The "Hemi" or now "Dirty ol' basstard"... Is in a stage where I have to begin planning the wiring job. I'm going for three pots - just one tone and two volumes with no push-pull option. Would you mind helping me with a diagram to connect these?
Neck, neck and bridge series, neck and bridge parallel, bridge
4-way Grigsby
Two volumes and one tone
Neck pup is DiMarzio DP120 or "model one"
Bridge pup is Seymour Duncan SCPB Quarter Pounder
The diagram you generously drew earlier had one volume and one tone and I'm soooo not good with these so would appreciate the help.
The DiMarzio will be connected without any coil split so it would be in series maybe...? The more powerful option.
Addng an extra volume to the Tele 4-way circuit is a little awkward, as it kind of gets in the way for the series setting. I have a couple of ways to do it in mind, but both involve compromises.
I did some quick and dirty tests earlier tonight on both versions with a 4-way and the two volumes, just using clip leads and guitar pickups, on my one string tester. Both worked as intended, each works a little differently and has slightly different sounds... but, I emphasise, it was a rough test.
I'll draw up both versions for you to try, there's only small changes between them, but I didn't get time to do it tonight. Hopefully tomorrow.
No worries Scott. The aim is to finish the build during february. What's left are wooling the body, putting on bone nut, then final finishing touch on the different parts and then assembly and final adjustments. I do have some push-pull pots I ordered but can't remember their specs right now.
If you have some suggestions on how to work it I'm all ears - not fixed on anything specific as long as I can isolate the bridge and neck to work by themselves (vol + tone) then the other two options are just to get a different sound. If adding one push-pull would make the build somehow work better then that's what we have to do.
As promised, here are a couple of diagrams. I used yellow instead of white for the hot on the SD pickup (just easier), and I think the colours are correct for the DP120 (standard for DiMarzio). With each diagram the way the pots are configured in the relation the pickups is different, so they will sound slightly different. For example, having a bridge volume and a master volume will make the bridge pickup sound slightly different than if it just had one volume in the circuit etc. So, it's hard to say which version will work better with your particular build and pickups until you actually hear them.
Option 1:
Basically, it's the standard Tele 4-way layout but with a volume added for the bridge.
The downside is that the master volume affects all positions…which does a few things. First, even with bridge pup only selected in position 1 you'll have both the bridge volume and the master volume affecting the overall volume. In position 2, with both pickups in parallel, you can turn down the bridge in relation to the neck, but you can't turn down the neck relative to the bridge. In position 3, with both pickups in series, you really need to have the bridge volume on full and just use the master volume, so you can't change the volume of an individual pickup just the overall volume.
The links marked as (X) on the diagram, between the Tone pot and the Bridge Volume lug and between the Bridge Volume pot and Master Volume lug, are optional as the metal control plate will act as the ground conductor between the pots.
Option 2:
This version has the same Bridge volume but uses a bit of switch trickery to give you a hybrid Neck volume. Essentially, the ground connection on the Neck volume pot is only connected in positions 2 & 4. This means that in position 1 you get a Bridge Volume and the Neck Volume has no effect. In position 2, with both pickups in parallel, you have both a Bridge Volume and Neck Volume, allowing individual control of each pickup. Position 4, neck pickup only, you have a Neck Volume and the Bridge Volume has no effect.
In position 3, with both pickups in series, the Neck Volume works a little… differently. The volume is marked as 'Series Master' on the diagram, but it's sorta-kinda-not really a master volume. At full volume you get the full signal from the bridge and neck in series and as you turn it down it starts to drop the volume as you expect. But, as you keep turning it down, at a certain point is starts to reduce the effect of the neck pickup relative to the bridge and that continues down to zero volume. The pot is just acting as a resistor at this point, so at zero volume you get no neck and just the bridge but at a low volume, it won't shut off the volume completely. As with the previous diagram, you'll want the bridge volume on full in this setting.
The links marked as (X) on the diagram, between the Tone pot and the Bridge Volume lug and between the Bridge Volume pot and Neck Volume pot, are optional as the metal control plate will act as the ground conductor between the pots.
As you have some push/pull pots on the way and the DP120 is (should be) splittable, it would be quite easy to add that as an extra option for your sound. You just need to decide if you want to split the north or south coil, and connect the pickup to the push/pull first then continue on to the circuits above.
Hopefully there aren't too many glaring mistakes. As always, use at you own risk.
I think I'll do this the safe way. I'll go with one volume and one tone plus I'll add the mini switch I still have to split the humbucler front/series/back. This way there will not be so many variables and surprises with the end result. Should be able to start soldering in a couple of days.
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