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I am using a megaswitch - "e" to wire a humbucker, single, humbucker config in a custom Tele. My problem is that the customer wants a push pull tone switch ( or volume push pull) to use as a universal coil split. regardless of the position of the megaswitch...any comments or suggestions? I can follow a schematic pretty well, but with out one for this coil split it's tedious trial and error. Can some please help?!

Thanks so much!

Dave

_________________
Dave Bland

remember...

"If it doesn't play in tune...it's just pretty wood"

Hi Dave. The push pull switch wiring and function will be independent of the megaswitch wiring. Most of these switches are divided into two sides, each with 3 vertical lugs. You'll be soldering the finish and start wrap (center link)of each coi1 to one side of the switch (middle lug) and run a wire across both lower lugs on the switch to ground. This should cut one coil on both pickups when the switch is pulled up. How good it will sound when switching pickup combinations depends on the winding direction of the middle pickup.   

EDIT. My mistake. The ground wire should be soldered across the top lugs. The pot part of the assembly will be wired like the regular volume or tone pot. Your choice.

Hi Mark,

Thanks so much for chimming in...I am still confused however...I understand what you say about the push pull switch wiring. I also assume if I want to use the same PPswitch for the neck p/u then I will have to wire it's center leads to the opposite side center lug ( U guesss). What I don't understand is that the megaswitch calls for the two center/tap wires to be attached to different lugs on it as well. This customer wants to be able to use the coil splitting feature of the Megaswitch as well the push pull pot. Perhaps he is looking for something that isn't possible?

Thanks again for all your help,

Dave

_________________
Dave Bland

remember...

"If it doesn't play in tune...it's just pretty wood"

Heres a link that shows the coil cut within the switch. I don't think you can wire it to cut the coil both ways?

http://www.torresguitars.com/guitartricks/megaswitch1.html

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Tom Krebs

Dave, I'm not sure how to achieve both. Maybe you could run the center tap through the push/pull first and then proceed on to the appropriate megaswicth lugs. For example, with the switch down, the bottom lug on each side of the push/pull will be the center tap coming from each pickup, the middle lugs will continue the tap to the megaswitch tap positions, and the top lugs will be wired to ground. This way you'll be able to tap the humbuckers regardless of the megaswitch position or, leave the push/pull down and use the megaswitch to tap.

I have a bit of experience with those switches .. I am not sure you can do it because the MS wants to see those internal wires from a 4 wire PU, the same ones you will be grounding via the coil tap .. the other thing is that if it is possible, in certain MS positions the coil tap sw will turn off a coil thats already on via the MS, thus creating a single coil only . now maybe thats what he wants ...

anyone have the wiring from a PRS 513 ??? those might be prop switches and thus not available to get - they also do something called light and heavy humbucking what ever that means.

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

Thanks Guys...I really appreciate your help!

To add to the confusion the Muy grande p/u's he supplied came with two different recommendations for the center leads one said join the red and white together and use the black as the hot lead the other said join the white and green and use the red as the hot lead...

I'm o.k. when I have a schematic...but when I start trying to figure this out and actually try to make sense and understand it all...I get lost...i'll probably have to write it all down, draw it out to make sense out of it all...now how do you charge for that...yea it's custom but there's also learning curve time right?

Thanks Again you guys,

Dave

_________________
Dave Bland

remember...

"If it doesn't play in tune...it's just pretty wood"

Tom,

I went to Dan's site...he's a wizard for sure. The only problem is that i only have one Volume and one Tone pot. this is a hot rodded tele that has a humbucker in the bridge, A reverse wound single coil in the middle, and a humbucker in the neck section. So it's a beast just from the get go...best part was wiring the megaswitch( the switch does fit even tho  Mr. Torres says it wont) according to StewMac's diagram was a breeze...then the customer throws in the twist...and my brain just went...da...da...dead....

But it's fun right?

_________________
Dave Bland

remember...

"If it doesn't play in tune...it's just pretty wood"

Tony,

I think that is what he wants...to be able to run any of the pickups as single coil p/u's by pulling the p/p switch. But I am confused as heck.

_________________
Dave Bland

remember...

"If it doesn't play in tune...it's just pretty wood"

Dave-SKG,

I am afraid that this won't work the way your client is thinking it can. He wants to have a coil split option on the humbuckers yet he also wants all of the split coil configurations that the megaswitch offers. To do this the hum/single/hum setup is treated as a set of 5 separate coils and so a coil tap doesn't exactly make sense. If he wants any configuration that involves using one coil from a
humbucker and combining it with another coil to form a hum cancelling
setting then it won't work the way he wants it too.

The only way to allow a coil cut option is to have the humbuckers isolated as a single pickup. This way they can be wired normally or with a cut coil. Then run that lead into the switch. But the "e" megaswitch will no longer be the one to use.

What about wiring it like a strat?
1. Bridge humbucker (split)
2. Bridge humbucker (split) and middle Single coil
3. Middle Single coil
4. Neck humbucker (split) and middle Single coil

1. Neck humbucker (split)

I would see what he is looking for specifically. If he is looking for variety yet insists on the coil cut option for the humbuckers then they have to be treated as a single pickup and cannot be 'cut up' by the switch and reconfigured with other coils.

I hope that makes sense.

~David

David,

you are absolutely right! That is the way to do it 5 way standard switch with a push pull pot should give him what he wants...i think...I still have to map this out to really grasp it. I think the problem is in the Megaswitch as you say...because it's doing what you would otherwise need the pp pot to do...i think I got it. Now I still have to make a schematic to get er done.

THANKs To EVERYONE!!!

All your input is greatly appreciated.

_________________
Dave Bland

remember...

"If it doesn't play in tune...it's just pretty wood"