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Hey guys, I'm new here, so I hope I'm posting this in the right place. I need some help putting together a wiring diagram for a Player JM that I'm modding the crap out of. It has no rhythm circuit, a master volume and a master tone. Here's the idea:

Mini HB in the neck
Two Strat single-coils in the middle (think Steve Morse Y2M)
P90 in the bridge

I have a 5-way switch that will control the neck, the rear middle and the bridge, like a normal 5-way switch in a Strat N - N+M - M - M+B - B. Easy peasy. What I want to do is add the forward middle pickup (closest to the bridge) in series via an on-off toggle switch. Ideally, it will run through the volume and tone pots as well and add hum cancellation (it is RWRP, I checked). If anyone on here who knows more about electronics than I do could help, I sure would be grateful.

That shouldn't be too difficult. What are you wanting the bridge-side middle single coil to be in series with?

Thanks for the reply! I would like it to run in series with whichever pickups are active with the blade selector.

I'll take a look at that, but in that case you should know that it's very likely to not be possible. Series switches, are generally a hard-wired switch, meaning that you have a switch that has the hot/positive lead from one pickup and the ground/negative lead from another pickup, and the switch position determines whether those leads follow to a parallel path, or into each where the signal runs through both pickups (in series). To have a pickup that can work in series with multiple other pickups would generally require multiple switches (likely one for each pickup that it would be in series with). I have a couple ideas, but you may want to come up with an alternative, or pick one of the pickups to be in series with and that's it. I'll let you know what I come up with though.

EDIT:
1728 - 94 Sound Wiring Option. A bit farther down the page you'll see 2 variations of a schematic that claims to have 94 different sounds, and tons of combinations of singular, parallel, series, phase, and compound sounds. Might be worth a look into.

Also, IF I can do this with a few switches (I've got an idea I'm running with right now), it might be a bit clunky and have a dead-spot or two. It might be worth considering looking into to doing all the switch (3-way and series options) with a rotary switch. Or at least having all the series stuff with a rotary.

EDIT 2: Another option to consider (even without the phase options) is the wiring schematic on Brian May's Red Special. The pickups are all wired in series. I'd bet if you wanted to keep the blade switch for the 3 pickups without the bridge-side middle pickup, you could have a switch that switches between 3 (or 4) series switches like the Red Special, and the blade switch.

Got it. If I had to only pick one pickup, it would be the other middle. I LOVE the position 2, 3 and 4 tones on a Strat, that's the whole reason the 4-pickup idea came about. The ability to have both together or the neck-adjacent one by itself would be nice. Would that be possible?

If you have the normal 3 pickups (B,M,N) set up with your 5-way blade switch, then send the output of that to a 2-way switch, (one way goes through the extra pickup (X), the other bypasses it), then the output of the 2-way switch goes to the volume control. Simple. Ground B,M,N but not X because that is connected to the 2-way switch!

2-way 'off': B, B+M, M, M+N, N
2-way 'on': XB, X(B+M), XM, X(M+N), XN

Futuron wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 02, 2019 6:51 pm

If you have the normal 3 pickups (B,M,N) set up with your 5-way blade switch, then send the output of that to a 2-way switch, (one way goes through the extra pickup (X), the other bypasses it), then the output of the 2-way switch goes to the volume control. Simple. Ground B,M,N but not X because that is connected to the 2-way switch!

2-way 'off': B, B+M, M, M+N, N
2-way 'on': XB, X(B+M), XM, X(M+N), XN

THAT is a really cool solution. I never thought to hook it up to common output between the 3-way switch and the volume and tone pots. Really clever!

nunyabinezzz wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 02, 2019 9:54 am

I think Futuron's suggestion is your best bet. Let me know if you need me to draw it out or if you're good from his description.

If it wouldn't be too much trouble, I would be very appreciative.

nunyabinezzz wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 08, 2019 8:30 am

If it wouldn't be too much trouble, I would be very appreciative.

No problem. Shouldn't take too long.

Futuron wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 02, 2019 6:51 pm

If you have the normal 3 pickups (B,M,N) set up with your 5-way blade switch, then send the output of that to a 2-way switch, (one way goes through the extra pickup (X), the other bypasses it), then the output of the 2-way switch goes to the volume control. Simple. Ground B,M,N but not X because that is connected to the 2-way switch!

2-way 'off': B, B+M, M, M+N, N
2-way 'on': XB, X(B+M), XM, X(M+N), XN

Hey Futuron, I'm drawing this up now and was wondering: would you use a DPDT switch for this? I was thinking of this:

1 4
2 5
3 6

2: switch input from common output of 5-way blade switch
5: switch output to volume, tone, and output jack
Jumper between 1 and 4 (series pickup bypass)
3: negative/ground lead from series pickup
6: positive/hot lead from series pickup

Think I'm missing anything?

Looks good, that's what I'd do if it was me. Or the same with a push/pull pot, whichever OP might prefer.

Futuron wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 08, 2019 10:08 pm

Looks good, that's what I'd do if it was me. Or the same with a push/pull pot, whichever OP might prefer.

Yeah, whichever type of switch he wants. Just wanted to make sure I was thinking that one through correctly. I haven't slept well in like a week

If it can be done with a switch, I would prefer that. Having skirt knobs makes a push-pull hard to operate sometimes. I haven't slept well in awhile either, my wife is preggo with #3 and she is up and down all night...

just out of curiosity, would using a latching push-button switch achieve the same thing? A button would be cool. Was looking at this:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GN ... P8OE&psc=1

nunyabinezzz wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 09, 2019 1:54 pm

just out of curiosity, would using a latching push-button switch achieve the same thing? A button would be cool. Was looking at this:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GN ... P8OE&psc=1

I don't see why not, but I also don't know what those two outer tabs are for (mounting or connected electrically?). You could also get a DPDT slider switch, toggle switch, or rocker switch too. As long as it's a DPDT switch, it should work ok. I should be able to finish the schematic drawing for you tomorrow after work.