Help with creative 3-way/coil tap wiring!

[silence2-38554]

I just installed a set of Aftermaths into my Ibanez RGD2127z.  This guitar has one 3 way switch and one volume knob.  So, I installed a push/pull pot for coil tapping.  Currently, I have the guitar wired like this:


This gives me the inner coils of the respective pickups in all 3 positions.  However, they seem to be much quieter than when in hum bucker mode, so not sure that the phase is correct?

Anyway, what I'd ultimately like to have in coil tap mode is this:

-Both neck coils in parallel
-Inner neck/bridge coils
-Both bridge coils in parallel

If anyone could help me devise how to do this, it would be much appreciated!

[Skilpad]

When exactly do you have a much quieter sound?
It is normal that coil splitting reduce the volume, compared to standard configuration (humbucker with coil in series). However, if the sound becomes considerably lower when going from one single coil to two (one on each humbucker), you may have the phase inverted.

[Skilpad]

Other things:

- Some stuff has been modified on the schematics... You replaced the DiMarzio colors with BKP ones, so that it depicts exactly what is in your guitar, right?

- I understood that with BKPs, magnets are not inverted depending on the pickup. So if your configuration is standard, south and north coils shall be polarised the same way in both humbuckers. Then, if you want to cancel noise when coil splitting and combining both pickups, you might prefer to use upper coils instead of inner coils.

If I know exactly what you want (and find some time), I could propose you a personalized wiring. I like this game. 

[Skilpad]

I can propose you to do the following thing. (I used BKP colors)
The 3-way toggle still select between bridge, neck and bridge+neck (in parallel).
The push/pull allow you to switch between coils in series and single coil. When in single coil mode, upper coils (outter coil for neck, inner coil for bridge) are selected so you get hum cancelling when both pickups are combined.

NB: I do not think you want the coils of each humbecker in parallel. Series is standard, it is what seems to be done on the schematic you provided... (And IMO, taking Aftermaths to always put them in parallel or single coil mode seems a little bit strange.)

[silence2-38554]

When exactly do you have a much quieter sound?
It is normal that coil splitting reduce the volume, compared to standard configuration (humbucker with coil in series). However, if the sound becomes considerably lower when going from one single coil to two (one on each humbucker), you may have the phase inverted.

After double checking, all positions in single coil mode are the same volume, I guess I just wasn't used to the volume drop from splitting the coils.

Other things:

- Some stuff has been modified on the schematics... You replaced the DiMarzio colors with BKP ones, so that it depicts exactly what is in your guitar, right?

Yes, exactly.

- I understood that with BKPs, magnets are not inverted depending on the pickup. So if your configuration is standard, south and north coils shall be polarised the same way in both humbuckers. Then, if you want to cancel noise when coil splitting and combining both pickups, you might prefer to use upper coils instead of inner coils.

This could be cool, all I know is that I'm used to Ibanez/DiMarzio 5-way switch wiring, which gives you these positions:



I was trying to mimic this as closely as possible with the 3 way, push/pull combination, rather than the 5 way blade.

I can propose you to do the following thing. (I used BKP colors)
The 3-way toggle still select between bridge, neck and bridge+neck (in parallel).
The push/pull allow you to switch between coils in series and single coil. When in single coil mode, upper coils (outter coil for neck, inner coil for bridge) are selected so you get hum cancelling when both pickups are combined.

I may try this!

NB: I do not think you want the coils of each humbecker in parallel. Series is standard, it is what seems to be done on the schematic you provided... (And IMO, taking Aftermaths to always put them in parallel or single coil mode seems a little bit strange.)

No, no.  I don't want them in parallel at all times, only when in single coil mode.  Essentially, I was trying to do this:

Untapped:
-Neck (series)
-Neck & bridge (series)
-Bridge (series)

Tapped:
-Neck (both coils in parallel)
-Neck & bridge (inner coils only)
-Bridge (both coils in parallel)

Also of note, the 3 way switch that comes in the RGD is this one:

http://shop.ibanez.com/p/3ps00a0001-rgd-prestige-3-way-tooggle-switch?pp=24

It has 12 poles on the back to potentially use, if needed for this type of configuration.  Right now it is wired to function as a standard 3 way, however.

Thanks for the help!

[Skilpad]

Ok. I did not understand that you want to split coils only when both humbuckers are active.
I can do that! I will make you a schematics around noon. (My "noon" is in about 2 hours.)

[Skilpad]

Sorry, actually I cannot do that.  :?

It even seems to me that it is impossible. In fact, I think that, to connect both coils of a humbucker in parallel, you need to "redefine" at least two connections. (I did not find another way.) So you could not even switch two humbuckers to parallel with one single push/pull. (At least as soon as this is a push/pull with 6 connectors for the switch. You have an awesome 12-connector 3-way toggle switch... Maybe you have an awesome 12-connector push/pull. ^^)

If you have other ideas of configurations, I can still check if I find a solution. Since I am not used to having only one push/pull but a "double" 3-way toggle, I have nothing in mind to propose you (except just single coils).
Also, using the toggle for mode selection could allow more possibilities... But you would lose the intuitive "neck-both-bridge" selection and controls will be a total mess (so personally, I would not do this).

[silence2-38554]

Thanks for all the help, Skilpad!  I will probably just wire them as in the diagram you posted.  My only question is regarding the neck pickup orientation.  Will I need to have it installed with the cable exiting toward the neck or the bridge?

[Skilpad]

My wiring is optimized for standard pickups configuration: south coils are outter coils, north coils are inner coils. (This is my I select upper coils instead of inner coils.)
Since it is standard, I assume it is cable toward the bridge (so cable toward the hardware, the easiest); but you shall check. However, if you want to use a different wiring, selecting inner coils, you might turn the neck pickup (north to the neck).

[silence2-38554]

And how would I identify the south / north coils?