Petros

From above: You do not need a "reverse wound" coil in combination with another coil to create a humbucker. You need to have the two coils connected so that the electrical energy FLOWS in reverse direction. In practice this is done by connecting the two coils in series with the finish of the first coil being connected to the finish of the other. See here: http://www.1728.com/guitar1a.htm

Already got a pearloid blank from grizzly.com. Created a 5/8" HDF template from the original pickguard. Taped the template to the blank. Hacked it with a coping saw. Bandaged my left index finger when the saw slipped. Filed the edges smooth to the template. Used an X-Acto blade to fine fit the pickups. Copied the screw placement from the original. Thanked the gods when the thing fit perfectly. But I STILL don't know the exact wiring diagram I'm going to use for the new Lace pickups (though it's looking good). Talk about "hand made."

The higher the impedance of the pot the brighter the sound will be. Single coils often call for 250K because their design is inherently brighter than humbuckers, which often call for 500K. There's also a 1 meg pot for getting a pickup to be as bright as possible.

This is where I'm at in the design, which I don't claim to be mine because it's basically Wolf's "Wolf Wire Ultra Strat" available here at http://www.1728.com/guitar2.htm . The diagram below was just redrawn to show the push-pull pot, remove the phase switch, and add the 4th single coil pickup. Remember, I'm using a set of Lace Duallys not two humbuckers. (Note: Reverse the numbers up there at switch 1) Switches 1 - 4 are on/off SPST (single pole single throw). This design would allow me to use all the pickups as I mention above in any combination, including an all-on option (though the bridge pickup would not be switchable as either parallel or series). The push-pull switch on the volume pot changes the connection of the pickups from parallel to series. Q. What I'm most unsure about is how to connect switch 4 as a "bridge on" type switch. Connecting switch 4 to switch 3 in parallel would work (connect point 7 to 5 and point 8 to 6). How would the series connection look ? (Not even sure I would do this given the DC resistance of the set. The bridge pickups are each rated at 13.2K for a total of 26.4K, and the neck pickups are each rated at a little over 6K for a total of 12.1K) Update: I'm leaning more toward the wiring diagram designed by Wolf here: http://www.1728.com/guitar5.htm As configured by Wolf, I wouldn't need to loose one of the pickups and I'd only need to have a parallel/series switch for each pickup set instead of having the one switch that puts everything in parallel or everything in series. Guitar circuits are always a compromise!

I'm really amazed though that there's no full wiring diagram for doing this with either two 4-wire humbuckers or 4 single coils like the Duallys. All the websites that draw the individual portion of the circuit without showing all the connections are very unhelpful unless you already know how to wire the rest of the circuit.

An all humbucker mode/ all single coil mode that does it with one switch (nice): http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wirin...v_2t_5w_3splits Problem is it's only for three pickups, which means one of the Lace Duallys would be left out of the circuit. I really like the idea of using the push-pull pot to change from humbucker to single coil mode. I would also use only one tone pot instead of two unless I can get it to fit.

I just basically asked the same question here http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.php?showtopic=35046 looking for single coil/humbucker switch and series/parallel switch for each set of Lace Duallys. Still searching the Internet for a direct answer, though I think I'm going to end up experimenting. You might want to check the links I posted. (update: By the way, I decided to go with this: http://www.1728.com/guitar5.htm It won't give you the option of using only one single coil at a time (no great loss), but it does everything else switching from parralel to series with each coil configuration.)

The only thing I don't like about switch monsters like Brian May's guitar is that some of the out of phase combinations are redundant and too thin. That's why I don't care much about an in phase/ out of phase switch. However, I do want to be able to somehow switch the pickups from parallel to series. I think with single coils that's how you get them to sound like humbuckers. Now if I can do that and still be able to control whether each pickup is on or not, I think I'll be satisfied. The hard thing for me, not having done many guitar mods myself (Last wiring job I did I installed Bartolini pickups on my Carlo Robelli fretless bass), is trying to understand how the switches can affect the sound without having to get into six or more switches. Remember, for the Lace Duallys that I'm looking to install it's like having 4 single coil pickups.

After some more investigating in which I tried comparing the shapes of the two pickguards (i.e., the Squire pickguard with the available replacement types) using Photoshop, I do think they are not the same shape. I think it's one of those inconsistencies you see with import strats as opposed to the American made. I decided to order a plastic pickguard blank from Grizzly.com and attempt my own cut, though the only tools I have to use are either a hand-held electric jig saw, a coping saw, (also called a "jeweler's saw"), or X-acto knife, and I'm leaning toward a slow cut with a coping saw.

Thanks for your reply, GregP. Can you refer me to a wiring diagram regarding what you're suggesting? I have yet to receive the pickups in the mail. Lace is supposedly providing a mini-CD with their pickups for what they call all the popular configurations, but who knows what that really means. Tim37: Would you call Brian May's guitar setup a "switch monster?"

Converting HH guitar to switchable HH/SSSS modes. I'll explain. Lace makes a pickup they call a "Dually," which looks like a humbucker but is actually two true single coils placed side by side. They're designed to be very low noise even as single coils. Using a set of these pickups you can create a guitar that switches from humbucker-humbucker (HH) mode to a true 3 (or even 4) single coil (SSSS) mode. The wonderful world of wiring and switching should be able to get you there, but I'm having a little trouble finding a diagram. The closest I found was an excellent design for creating a HSH configuration with three pickups (here: http://www.alloutput.com/Wiring/hsh_wiring.html ) Although it would work, I don't simply want to remove the single coil from that configuration because it would create dead spots on the switches. Next, I found the many wiring diagrams at GuitarElectronics ( http://guitarelectronics.zoovy.com/category/wiringresources/ ) , but none of the HH combinations (each with two 4-wire humbuckers) will provide me with how I want my guitar to function. I then found this interesting wiring scheme http://www.1728.com/guitar5.htm in which two humbuckers (each is the 4 wire type) gives you many series/ parallel combinations, but always keeping the guitar only in HH mode, and I'm looking to switch to a true single coil mode. *Essentially, I'm looking to be able to have any combination of two single coils connected in either parallel (for the traditional single coil strat sound) or in series (for the hotter Les Paul humbucker sound). I need a parallel/ series switching option, and I need one volume and at least one tone control. Okay, if you're still with me, the most simplistic idea I had at first was to create an on/off switch for each of the four pickups, something like the Brian May design in which the only "bad" thing about it is 1)you may have to flick multiple switches during performances and 2) you can't blend the individual pickups. In place of each switch you could use a Volume pot, but I'm not sure if there's something wrong with wiring four 250k pots as volume controls in the same circuit (something else I've not seen in my searching). But if you can do that it would be an advantage over the on/off switches because you can "blend" and still shut off the pickup by turning down the volume knob full. The "bad" thing about the four volume knobs is that it would be hell trying to get consistency dialing in a sound you like, and you'd need space on your pickguard for four knobs. Now where do you put at least one tone pot? Then, I thought of using a 3-way switch for each single-single (what Lace calls a "dually") combination. Each set could switch: 1. single coil north 2. single coil south 3. both single coils (essentially humbucker mode) With the two 3-way switches you would need either an on/off switch for each pickup set OR I think you can use another 3-way wired so that up is the neck pickup set, down is the bridge pickup set, and middle is both pickups. Again, I have no clue how to add yet a fourth switch to include parralel/ series options. Has anybody come across a wiring diagram for two humbuckers or four single coils that would approximate what I'm looking for? Ever see the four volume pot configuration? Some advice?

I was just trying to make a point about a famous guitarist who used an unconventional pickup placement. I think his rig probably had more impact on his sound than the guitar itself (double souped-up marshalls if I remember correctly).

Indeed. I think that's been consistent on every single guitar made. Hence, we can assume a general principle about placement for each given pickup: The closer you place the pickup to the bridge the brighter the sound will be. Still, given two different pickups, one pickup could be placed further from the bridge than the other and still sound "brighter" There's many different variables to contend with (including the frequently overlooked variable of not having the same sensitivity to your hearing each day if you are evaluating sound!). Still a great discussion. By the way, on a Fender discussion board someone claimed that the reason for the bridge pickup tilt on the strat is supposedly to give the lower toned strings a brighter attack. But given our discussion, it would seem the opposite effect was desired, i.e., to take away some of the bright attack from the lower tone strings. The typical right-hand strat angles the pickup with the high E closest to the bridge, not the other way. So, at the same relative position to the bridge, you would get a brighter attack on the lower tone strings for the specific pickup if you didn't place the pickup at the conventional angle. Interesting to note, because Jimmy Hendrix swapped his guitar around to play left-handed, the bridge pickup was oriented with the opposite angle, which put the low E string closer to the bridge, giving the lower strings the brighter attack. It's hard to say how much this altered his final sound.

This was an older post, but after reading it I must say this was a great discussion, and something I have also pondered given I'm probably going to have to make a custom pickguard for my Squire Stagemaster to install three single-coils (it came with two stock humbuckers which aren't bad, and they're nice and quiet, but they're too sterile). This is what I was thinking when it comes to placement of pickups, at least for the three single coil configuration: When pickups are developed and tested by the manufacturer they are likely to be placed in the conventional positions in a conventionally cut pickguard for sound evaluation. Hence, whatever sound the manufacturer claims each pickup will have has this factor to contend with. If you change the positions too much, your tone will vary from the sound the manufacturer intended, but there's nothing "wrong" about that. In fact, given all the other factors that might affect tonality (including even string guage), I'm guessing unless you have the exact same conditions in each guitar the tone of a set of pickups will always vary somewhat, even if not completely audible. Now, if someone can explain to me why on a traditional Fender strat the bridge pickup is installed on an angle (with the pickup further away from the bridge for the lower tone strings), I'll be happy.

First post. Hi to all. I've got a project going where I'm converting my Squire Stagemaster (by Fender but China made) strat's config from two humbuckers to three single coils. Of course, the original pickguard is not reusable. Is there any reason I can't use the pickguard shown here: http://www.grizzly.com/products/White-Pear...-3-Single/H6341 ? I've got to make a small notch at the bottom of the pickguard to accomodate the Floyd Rose tremolo arm, but I think I can manage that. However, I have heard about some incompatibility issues with Squire pickguards and standard Fender strat pickguards, but I can't remember is the problem the shape of the pickguard or is it only that the screw holes don't match (which would not be too hard to remedy). Anybody have a clue? Thanks.