Advice on wiring for HSH or HH strat style guitar

Flip · August 2023

As some forum members know, I build and renovate guitars that my wife, an artist, uses as her 'canvas' for our niche business Guitar-Art. I recently came across a LH strat copy in reasonably good condition. The [pickup cavity is a single deep rectangular shape. To ring some changes I usually modify/enhance the electrics of the instruments and I'd like to re-equip this using some very decent humbuckers I have in stock.

The project doesn't justify a custom scratchplate and most of the Strat plates, even those cut for HH, have holes for three pots.

Obviously, one solution would be to rewire it as HSH but I wonder if any kind soul here can point me torwards what I'm having difficulty finding which are wiring diagrams for the various options I have.

ICBM · August 2023

Probably the simplest would be to use the standard Ibanez RG wiring, and add either a bass-cut tone control or a blend between the two humbuckers with the third pot.

Funkfingers · August 2023

ICBM said:

the standard Ibanez RG wiring.

Specifically, the DiMarzio/Ibanez five-way HH circuit. (Schematic diagram available from both companies.) This requires either a 24-contact Superswitch or a 2502N PCB type. Ibanez sometimes uses a special OTAX switch but I forget its model number.

The Schaller Megaswitch E might manage the Ibanez and Musicman Axis circuits. The Megaswitch P governs the coils in the fashion of an early PRS Custom.

Flip said:

I'd like to re-equip this using some very decent humbuckers I have in stock.

What is the output cable format of these? Smart Alec wiring circuits usually require humbuckers with three- or four-conductor + shield output cable. Single con + braid won't do HSH unless they have an additional coil split cable, outside the shielding braid, à la PRS Dragon II.

jaymenon · August 2023

You'll need to flip the magnet on one of the humbuckers for the inner coils to hum-cancel when placed in parallel with each other (position 2)

Funkfingers · August 2023

You do for the PRS Custom circuit.

When using DiMarzio humbuckers with twelve adjustable polepieces, you simply mount it the wrong way around and juggle the output conductors.

Ibanez and PRS pickups intended for these circuits already have one bar magnet flipped … so you don't have to.

ICBM · August 2023

Funkfingers said:

What is the output cable format of these? Smart Alec wiring circuits usually require humbuckers with three- or four-conductor + shield output cable. Single con + braid won't do HSH unless they have an additional coil split cable, outside the shielding braid, à la PRS Dragon II.

Dragon IIs have proper 3-conductor shielded cable - it’s McCartys which are like that. As an aside, that is the most bizarre bodged wiring I’ve ever seen on factory-made pickups. Having the coil split wire outside the shielding *guarantees* fairly bad noise pickup when the pickups are set to humbucking and the split wire isn't grounded.

You can do an HH scheme which works well with a standard 5-way switch too -

Full neck
Full neck + split bridge
Full neck + full bridge
Split neck + full bridge
Full bridge

That would allow you to use the three controls for a volume and two tones.

Funkfingers · August 2023

ICBM said:

Funkfingers said:
Single con + braid won't do HSH unless they have an additional coil split cable, outside the shielding braid, à la PRS Dragon II.

Dragon IIs have proper 3-conductor shielded cable - it’s McCartys which are like that. As an aside, that is the most bizarre bodged wiring I’ve ever seen on factory-made pickups. Having the coil split wire outside the shielding *guarantees* fairly bad noise pickup when the pickups are set to humbucking and the split wire isn't grounded.

Dang! I should have bothered to fetch my pickups out and read their model ID stickers.

I have a pair of McCarty humbuckers, in gold covers, that came to me in an SE Singlecut - where they looked and sounded wrong - rather than in their proper cardboard boxes.

THINKS: Do any PRS SE models come with gold-plated hardware?

Snipping off the coil split wire at the baseplate should minimise its radio antenna contribution.

Flip · August 2023

Funkfingers said:

I'd like to re-equip this using some very decent humbuckers I have in stock.

What is the output cable format of these? Smart Alec wiring circuits usually require humbuckers with three- or four-conductor + shield output cable. Single con + braid won't do HSH unless they have an additional coil split cable, outside the shielding braid, à la PRS Dragon II.

They're four wires plus braid so should be OK. I've actually got a pair of Iron Gear pickups and a pair of Warmans, both sets with the same connections.

Having said that, since I'm not smart enough to start getting into 24 connector switches, my instinct is to so with ICBM's suggestion of a standard Ibanez RG circuit and blend.

Thanks everyone who's helped here.

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Advice on wiring for HSH or HH strat style guitar

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