Help with humbucker wiring

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Roger Rosenberger
Posts: 67
Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2012 2:28 pm

Help with humbucker wiring

Post by Roger Rosenberger »

I'm working on a guitar with a single humbucker and would like to add a On/On DPDT switch to do a coil cut. This is probably simple but I've never done this before and hate moving wires once I've soldered them in. Can anyone help with a simple diagram? There will be a volume pot and a tone pot.

I have a no name single coil size humbucker that tests at 13.85 ohms so I should be OK with the coil cut.

Here's what I have. It came with the red and white wires twisted together.
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Rob Dick
Posts: 19
Joined: Sat Jan 07, 2012 7:11 pm

Re: Help with humbucker wiring

Post by Rob Dick »

You only need half the switch. A SPDT would have done the trick. Red & white to one side, green to the other. Run a wire from the middle to the pickup lug on the volume or tone pot and you're done.
Rob
Roger Rosenberger
Posts: 67
Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2012 2:28 pm

Re: Help with humbucker wiring

Post by Roger Rosenberger »

Thanks Rob.
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Greg Robinson
Posts: 686
Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2012 1:54 pm
Location: Coburg North, Victoria, Australia

Re: Help with humbucker wiring

Post by Greg Robinson »

Actually, I would recommend grounding the unused coil rather than leaving it floating, it can prevent added interference (marginal though this may be). StewMac has a good diagram that shows how I would recommend you proceed.
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Markku Nyytäjä
Posts: 301
Joined: Sat Jan 07, 2012 11:42 am
Location: Helsinki, Finland

Re: Help with humbucker wiring

Post by Markku Nyytäjä »

Guitareletronics.com also has great easy-to-read diagrams for all kinds of wiring options. Maybe this one could help. It's not made with a separate dpdt switch but a push-pull volume pot. It means one hole less in your guitar top.

http://www.guitarelectronics.com/produc ... -Coil.html
Roger Rosenberger
Posts: 67
Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2012 2:28 pm

Re: Help with humbucker wiring

Post by Roger Rosenberger »

Thanks all.
I'll probably go with the Stewmac version. It makes sense to bridge over and ground out the second coil.

Markku- I'm already using a concentric pot for the volume and tone, so one hole there and one small hole for the mini switch. I'm trying to limit the amount of routing I do since the body is made from pecky cypress. Solid wood is at a premium. That's another reason I went with one, single coil size humbucker and I want to cut one of the coils to give it a lttle more versitility.
I already had the DPDT switch, it came in a box of misc. parts I bought.

I'll post some pics in a couple weeks when it's finished.
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