Standard Les Paul wiring with on-off for middle pickup

Pickups, wiring schemes, switch techniques and onboard active electronics for guitars and basses
Post Reply
User avatar
sRideout
Information
Posts: 8
Joined: 13 Dec 2010, 00:08

Post by sRideout »

My friend has a Les Paul with the standard humbucker configuration (2 pickups, 4 vol/tone knobs, 3 way selector, output jack). But, it has a middle pickup added, and the middle pickup is on a DPDT switch for on/off. So the 3 way selector switch stays the standard configuration, and the middle pickup can be thrown in/out of the mix at any given time.

The guitar needs to be rewired. Does anyone know where I can find a wiring diagram for this?

User avatar
mistermikev
Breadboard Brother
Information
Posts: 108
Joined: 10 Dec 2008, 15:26
my favorite amplifier: deville 4x10
Completed builds: -modded big muff (russian) w 6way rotary selecting clipping dioes/emitter lift/true bypass/new pots.
-modded ts8 with diodes, 4558chip, 10k/100ohm resistors
-byoc analog chorus-built a two true bypass loop/order switch
-tube crusher = tube screamer + orange squeezer
-booster
-nurse quacky
etc
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 2 times

Post by mistermikev »

all you need to do is wire the extra pickup live to an spdt switch, then the spdt switch to the volume control of your choice, or you could wire it straight to the output jack. then of course the ground to ground on the back of one of the pots.
I have all the parts on the board populated... so all the real work is done... now I just have to get it working.

User avatar
GuitarlCarl
Cap Cooler
Information
Posts: 614
Joined: 14 Dec 2010, 15:14
my favorite amplifier: anything tube
Completed builds: Ds-1 mods, SD-1 mods, Small Clone mods, Muff build, Axis build, various other transistor booster builds... I can build a badaxe harmonic perc, but I can't get a fuzzface to sound worth a crap!
Location: Smellinoiz
Has thanked: 54 times
Been thanked: 29 times

Post by GuitarlCarl »

I recently rewired one of mine in a similar fashion but used a spdt for the mid pup. Pickup ground to ground and hot lead to center pole, ran leads to the individual vol pots from each pole on the spdt.... Now I can flip switch up its with the neck pup, flip it down and its with the bridge pup. Very cool. I've used the blender version and I've used it simply off on like the OP, and this way has the MOST versatility.
I want it to sound like bees buzzing around in a 55 gallon drum...

User avatar
Fender3D
Cap Cooler
Information
Posts: 573
Joined: 08 Aug 2009, 02:40
Location: Helltaly
Has thanked: 121 times
Been thanked: 153 times

Post by Fender3D »

^^
with a SPDT on-off-on switch you'll get OFF in center position...

User avatar
GuitarlCarl
Cap Cooler
Information
Posts: 614
Joined: 14 Dec 2010, 15:14
my favorite amplifier: anything tube
Completed builds: Ds-1 mods, SD-1 mods, Small Clone mods, Muff build, Axis build, various other transistor booster builds... I can build a badaxe harmonic perc, but I can't get a fuzzface to sound worth a crap!
Location: Smellinoiz
Has thanked: 54 times
Been thanked: 29 times

Post by GuitarlCarl »

Fender3D wrote:^^
with a SPDT on-off-on switch you'll get OFF in center position...
SPDT only has two postions hence the double throw part...
but you are correct that a on-off-on triple throw switch would work nicely for that, :blackeye
and allowing it shut it off the middle pickup, gives you the original setup...pretty cool.
I want it to sound like bees buzzing around in a 55 gallon drum...

User avatar
Lucifer
Cap Cooler
Information
Posts: 671
Joined: 06 Apr 2011, 12:59
my favorite amplifier: Vyse BBQ Blue
Location: Dorset, UK
Has thanked: 89 times
Been thanked: 72 times

Post by Lucifer »

I've rewired my 1979 Les Paul Deluxe.

I had it professionally routed out to take another Gibson Mini Humbucker in the middle position, and did the rewiring myself.

I have pull pots on both tone controls - one puts the middle pickup in parallel with whatever is selected by the regular toggle switch, and the other pull pot puts the middle pickup in series with whatever is normally selected.

I've fed the pickup straight to the output jack, so that if either or both of the 'normal' pickups has the volume turned right down, I can get the middle pickup on its own.

That gives me 10 unique pickup combinations, and 10 fabulous tones.

The only problem with putting the middle pickup in series is that the metal cover of the pickup becomes 'hot' (in the signal sense - ie, if you touch it, you get a loud hum. Not good. I cured the hum by taking the pickup apart and lifting the the grounding link from the 'earthy' side of the coil and running a separate wire from that side of the coil to the switches.
”Sex is great - but you can’t beat the real thing !” - The Wanker’s Handbook

Post Reply