Strange 5-way Question

[verhoevenc]

Ok, so electronics are NOT my hot spot. However, I have a cool idea I kinda want to play with and was wondering if any of you guys knew the answer to this question.

Imagine wiring up 3 singlecoil pickups to a 5-way switch a la Strats. Now remember WHERE the solder points are on said 5-way. Now rip out the singlecoils and throw in 2 humbuckers (or hum/sing/hum is that's easier)... and wire them up. But here's the catch YOU HAVE TO USE THE SAME SOLDER POINTS YOU USED FOR THE SINGLECOILS. The wires can COME from anywhere... but the solder points as far as their placements, and their outputs, etc. must stay the same. Can it be done? Is there a configuration that works for both scenarios?

Chris

PS: I should probably mention that IF it had to be done with some "dummy" positions where things are doubled, or it's an "off" position I'm ok with that too... as a last resort.

[borge]

Ok, so electronics are NOT my hot spot. However, I have a cool idea I kinda want to play with and was wondering if any of you guys knew the answer to this question.

Imagine wiring up 3 singlecoil pickups to a 5-way switch a la Strats. Now remember WHERE the solder points are on said 5-way. Now rip out the singlecoils and throw in 2 humbuckers (or hum/sing/hum is that's easier)... and wire them up. But here's the catch YOU HAVE TO USE THE SAME SOLDER POINTS YOU USED FOR THE SINGLECOILS. The wires can COME from anywhere... but the solder points as far as their placements, and their outputs, etc. must stay the same. Can it be done? Is there a configuration that works for both scenarios?

Chris

PS: I should probably mention that IF it had to be done with some "dummy" positions where things are doubled, or it's an "off" position I'm ok with that too... as a last resort.

using the same points with HSH would give N, N+M, M, M+B, B. - just like SSS gives....

using the same points with HH you could get N HB, N SC, N SC, N SC+B HB, B HB.

or N HB, N HB+B SC, B SC, B SC, B HB, there are others too, but I think these are the best (well, least bad )

why?

[verhoevenc]

Rapidly exchangeable pickup chassis that you can swap with the removal of a single screw, and all you have to do is plug them in. Hence why you can't change any of the solder points cause everything AFTER the plug is static... but you can always arrange how the pickup leads go INTO the plug

Chris

[Prostheta]

How about a uniform plugin point for the pickup, and rewiring the configuration of the pickup using DIP switches or jumpers on a header?

[verhoevenc]

Seems a little more complicated, more switches. Etc. With this I can literally just wire up all the pickups leads to the appropriate channel in a CAT5 plug... and you literally just plug in your new pickup set and you're off rocking straight away. Granted, it does limit what funky wiring you can use... but I think for this idea it's fine. You get the classic strat options when you install the 3 single-coil "module" and then decent humbucker options when you install the humbucker "module."

The idea for this guitar is to also have swappable bodies to alter tone, etc. One piece neck that has bridge attached to it so you can pop that out easy too. Hopefully it still interests me when I return to my shop next summer... it'll be my take on the teuffel birdfish and Toone Uni-neck ideas... but with my own little tweeks.

Chris

[borge]

Rapidly exchangeable pickup chassis that you can swap with the removal of a single screw, and all you have to do is plug them in. Hence why you can't change any of the solder points cause everything AFTER the plug is static... but you can always arrange how the pickup leads go INTO the plug

Chris

but why only 3 solder points? cat5 has 8 conductors.....you could use the spares to 'fix' the bugs (doubled positions, lack of options ect)

to take it to the extreme, you could use a XX pin socket (a DB25 may do) with all contacts (every pot tab, all switch contacts, mini switches output jack ect) connected and have each pups set plug wired in such a way to achieve most imaginable switching (alot of jumpers required!)

[verhoevenc]

Who said anything about 3 solder points? I most definitely plan to use all 8 conductors (humbuckers have 4 wires each...)? I lost as to where you got the 3 thing from?

I'm just saying that WITHOUT all those tiny jumpers like you've described, any solder points PAST the plug must be static... hence limiting choices.

Chris

[Tim37]

after you tie your two wires to gether forget about them and then you just have your earth ground, ground, and hot wire. if you want to split the humbuckers its pretty easy you just simply ground out the two wires that are tied to gether. (a push pull pot works great and looks good) that will give you the common choicess. one other thing you might want to think about is a bypass switch for the bridge pick (think david gilmour black strat) that way you can do the bridge neck possision.

[borge]

Who said anything about 3 solder points?

Chris

YOU HAVE TO USE THE SAME SOLDER POINTS YOU USED FOR THE SINGLECOILS.

well, 4 solder points: 3 SC hot's plus their shared earth.

I most definitely plan to use all 8 conductors (humbuckers have 4 wires each...)? I lost as to where you got the 3 thing from?

/quote]

but where are those 8 conductors going to go? by my reasoning there will only be 4 contacts on the socket..... so having 8 on the plug means jumpers in the socket with no advantage over a 4 pin plug/socket setup.

ie to get this selection(as in my first post): N HB, N SC, N SC, N SC+B HB, B HB

(using SD colours) you'd have all green & sheilds to earth (1), neck black to neck SC solder point (2) neck red+white to mid SC contact (3) bridge black to bridge SC contact (4) (with bridge red & white connected elsewhere)

this would give the neck screw/south coil when split as opposed to the usual method of earthing the red+white which gives slug/north coil, simply because there's no provision to earth the red+white: you can't rewire the other pole of the switch as its being used for tone pot selection.

[verhoevenc]

Hahahah, Tim, I'm well aware of how to coil tap . I'm not sure you fully grasp what I'm asking. Borge, your answers are great and I think that's the direction I'm going to head when I build this idea out. However, just in case anyone else comes along this thread in the future I figured I should probably clarify with a picture.

Tim, the area in blue will be physically attached the the body. It cannot move and the solder points cannot be changed; it is static. The red area will be easily swappable and you could replace it with another "assembly" that has two humbuckers, or a hum/single/hum configuration, whatever. The green section is a plug (we've been discussing the use of CAT5 ethernet plugs in particular). Therefore, the ONLY manipulation you have when changing the red area is HOW the red area's wires enter the CAT5 plug... therefore, you need to find a blue area configuration that fits optimally with all your red area choices. Make more sense?

Chris

[ansil]

you know this has been done right? just asking

[verhoevenc]

got a link?

Chris

[DC Ross]

http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=mb4...ble+electronics

[verhoevenc]

Ah, but he's switching out EVERYTHING. Controls, pickups, etc. I'm looking at keeping controls static while still keeping relatively versatile electronics. I'd say it's still different. If anything, the closest to this someone has come in Teuffel's Birdfish.

Chris

[DC Ross]

Easy enough to just leave the switch & knob in the body, and make the pups swappable from the backside like in the patent diagrams. I was planning on using bullet catches to make both the physical and electrical connections for my swappable project.

[ansil]

dan armstrong did this in the seventies and then emg did something similar with the quick connect mechanism

[ShadesOfGrey]

Well, you could do it this way..

1 Neck

2 Neck w/ coiltap

3 Neck & Bridge

4 Bridge w/ coiltap

5 Bridge

Dunno if that is 'keeping the contactpoints exactly the same' tho..