Most vers. Combination for HSH

[caprae]

What is the most versatile wiring setup for an HSA config, 5 way switch, 1 vol, 1 tone. (Godin Freeway Classic).

I'm willing to switch out the switch and add mini toggles if it will help.

I keep reading about the PRS 513, but have never heard of anyone being able to replicate it. Then I read about the Jimmy Page setup for double humbucker 2 vol, 2 tone, but what about an HSH set up?

[caprae]

Hmm...I wonder how these could be modified for an HSH configuration. A little unconventional, but one of these might be what I was looking for.

http://www.torvund.net/Guitar/OpenTuning/index.asp
http://www.torvund.net/Guitar/OpenTuning/index.asp

[ArtieToo]

There's really a lot of different things you could do with that configuration. Here's a couple I like off the top of my head:

Replace the 5-way with a 3-way. Wire it up to the two humbuckers in conventional fashion. Then add an on-off-on toggle so that "up", you add the middle with the neck split, and "down" you add the middle with the bridge split. That allows you to always have the conventional 2-humbucker configuration at any time.

Also, you could do the same thing, but just add a mini-toggle to turn the middle on and off if you wanted to keep it simple.

Lots of other options also.

[Arkitkt]

Individual mini switches (on-off-on)

H full-off-split
SC on-off-phase
H full-off-split

Endless possibilities and not that complicated to wire.

(That's what I have in my main guitar)

[caprae]

ArtieToo...that gives me an idea. Would this work? Keep the 5 way but make it B/none/BN/none/N and use a toggle for the middle series/off/parallel. Then use a push/pull tone for splitting the humbuckers and maybe keep the middle out of the tone loop?

Arkitkt: Do you have a drawing of that?
One guy on another forum said he had an SSH that way but found it slowed him down to much playing live (which I won't be doing for a long time). Has this affected you like that? He ended up going to one for NH/NB/BH and then used a second toggle to turn the middle on or off.

[ArtieToo]

The trouble is, a 5-way only has 3 active terminals. Position #2 is just a combination of #1 and #3. Likewise, #4 is #3 and #5. Unless you go with a superswitch, you can't get around that.

Other than that little snag, the rest of what you suggest is do-able.

[caprae]

The Godin Freeway Classic has a double 5-way switch. I believe it is now wired BH/BH,M/M/NH,M/NH. I would go with a superswitch if thats what it would take. I have a Schecter PT Blackjack which comes standard with a '59/JB and a 5 way switch: BH/Bsplit/BN..split??../Nsplit/NH. I really like the sounds I get with the coils split. The Freeway with the single gets pretty close to strat sounds. I'm trying to get it even closer. Or maybe I should just forget all this and replace the humbuckers with P90s and wire it like a strat.

[Arkitkt]

...

Arkitkt: Do you have a drawing of that?
One guy on another forum said he had an SSH that way but found it slowed him down to much playing live (which I won't be doing for a long time). Has this affected you like that? He ended up going to one for NH/NB/BH and then used a second toggle to turn the middle on or off.

Here you go:



Re. the switching live: Nope, doesn't bother me at all. The PU combinations I use most I can do just as fast as with a 5-way. If I wanted to combine the full JB with the split Jazz and the out-of-phase SSL-1, it might take a little longer.

Before I forget it: my diagram leaves the outside coils active. The SC has to be a RW/RP for hum-cancelling.

[caprae]

Thank you, Artiktk. Have it saved. Time to get a toggle and see how much it changes the look.


Just thinking out loud here. Do you guys know of anyone who has replaced the humbuckers with P90s in this kind of configuration? What would that sound like mixed with a single? What about P90/Stacked Humb/P90? Just thinking.