Mustang HS mod: pickup selector + split coil

[Nick and the Noise]

Does anyone have any experiences with this diagram I found on the internet? It's for a Mustang '69 RI but with a humbucker so seems perfect for my Kurt Cobain Mustang. It seems hastily drawn...

Top switch: classic pickup selector
Bottom switch: single coil / humbucker / screw coil selector

Also, who is "Lou" in this "Lou's Mustang RH Wiring"?

https://postimg.cc/jCSxN1rd

[Amon 7.L]

I do have experience with that specific diagram... it's very familiar

My below lefty triplet is wired with that schematic (which in it's original form is drafted as a lefty after this very Mustang 69RI LH, hence this one being re-labelled "RH wiring" for right handed folks usability)


The standard Mustang wiring doesn't do anything for me, but I get 7 different and fully usable sounds with that configuration.


Amon 7.L

[Nick and the Noise]

Cool! Some questions:

• The left one is a Cobain signature I'm guessing? Does the original JB come with 4 wires or is it a 2 wire version?
• Do you hear a difference between the single coil and screw coil sound of the JB?
• The diagram uses 500k pots, but why not use the original 250k? I like the JB with 250k pots.
• Looks like a difficult diagram, did you do the wiring yourself?

[jagstang]

I've wired my Jag-Stang and my Mustang like this:
Switch 1: SingleCoil On / Off / On
Switch 2: HB (4wired) Singlecoil / Off / Humbucker
I have a coilsplit on the humbucker and a can combine it with the necksinglecoil in and out of phase. So i can use the normal mustang layout plus coilsplit. Lots of sounds and fun. I really enjoy this wiring. I searched the web and i think it is this wiring:

[Amon 7.L]

Cool! Some questions:

• The left one is a Cobain signature I'm guessing? Does the original JB come with 4 wires or is it a 2 wire version?
• Do you hear a difference between the single coil and screw coil sound of the JB?
• The diagram uses 500k pots, but why not use the original 250k? I like the JB with 250k pots.
• Looks like a difficult diagram, did you do the wiring yourself?

• The left one is NOT a Cobain signature (they didn't exist back then), it's a standard MG69 RI LH with some mods. The JB (SH4) was 4 wires as per diagram;
• Yes, I do hear difference between the slug coil and the screw coil. In fact, each of the 7 sound combinations has its own character;
• I guess you can use whichever pot value suits your taste. There's not right or wrong. If you prefer 250k, go for it;
• Looks difficult but if you're handy with the soldering iron, it can be done. The Mustang was wired by a luthier, I then draft its schematic on the fly and used it later on when I wired the other two Jag-stangs.

One advice in case you're going for it: the two grey grounding blobs that connect the two switches CAN result in a very tight fit in the cavity so, you either go easy with the soldering blobbing or be prepared to do some filing on the walls (the luthier didn't go easy with )

[Nick and the Noise]

I've wired my Jag-Stang and my Mustang like this:
Switch 1: SingleCoil On / Off / On
Switch 2: HB (4wired) Singlecoil / Off / Humbucker

Hmm, this is also very interesting: it seems way easier to do and stays more true to the Mustang switches. One of the reasons the out of phase sound doesn't really work on the Cobain Mustang is because of the volume difference. With the coil split it should be a lot closer to the original two singlecoils out of phase sound.

[jagstang]

heres a little soundsample:

https://youtu.be/NO2a4XBfGMY

[jvin248]

.

There are a lot of options for these types of HS guitars.

-Stacked/concentric tone/blender knob to bring in/out the humbucker split.
-Treat each pickup bobbin like a single coil and use a 5-way Strat SSS switch for all the Quacks.
-Use a SD "triple shot" trim ring on the bridge pickup for multiple splits/combines.
-Toggle switch 3-way on/on/on to wire the humbucker single/parallel/series
-Telecaster 4-way (used on the Marr Jaguar) wired to the humbucker to give North/parallel/South/Humbucker

The last option is what I have on my Tele. Showing just because you may want to do the same trick I have of lowering the pickup plus raising the screw poles 3/16ths of an inch gives a lot more tonal range between the pickup selector settings. I get a Strat/Tele neck tone (with tone knob tweaks), Strat #2 Quack, Tele Twang for days, and a hot Les Paul humbucker.



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[jagstang]

-Telecaster 4-way (used on the Marr Jaguar) wired to the humbucker to give North/parallel/South/Humbucker

The last option is what I have on my Tele. Showing just because you may want to do the same trick I have of lowering the pickup plus raising the screw poles 3/16ths of an inch gives a lot more tonal range between the pickup selector settings. I get a Strat/Tele neck tone (with tone knob tweaks), Strat #2 Quack, Tele Twang for days, and a hot Les Paul humbucker.

Nice. This is what i should do with my next project. It's a strat with just a humbucker in bridgeposition...