Tele - single coil bridge - humbucker neck wiring

[Tidus55]

You can check the output polarity of each unconnected pickup with a multimeter. You really need test clips to attach the wires to the multimeter, or someone to help you, as you need at least one other hand free. Connect the pickup main signal ground to the -ve terminal and the signal wire to the +ve terminal of the multimeter.

Put the multimeter on ohms and have it display the DC resistance. Move something reasonably large made of steel (say a big screwdriver or a spanner) towards the pickup. The resistance reading will either go down or up slightly depending on the pickup's output polarity. If both pickups' readings go down or up, then they have the same output polarity and will be fine wired as normal. If one goes down and one goes up, then they have opposite polarities and one will need the connection wires swapped over.

Moving a steel object towards the pickup induces a current in the pickup the same way that a string does. The multimeter detects the resistance of the pickup coil by putting a known voltage through the coil and measuring the voltage drop (which the gets converted to an ohms reading). The extra coil/voltage induced by the steel object moving towards the pickup coil either adds or subtracts from the voltage provided by the multimeter, and so changes the resistance reading (it doesn't change the actual resistance).

Thanks Simon, I will do it, in case I have problems I will let you know .... Mille Grazie

[McCreed]

You can check the output polarity of each unconnected pickup with a multimeter.

Simon, don't you mean phase? Or are they one in the same? I've just never heard it referred to that way.

I use the "steel rule & multimeter" trick for matching phase if using different makes of pickup that I don't have documentation on.

[Tidus55]

Simon, don't you mean phase? Or are they one in the same? I've just never heard it referred to that way.

I use the "steel rule & multimeter" trick for matching phase if using different makes of pickup that I don't have documentation on.

Hi McCreed take a look , while we wait for Simon.

https://www.fralinpickups.com/2017/0...deal-polarity/

https://www.seymourduncan.com/blog/t...se-made-simple

[Simon Barden]

'Polarity' is the correct term as 'phase' is time/frequency related. If you swap the output connections over on a pickup, you reverse the polarity of the signal. At any single instance in time, the output voltage is either xv or -xv, depending upon the connection. But phase is a level + time related value. Polarity is a one dimensional value whereas phase can be viewed as a two dimensional value. Phase is more about the relationship between two different signals, whereas with the output from one pickup, you can only really call it a polarity change. Phase shift is measured in degrees, so you can't simply 'reverse the phase', you have to shift it by 180° (or 540° or 900° etc) to get the physical effect of a polarity change.

Mainly down to semantics, but 'polarity' is certainly the correct term.

[McCreed]

If you swap the output connections over on a pickup, you reverse the polarity of the signal.

Yes, I get that and follow the theory, but my point is that in discussing pickups, polarity is generally related to "magnetic polarity" (north or south) not signal polarity.

[Simon Barden]

Works for both. So one has to really be a bit more precise and state either magnetic or output/signal polarity. And TBF, I did state output polarity.

[WeirdBits]

The Lollar HB wiring colours should indeed match SD colours, and so line up directly with my diagrams.

Are you certain your mini-toggle is an On/On/On and not an On/Off/On? Either type of On/On/On should give you a single coil in the middle position regardless of type 1/2 wiring (just a different coil with each type), so that suggests you’ve got an On/Off/On instead. Having said that, even an On/Off/On should give you noticeably different series/parallel coil sounds in the up and down positions, so something else may be going on. Are you testing that with just the neck pickup selected on the 4-way?

Can you post some clear photos of your mini-toggle wiring? Hopefully we will be able to see what’s connected where and what should be happening for each switch type.

[RFeltman57]

Hi Scott. Thanks for getting back to me. I took a closer look at the mini switch wiring this morning and was able to see that the red and black wires had been bridged by some excess solder ( there’s not a lot of real estate to work with there) so the pickup was basically in series in both the up and down positions and shorted in the middle position. Once I broke the excess solder joint the 3 switch positions seem to be working as intended, with the series position sounding clearly louder and fuller than the other 2. Now I just have to figure out why my volume pot is acting like a tone pot and my tone pot doesn’t do anything .
Anyway, thanks for responding to my post so quickly.
Rick
P.S. I’m new to this this forum and don’t know how to post pictures. Is there a simple way to do it?

[Simon Barden]

'Insert image' icon on the post toolbar. Maximum picture size to upload is 1500 pixels on any side and less than 1Mb in size , so you'll probably need to resize any photos you have. Once the pic has been selected, then click the upload file(s) text below the browse button. If it doesn't upload, then the pic's still too big (you should get an error message but sometimes just nothing happens). If you use the Tapatalk forum app, it has a resizing feature built-in.

Or host elsewhere and link.

[ShimmyFix]

Very informative thread. Thank you Scott & Simon.
Im putting together a two pickup guitar that im hoping will be able to do full creamy humbucker distortion and also be able to do clean funky sounds like a Strat Quack position 2 or 4.

Heres what i have so far;
Neck Hum (SDuncan SH) and
Bridge Single Coil (texmex 10k)

Ideally id like 5 options;

1 bridge
2 bridge & neck split parallel (is this similar to Strat 2&4 ?)
3 bridge & neck Hum parallel
4 bridge & neck Hum series
5 neck hum

(Or more? What about a Bridge & Neck Split series?)


is it possible to pull this off with a
3way Toggle, and 2 push/pull pots (1vol 1 tone). ? ( i Have caps & resistors if needed)


Also ;
The Neck Hum Has the (north P)slugs top (closest to frets)
And screws (South P) closer to bridge)

The single coil is South P

Is this correct or Should i flip the Hum around and put the screws (southP) (closest to frets)

Lots of questions i know . I hope this all makes sense.


Any and All help /diagrams VERY greatly appreciated!