Problem with 3 split coil

[sasi]

Hi.

I have a weird problem wiring 3 split coils i made. My intention is to have this configuration:

1 Bridge only
2 Bridge+middle
3 Middle
4 Middle+neck
5 Bridge+neck
6 All

The weird thing is that i have 1 of the coils of the middle pickup out of phase with the bridge pickup, if i change the wires all goes fine, but now that coil is out of phase with the neck pickup. Any ideas?

[Jim Darr]

By 3 split coils, from your description, it sounds like you might be talking about 3 singles coils like a Strat configuration--correct?

Without seeing your wiring and pickups it is difficult to troubleshoot. If it is 3 singles coils check to see if all three pickups are wound in the same direction with the same magnetic polarity. Meaning winding direction, start of coil as ground (typical), and each with the same magnetic polarity. Also check the switch wiring to make sure all is correct. You might have wired up one pickup combination in "parallel" while the other combo is in "series". If so, this is why we do the first check and move on from there.

If all checks out, try winding another pickup with RW/RP and try it in the middle position and note the results.

If you are talking about 3 HBs with each coil, slug & screw, having its own lead wires it is a different situation. Magnetic phasing and coil start leads and coil end leads become even more critical as does the switch and wiring layout.

More information on your setup, pickups, switch, and wiring would be helpful.

Hope this is helpful.

Let us know what you figure out.

[Steve A.]

I have a weird problem wiring 3 split coils i made. My intention is to have this configuration:

1 Bridge only
2 Bridge+middle
3 Middle
4 Middle+neck
5 Bridge+neck
6 All

The weird thing is that i have 1 of the coils of the middle pickup out of phase with the bridge pickup, if i change the wires all goes fine, but now that coil is out of phase with the neck pickup. Any ideas?

You might look into a 5 position selector switch@ eliminating the #6 position (All) and if that works properly then use a pp or toggle switch to add, say, the bridge pickup to the output from selector switch. Also by using an extra switch to add the bridge pickup you might be able to simplify the selector switch wiring.@@

You might want to examine the schematic for the Gibson Blueshawk which uses a RWRP pair of P90's for no hum when both pickups are selected. For either the neck or bridge pickup alone it wires them in series with a dummy coil, with the neck pu hooked up in one direction for the series linkage with the bridge pu and in the opposite direction with the dummy coil.

I'll look for a link to the Blueshawk schematic...

EDIT: The blueshawk.info website is long gone but I did save some of the pages as a PDF file back in 2006:

http://www.blueguitar.org/new/schem/..._circuitry.pdf

I will attach screenshots of the Gibson schematic as well as the one drawn up by the author.

@ I'd guess that you are using a rotary selector switch and not a strat-style blade selector switch (since most of those have 3, 4 or 5 positions).
@@ If you are using a toggle switch you could use a center off DPDT mini-toggle to add the bridge pickup in or out of phase, which can be very effective for series linkages of single coils. (I assume that you were listing only parallel linkages.)

Good luck!





blueshawk_circuitry.pdf

Steve Ahola

Here is the factory schematic from Gibson:



And here is a modified schematic that the author of the blueshaw.info website drew up:

[sasi]

Thanks For the answers.

My idea is to have 3 volumes instead of 6 position rotary switch, i think with the rotary switch will be easier because i can change the wires of the coil when i have it out of phase. But i have the body already made for this configuration.

This is how i work. I put the magnets opposite in both coils (split soils), then winding them in the same direction but wiring them reverse. Then i check they are working correctly (humbucking), so when i have the 3 pickups working correctly i proceed to wire them in couples to check if they are working fine. And there is when i have the problems, the neck works fine in series, the middle too and the neck too. Then mixing the bridge + middle is fine, neck+bridge fine too (both in series) but when i put the neck+middle in series one of the middle pickup coil gets out of phase, if i swap the wires of the out of phase coil went OK, but now the other coil gets out of phase if i put the bridge+middle configuration.

The orientation of the pickups are:

Bridge Middle Neck

N (cc) S (c) N (cc)

S (c) N (cc) S (c)

[Richard]

We need a schematic and or a picture to know what to make of this.

[Chris Turner]

Thanks For the answers.

My idea is to have 3 volumes instead of 6 position rotary switch, i think with the rotary switch will be easier because i can change the wires of the coil when i have it out of phase. But i have the body already made for this configuration.

This is how i work. I put the magnets opposite in both coils (split soils), then winding them in the same direction but wiring them reverse. Then i check they are working correctly (humbucking), so when i have the 3 pickups working correctly i proceed to wire them in couples to check if they are working fine. And there is when i have the problems, the neck works fine in series, the middle too and the neck too. Then mixing the bridge + middle is fine, neck+bridge fine too (both in series) but when i put the neck+middle in series one of the middle pickup coil gets out of phase, if i swap the wires of the out of phase coil went OK, but now the other coil gets out of phase if i put the bridge+middle configuration.

The orientation of the pickups are:

Bridge Middle Neck

N (cc) S (c) N (cc)

S (c) N (cc) S (c)

Couldn't you simply make it so that all pickups are wound the same way? As in, the middle pickup in your case the same configuration as the bridge and neck?

[Jason Rodgers]

A quick google of "three pickups in series" returned a hit on a strat forum that referenced this guy's mods Deaf Eddie - Guitar Whacko!