I'm doing some fancy wheeling and dealing this week. Removing the Epi SG from the herd and replacing it with some sort of LP. The SG is being sold with the stock pickups, not the Seymour Duncans I have in there. I'm going to switch them out this week. They will go into the new to me LP.
While installing the SDs into the LP, I figured that I might as well go ahead and do a mod. I was thinking about the "Coil Tapping" thing I've heard about. I'd order a couple of push/pull POTs and go to town. I discovered that there is a diagram page on the Seymour Duncan site. http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/ I think what I want is option "A" below. I'd want to be able to have the volumes POTs as the push-pulls, I think. Does it matter which ones are push/pulls?
A: Push/Pull volume POTs, Series/Parallel http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=2h_2v_2t_3w_ssp
B: Push/Pull tone POTs. http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=2h2v2t3w2sp
C: Somethin else with the tone POTs being push.pull http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=2h_2v_2t_3w_2pp
There are a few more that fit the using push/pull POTs thing, but I'm not sure what they really are. One is for something called "Phase", which IIRC is some alternative voicing. Open to suggestions, of course. Either way, I'd like for whatever I do to have the ability to have some sort of position(s) to be stock.
Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin
Does it matter which ones are push/pulls?
Kind of. Currently, the only available push-pull or push-push pots are mini pots so the switching pots give up some quality to the full size non-switching pots. If I wanted to use switching pots then I would put them on the tone since output signal doesn't go through them but only signal that you are throwing away.
There are a few more that fit the using push/pull POTs thing, but I'm not sure what they really are. One is for something called "Phase", which IIRC is some alternative voicing. Open to suggestions, of course. Either way, I'd like for whatever I do to have the ability to have some sort of position(s) to be stock.
Phase is whether the two pickups are working together (sum of their signals) or against each other (difference of their signal). This will get you the famous Peter Green sound which was, in his case, the result of a magnet direction swap that may have been unintentional. The other common switching is to allow the pickups to be in series (usual for Fender) or in parallel (usual for Gibson) with each other. This option helps the coil split humbuckers to sound more single coil like since you will put them in series like a Strat.
As to which options to choose that's tough. It comes down to what sounds you like. One place to read that will help you out with the wiring and perhaps with what options to choose is the Seymour Duncan board - particularly thepickup lounge.
Another switching option for coil splitting (and possibly series / parallel switching within a humbucker's coils) is the Duncan Triple Shot.
Pop music is about stealing pocket money from children. - Ian Anderson
Wow, that's quite a lot of options and considerations. I just spent a while looking through that forum. More possiblities than I ever imagined and much to be digested. Thanks for the response and the links, Hyperborea.
I read about the Peter Green mod before and want no part of disecting pickups to reverse magnets.
I even found a 6 way rotary switch, and that site's got even more schematics than the SD site. http://www.guitarelectronics.com/product/SWR61
My head just spun off.......
Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin
Wow, that's quite a lot of options and considerations. I just spent a while looking through that forum. More possiblities than I ever imagined and much to be digested. Thanks for the response and the links, Hyperborea.
I read about the Peter Green mod before and want no part of disecting pickups to reverse magnets.
I even found a 6 way rotary switch, and that site's got even more schematics than the SD site. http://www.guitarelectronics.com/product/SWR61
My head just spun off.......
I wasn't gonna mention it Roy, since you're doing great already, but since you've found the guitar electronics site on your own, and have plenty of good ideas above..... well, anyways, Guitar Electonics are the very people, and the only people IMO who just barely eclipse Deaf-Eddie on the subject of Gibson and Gibson Style mods, particularly because they've got all the traditional and popular (in demand) and ORIGINAL Jimmy Page stuff down pat.
http://www.guitarelectronics.com/category/wiringresources.2_pickup_diagrams/
Now there's more than enough diagrams to spin your top! Deaf-Eddie.net and I worked on a single switch too, it was a success, but he only made 3, 1 for him and 2 for me! :lol: That 7 sound "Stinger" just didn't go into production, long story. But we had Jimmy Page in one single changed-out rotary switch, with the rest of the controls in their place, and stock.
That single 6 way switch in the link has a drawback. No wiring diagrams to go with it, and a solid shaft, instead of knurled and split. I have one, it doesn't have the reach or work with the archtop design of many of the good guitars (LP), it fits better on a flat tops like an Explorer or Flying V.
Lastly, even though you had it in the bag, I recommend only the highest quality push/pulls too, similar to Hyperborea's concerns. So, I only use DiMarzio. :? :D (But we're all different, so yeah, of course here's the competition who says they're better or best quality???)
http://www.guitarelectronics.com/product/CPPL500/Alpha_500K_Audio_Taper_Pot_w_PushPull_SwitchLong_Shaft.html )
(Well, if it's worth doing, it's worth doing right? :wink: )
Like a bird on the wire,
like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free.
What sort of LP you getting Roy? Myself, I prefer stock as my favorite sound is a bridge humbucker wired in series. I have thought about mods and it would be fun and cool but they come stock with my favorite sound. 8) It would be fun to do as a project though. I picture a Strat style guitar with 3 humbuckers and a forrest of toggle switches. :lol:
"Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard,
grow big, wear glasses if you need 'em."
-- The Webb Wilder Credo --
Hi TR. Not 100% sure yet. There's a Epi LP Standard Plus Top near me for $275 and the guy still had it as of yesterday. If some other guy still gets me SG, and the LP is still available, I'll get it. Another option is to get the Agile 2000 w/P90s and leave it alone, and then get a cheap used Ibanez GAX70 and do all this to. I see used ones a time or two a month for under $100, and I like the guitar as it plays quite easily.
Everyone, I've let this settle in some and I might have an idea of what I want, to complete the original thought. With the push/pulls down, I want it to be stock config (minus the pickups I'm switching out). With one or both the push/pulls in the out position, I want it to be "like" single coil, I was thinking if Hyperborea's statement about series and parallel and which one is Strat-like and which one isn't (Gibson ) . Option B does the down like Gibson "series" and up like Strat "parallel".
The final two options I'm thinking about is the mounting ring mod that Hyberborea pointed me to, and the Jimmy Page wpush/pulls that Blue Jay mentioned. http://www.guitarelectronics.com/product/WD2HH3T22_09/Jimmy_Page_Guitar_Wiring_Diagram_2_Humbuckers3Way_Lever_Switch1_Volume2_TonesCoil_Tap_Series_Parallel_Phase.html I just need to find out what the results mean in real life, or what they sound like. It looks like I can have the stock config and then a few other variations as there's 4 push/pulls involved.
Oh, and the goal for all this mes? Nothing really, except to have a little project to do and have a guitar with some additional tonal varieties. Not expecting it to match anything or anyone elses' tone. I mean, if I wan't a guitar to sound like a Strat, I'll play my Strat. Easy enuff. :)
Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin
I used to have a Les Paul, my 1st "real" one, it was an obscure 1980's model the XR2. It had a switch that turned it's mini humbuckers from series to parallel. Nice effect, I think thats what you might be talking. Hum canceling all the way but a thick and thin sound. To me, THAT was useful!
Oh, by the way. I traded it for my Les Paul Studio that was selling for $750. I got $350 on the trade. The Studio is going for $850 on E-Bay .......... but so is the XR 2 cause it's freaking rare!!!!! :oops: Should have kept that one. Didn't see it as a "real" Les Paul. Flat top, dot inlays, mini humbuckers, maple neck. I'm an idiot! Can you see the toggle switch? Oh, it was only $600 new, a Standard at the time was $750. Imagine that. :?
"Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard,
grow big, wear glasses if you need 'em."
-- The Webb Wilder Credo --
Well, the one I got is $1,319.00 now. Here is what it looks like except I got gold speed knobs. 8) Nicer looking than the black ones IMHO.
Did I screw up back in 1992? :roll:
"Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard,
grow big, wear glasses if you need 'em."
-- The Webb Wilder Credo --
I read somewhere that Page had a mini-toggle or two barely underneath his pick-guard on one of his LPs.
Nice axes, btw. I like that black & gold combo. I've got it on my Epi LP Custom. Doesn't mean I can play worth a darn, but it's still purty. :D
Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin
I read somewhere that Page had a mini-toggle or two barely underneath his pick-guard on one of his LPs.
Nice axes, btw. I like that black & gold combo. I've got it on my Epi LP Custom. Doesn't mean I can play worth a darn, but it's still purty. :D
It's getting to be good reading Roy, with some nice pics appearing for sure!
I worked on a 20 year old X-2 like TR's in Ohio, in 2004 as a matter of fact, then set it up.
It was a thoroughly excellent guitar thanks to the chime of those mini humbuckers and the series switch.
Yes, Jimmy Page had a couple of mini toggles under a pickguard at some point, he was innovative, even played with a bow. :lol:
Like a bird on the wire,
like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free.
The final two options I'm thinking about is the mounting ring mod that Hyberborea pointed me to, and the Jimmy Page wpush/pulls that Blue Jay mentioned.
No experience with them yet as I'm waiting on my Triple Shot rings arriving - the cream ones have been delayed in production. I'm going to use them in my LP type guitar to switch the Duncan P-Rails (P-90 with a rail that can be split or combined to give standard humbucker sounds). I'm currently using two push-push pots to switch the P-Rails but that means that I have to switch both the same (so no rail in the neck combined with a humbucker in the bridge). Once the Triple Shots go in I'll rewire the push-push tone pots to do the phase and serial/parallel switching between the pickups.
Blue Jay mentions DiMarzio as being better quality push-pull pots and they may or may not be but they're still mini pots. Nobody makes full size push-pull pots anymore. If you're going to use push-pull or push-push pots put them on the tone controls where the mini pot makes less of a difference.
Pop music is about stealing pocket money from children. - Ian Anderson
Hyperborea, I had not heard of the P-Rail. Sounds veddy eeenteresting. :D
Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin
I haven't heard of P-Rails either. :?
"Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard,
grow big, wear glasses if you need 'em."
-- The Webb Wilder Credo --
Well, step one is out of the way. I put the original pickups back in the SG and have the Seymour Duncans out. The neck pick-up is 2 wire. Back to the drawing board on this thing. Glad I didn't order the POTs yet.
Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin
Well, step one is out of the way. I put the original pickups back in the SG and have the Seymour Duncans out. The neck pick-up is 2 wire. Back to the drawing board on this thing. Glad I didn't order the POTs yet.
That throws a little wrench into it, uhhh... a curve? :|
Like a bird on the wire,
like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free.
