rewiring and pots

[Iced Dragon]

Hi all,

with new pickups there comes one or two push/pull pots (or a push-pull and a pushpush pot).

And while we're at it, why not just rewire the thing completely (a Hamer Centaura HSS superstrat, pups wil be Crawler/IT and IT or MMilk), Crawler will be split, and I would like a split bridge+ neck connection too.

So, which pots do you advice?
Which which wire for the rewiring?

Does the quality of capacitors differ a lot? Reviews of pots suggest just marginal effects?

[darkbluemurder]

Just googled the Centaura wiring, and it appears to be a standard HSS wiring (which means bridge hum, bridge split + middle, middle, middle + neck and neck), 1 volume, 1 tone plus a "fat switch". That is a pretty good set up to begin with.

If you want the bridge split + neck you can use an Eyb Megaswitch E type. That will give you bridge hum, bridge neckside coil + middle, bridge bridgeside coil + neck, middle + neck and neck. You lose the middle only.

Alternatively you can use the stock 5-way switch and convert the "fat switch" to a "neck-on switch". That would give you the bridge + neck combination. Since you need only three poles to do that you could use the other three poles to automatically split the bridge pickup.

All these wirings can be done with the stock pots. However, if you want to keep the fat switch, then you will need at least one push-pull pot.

Cheers Stephan

[Iced Dragon]

Hey, thanks for the info!

Wel, I'm not sure about the 'fat' or 'thick' switch yet. I gives more mids, but I don't know if it'll be necessary with the crawler/ITs.
I though of just leaving it and have a p/p for the coil split. I would like to retain the middle pup.

So if I give up on the fat switch to select the neck, I would still need a p/p for the coil split.

Is there a possibility to use the fat switch for coil split, and then select the associated pup using the 5-way?

Some additional questions, too. With a coil split, do I need to install a resistor to go to 250 k?

(still learning   )

Thanks

[darkbluemurder]

Wel, I'm not sure about the 'fat' or 'thick' switch yet. I gives more mids, but I don't know if it'll be necessary with the crawler/ITs.

With the Crawler you most likely will not want more mids. IT - no idea.

I though of just leaving it and have a p/p for the coil split. I would like to retain the middle pup.

So if I give up on the fat switch to select the neck, I would still need a p/p for the coil split.

The p/p for the coil split makes sense if you intend to use the split bridge pickup alone. Otherwise the autosplit in position #2 can be achieved on the 5-way switch. It is possible to combine both - run a wire from the tap on the switch to where the split line from the pickup (in the diagram red + white) to the p/p center tap on one side, then from the top tap on the same side to ground. Pushed in - split works only in the auto mode on the 5-way. Pulled out - the humbucker is always split.

Fat switch for neck selection = push pull for split, yes.

Some additional questions, too. With a coil split, do I need to install a resistor to go to 250 k?

This is mostly done if the guitar has humbuckers and single coils based on the notion that humbuckers prefer 500k pots and single coils prefer 250k pots. Truth is that what you prefer matters. You don't "need" it - you only need it if the split tone is too bright for you with the pots you are using.

Cheers Stephan

[Iced Dragon]

Thanks for the info.

Does it matter which pot is used for a coil split, or does it have to be one in particular (i.e. either volume or tone)?


Thanks!

[darkbluemurder]

For the switching function it does not matter.

For the knob function you should make sure that the taper of the push pull is close to the taper of the pot you replaced (i.e. change log to log or linear to linear - log is denoted by the letter "A" while linear is denoted by the letter "B", i.e. a 500kA is a 500k log pot). Many shops only carry linear push-pull pots.

Cheers Stephan

[Iced Dragon]

The p/p for the coil split makes sense if you intend to use the split bridge pickup alone. Otherwise the autosplit in position #2 can be achieved on the 5-way switch. It is possible to combine both - run a wire from the tap on the switch to where the split line from the pickup (in the diagram red + white) to the p/p center tap on one side, then from the top tap on the same side to ground. Pushed in - split works only in the auto mode on the 5-way. Pulled out - the humbucker is always split.

Hej Stephan,

with always split, do you mean it is always selected too?

I want to keep the thick switch, and have bought a p/p.
So, can I get the following out of it:
- regular 5-way with autosplit
- split humbucker
- split humbucker + neck

Or do I than need an additional switch?

Tanks

[Iced Dragon]

Ok, if I understand correctly,

to ensure that both the coil split and the auto split always work, the green+white of the humbucker go to one of the central lugs. From the same lug I connect a wire to the autosplit position on the 5-way. If I go the other way around, humbucker to switch to p/p lug, it will only split when in second position, right?
On the same pole, the upper lug goes to ground.

Now, can I use the other pole to always use the split coil with any switch combination, which than actually be only noticed when the neck is switched on (position 4 and 5).


If I do it like above, I can circumvent the switch, but it won't be split, right?

So, if I first connect the hot from the humbucker to the second pole's middle lug, and then go to the switch, this should work, no? 

When pot is pushed, nothing happens, signal is directed to switch, with an autosplit when in second position. When pulled, bridge gets split, and signal is sent to the 'in' lug of the pot with the additional selected pickup from the 5-way switch.