5-way switch where the pickup positions are: 1: Bridge 2: Bridge + Neck 3: Neck 4: Neck + Bridge Split 5: Bridge Split

 

thanks , sounds interesting .would be good to know how to wire it up that way ,how do you mean by split remember ,i am dealing with two humbuckers here i already have mini toggles for splitting the humbuckers and a pull pot to reverse phase. thanks

[honeyiscool]

 

ok sounds good ,could you maybe explain or do a diagram of how to have it --> 1 is bridge only, position 5 is neck only, and 2, 3 and 4 are both pickups together ,if that isn`t too much trouble, thanks.

 

 

Wire it exactly like a Telecaster switch. A Strat 5-way is a Tele 3-way with notches cut for positions 2 and 4. Otherwise they are identical.

[honeyiscool]

 

thanks , sounds interesting .would be good to know how to wire it up that way ,how do you mean by split remember ,i am dealing with two humbucker here i already have mini toggles for splitting the humbuckers and a mini toggle to reverse phase. thanks

 

 

I'm talking about the so-called Auto-Split feature, where you don't have to use a toggle to split, it becomes part of the 5-way positions.

 

It's a bit more usable in an HSH config (where 2 and 4 notch positions become quackier)

[Marc G]

I'm going to have to agree with everyone here.... either a tele or vintage style strat 3 way switch would be the simplist way to go IMO... for me I'd rather have two volumes and one tone but that's up to you...

[catscurlyear]

I'm talking about the so-called Auto-Split feature, where you don't have to use a toggle to split, it becomes part of the 5-way positions. It's a bit more usable in an HSH config (where 2 and 4 notch positions become quackier)

thanks ,it would be interesting to try theses configs out ,but the way i play or i should say the way i change the selector is generally with a smack of the hand in the direction of which way i want it to go. the changing of sounds becomes too much of a distraction when there is a chance of it ending up in the wrong position when there are some radically different sounds on the selector switch, just simple, gig friendly.thanks for your suggestions anyway it`s realy helpful

[catscurlyear]

I'm going to have to agree with everyone here.... either a tele or vintage style strat 3 way switch would be the simplist way to go IMO... for me I'd rather have two volumes and one tone but that's up to you...

yes seriously considering that ,might as well go the whole hog.

[catscurlyear]

 

Wire it exactly like a Telecaster switch. A Strat 5-way is a Tele 3-way with notches cut for positions 2 and 4. Otherwise they are identical.

 

 

thanks man ,i`ll check out the diagrams on the net

[honeyiscool]

thanks ,it would be interesting to try theses configs out ,but the way i play or i should say the way i change the selector is generally with a smack of the hand in the direction of which way i want it to go. the changing of sounds becomes too much of a distraction when there is a chance of it ending up in the wrong position when there are some radically different sounds on the selector switch, just simple, gig friendly.thanks for your suggestions anyway it`s realy helpful

 

I have a suggestion for you, then. Get a pickguard with three holes, no switch (or cover it up) and open up one of the holes enough for a 3-way switch, like this:

 

 

Then, just use two push-pull pots. One for phase reversal, like you currently have, and one for split. You only need one switch for split anyway, since one push-pull can split both pickups at once (and if you do it right, in the middle, they can be humcancelling).

[catscurlyear]

I have a suggestion for you, then. Get a pickguard with three holes, no switch (or cover it up) and open up one of the holes enough for a 3-way switch, like this: Then, just use two push-pull pots. One for phase reversal, like you currently have, and one for split. You only need one switch for split anyway, since one push-pull can split both pickups at once (and if you do it right, in the middle, they can be humcancelling).

wow some great ideas here ,it`s like been in a sweety shop (candy store ),i don`t know which way to go .by the way don`t anybody suggest getting a les paul ,that just aint gonna happen.thanks alot honeyiscool that last suggestion looks great but i just have one problem with the vol switch on strats, i tend to knock them while playing and having a push pull sat there would be realy uncomfortable.mini toggles would look after splitting the coils.i would even consider buying a blank scratch plate and moving the volume switch down a tad out of the way.cheers

[honeyiscool]

I think a blank HH pickguard is definitely the way for you to go, then. Put the controls exactly where you want them.