Here is a wiring mod for double humbucker guitars giving you 8 different useful sounds using a 5-way 4 pole blade or rotary switch and a push/pull (or push/push) pot.
Switch positions:
1) Bridge humbucker
2) Bridge humbucker and outside neck single coil
3) Both humbuckers parallel
4) Neck humbucker and inside bridge single coil
5) Neck humbucker
Alternative settings switch positions (tone push/pull up):
1) Bridge humbucker
2) Bridge inside single coil
3) Inside coils parallel (Strat-like)
4) Neck outside single coil
5) Neck humbucker
Some design thoughts:
Here is the schematic:
Note: one could argue that pos 2 and 4 with push/pull down should be swapped if we're going from a bridge type sound towards a neck type sound, but switching from PRS, Ibanez, Music Man etc. typically place the brightest sound in pos 4. However, here is the schematic for the reversed 2 and 4 option.
Switch positions:
1) Bridge humbucker
2) Bridge humbucker and outside neck single coil
3) Both humbuckers parallel
4) Neck humbucker and inside bridge single coil
5) Neck humbucker
Alternative settings switch positions (tone push/pull up):
1) Bridge humbucker
2) Bridge inside single coil
3) Inside coils parallel (Strat-like)
4) Neck outside single coil
5) Neck humbucker
Some design thoughts:
- Recognizing that I use the bridge and neck positions the most, these settings are available regardless of push/pull position. But with a push/pull pot I wanted to offer some alternative sounds. I wanted to have two distinctly different sets of sounds for positions 2, 3 and 4 - one humbucker based and one single coil based set.
- Tone pot down: The sounds available are very similar to the current standard Custom 22/24 switching, with a few differences. First, position 2 offers bridge humbucker and outer neck single coil (instead of inner neck single coil). This gives a bit sweeter and rounder pos 2 sound - especially on a Cu24. Position 4 is neck humbucker and inner bridge single coil which is a bit stronger and fuller than the regular pos 4 (inner coils in parallel) sound - but with the same overall bright character.
- Tone pot up: These are the inner bridge and outer neck single coil sounds as well as the inner coils in parallel (same as on the stock Cu22/24 wiring).[/li]
Here is the schematic:
Note: one could argue that pos 2 and 4 with push/pull down should be swapped if we're going from a bridge type sound towards a neck type sound, but switching from PRS, Ibanez, Music Man etc. typically place the brightest sound in pos 4. However, here is the schematic for the reversed 2 and 4 option.
