jag-stang with coil splitting

[RAVEN2047]

hello, does anyone have a wiring diagram of a jagstang with a push pull for coil splitting? thank you in advcance.

[JohnWainwright]

There's really nothing special about coil-splitting, and you can honestly think of it as an option that could be added to most any "standard" circuit, like a condiment. It doesn't change how the pickup (+) or (-) are wired.

If a pickup has the ability to be coil-split (4/5-conductor pickup, as opposed to 2-conductor) - all that is required to coil-split is to "ground" the Series Link. The Series Link is the North-Finish and South-Finish tied together. This all sounds complicated - it's not. Here's simpler terms.

On a Seymour Duncan humbucker for example, you've got 5 wires - Black, Red, White, Green, and Bare. Bare is always ground no matter what. The other four are the beginning and end of each coil. Black is pickup (+) - that goes to the pickup selector switch, or a lug on a pot - depending on your circuit. Green is pickup (-) and typically goes to ground unless you're doing something fancy. (Coil-splitting doesn't count as fancy.)

The red and white wires are typically soldered together, and taped off. This is how they usually come right from the factory.

To "coil-split" the pickup, all you're doing is touching that red+white pair (the Series Link) to ground - just as if you were touching it to the back of a pot. Because we want to be able to do that whenever we want to - we wire it to a switch. This can be a push/pull, or a slide switch, or a mini toggle, or whatever. When we activate the switch - all we're doing is connecting that Series Link to ground.

The bottom line is, there is no difference in the "diagram" of the overall guitar just because you want to do coil-splitting. To coil split the pickup, all you're doing is adding on a switch (which can be a push/pull for convenience). The push/pull can be anywhere (volume or tone) as the switch being mounted on the pot has nothing to do with the operation of the pot, and nothing else about the circuit changes.

There are a few different designs of push/pulls, but they all work the same way. Alpha and Bourns both have little miniature lugs you solder to. CTS has two types - a SPST with two lugs, or a DPDT with a little board with holes you solder the wires to.

The connection of the Series Link to the push/pull depends on which type you have - but these image examples should cover every option. If you're not using a Seymour Duncan, I've added a handy chart that covers most major manufacturers' color codes.

Lemme know if you have any questions.

(EDIT - IF you happen to be doing something fancy like coil-splitting AND something else like Series/Split/Parallel switching - then it's a little different. If that's the case, let me know what type push/pull you're using and I'll make an image for that.)

[RAVEN2047]

thank you for getting back to me. i was hoping to use this as a base (series/par in one switch and switch selector on the other switch, with a push pull coil split on a vol knob). i have two dragonfire crusader pickups in a HS set.

additionally, do you recommended using 500k or keeping the 250k pot with .047 cap for vol and tone in a jagstang?

"https://pnghut.com/png/sPAhsESQ7P/fende ... parent-png"

could you please tell me what to wire base on that diagram?

thank you so much.

[JohnWainwright]

Well, again - the fact that a push/pull's switch is mounted on a pot is a matter of convenience - not interaction between components. So everything else about that wiring diagram would stay exactly the same.

Bridge Humbucker (+) and (-) will still go to the same places as the bridge single coil indicated on that diagram. The lugs of the POT part of the push/pull will still be wired the same on the volume, and then the SWITCH part of the push/pull pot would be wired as I've indicated above - depending on what type of push/pull you'll be using. (Humbucker Series Link to common, Ground to switched lug/pin.)

In your case - Dragonfire pickups use the same color-coding as Jackson on the chart above. So...

• Dragonfire Green = Pickup (+) -- this goes where the white on the diagram's bridge pickup goes.

• Dragonfire Black = Pickup (-) -- this goes where the black on the diagram's bridge pickup goes.

• Dragonfire Bare = MUST go to ground - NOT to be included with the black. (Goes directly to the back of either pot.)

• Dragonfire Red+White = Humbucker Series Link -- this goes to the pin/lug of your push/pull as indicated above depending on type.

• The "other" pin/lug on the push/pull (depending on type) is for ground. You just run a wire from there to the *back of either pot.

*The "back" of a push/pull pot is more of a relative term depending on design. I mean the metal casing part.

As for values - tone is a personal thing, and there is more than one method of mixing humbuckers with single coils. Some of those ways are right, or at least good enough - and some are...not right.

For me, by far the most "proper" way to mix a humbucker with a single coil is to rule in favor of the humbucker (500k pots in both positions), and then connect a 470k resistor to force the single coil to see 250k pickups. In your case, that would be a resistor between ground and the lug on the switch where the single coil's (+) connects.

As with anything in life, there are trade-offs. In the case of using a resistor to offset for a mixed pickup configuration, the trade-off is that in the "mixed" neck+bridge position(s), the tone will be a bit darker than without it. However, it's the best overall balance to keep the single from always being too bright, or the humbucker from always being too dark.

As for tone cap value - that also falls under the heading of tone being personal. Humbuckers typically use ~0.022uF-ish caps, and single coils typically use ~0.047uF-ish caps respectively. (Caps get darker as the number gets bigger.)

In a mixed configuration, some people opt for the brighter cap, some opt for the darker cap - and some use a ~0.033uF and split the difference. You could also do a "VariTone" on the tone pot. This would be a second push/pull at the tone position, with the switch allowing one to choose between (any) two different value tone caps. (Like a "bright switch" on an amp.)

Before over-complicating it, ask yourself this question: "Do I EVER play with the tone turned all the way down to zero / full mud??" If the answer to that question is no (meaning, you're never getting close to the fully applied effect of a 0.047 anyway...) - then just slam a 0.022uF in there and be done with it.

[adamrobertt]

Well, again - the fact that a push/pull's switch is mounted on a pot is a matter of convenience - not interaction between components. So everything else about that wiring diagram would stay exactly the same.

Bridge Humbucker (+) and (-) will still go to the same places as the bridge single coil indicated on that diagram. The lugs of the POT part of the push/pull will still be wired the same on the volume, and then the SWITCH part of the push/pull pot would be wired as I've indicated above - depending on what type of push/pull you'll be using. (Humbucker Series Link to common, Ground to switched lug/pin.)

In your case - Dragonfire pickups use the same color-coding as Jackson on the chart above. So...

• Dragonfire Green = Pickup (+) -- this goes where the white on the diagram's bridge pickup goes.

• Dragonfire Black = Pickup (-) -- this goes where the black on the diagram's bridge pickup goes.

• Dragonfire Bare = MUST go to ground - NOT to be included with the black. (Goes directly to the back of either pot.)

• Dragonfire Red+White = Humbucker Series Link -- this goes to the pin/lug of your push/pull as indicated above depending on type.

• The "other" pin/lug on the push/pull (depending on type) is for ground. You just run a wire from there to the *back of either pot.

*The "back" of a push/pull pot is more of a relative term depending on design. I mean the metal casing part.

As for values - tone is a personal thing, and there is more than one method of mixing humbuckers with single coils. Some of those ways are right, or at least good enough - and some are...not right.

For me, by far the most "proper" way to mix a humbucker with a single coil is to rule in favor of the humbucker (500k pots in both positions), and then connect a 470k resistor to force the single coil to see 250k pickups. In your case, that would be a resistor between ground and the lug on the switch where the single coil's (+) connects.

As with anything in life, there are trade-offs. In the case of using a resistor to offset for a mixed pickup configuration, the trade-off is that in the "mixed" neck+bridge position(s), the tone will be a bit darker than without it. However, it's the best overall balance to keep the single from always being too bright, or the humbucker from always being too dark.

As for tone cap value - that also falls under the heading of tone being personal. Humbuckers typically use ~0.022uF-ish caps, and single coils typically use ~0.047uF-ish caps respectively. (Caps get darker as the number gets bigger.)

In a mixed configuration, some people opt for the brighter cap, some opt for the darker cap - and some use a ~0.033uF and split the difference. You could also do a "VariTone" on the tone pot. This would be a second push/pull at the tone position, with the switch allowing one to choose between (any) two different value tone caps. (Like a "bright switch" on an amp.)

Before over-complicating it, ask yourself this question: "Do I EVER play with the tone turned all the way down to zero / full mud??" If the answer to that question is no (meaning, you're never getting close to the fully applied effect of a 0.047 anyway...) - then just slam a 0.022uF in there and be done with it.

dude idk where you came from but i'm glad you're here! i'm not even the OP but thanks for all the useful info.

[RAVEN2047]

Thank you, ill try it out this thursday and let you know how it goes. thank you again!

[RAVEN2047]

sorry, quick question, the resistor goes on the + of the single coil and the ground, but where is the ground on the switches in that diagram?

[JohnWainwright]

There is no ground specifically on those switches. If your controls cavity it grounded, you can ground it up there. Failing that, solder a biggo long wire to one end of the resistor, and run it down to the back of a pot.

[RAVEN2047]

thank you! i got it wired up. the pu selector works as intented as the push pot. so far, i dont really hear much of a difference for the series and parallel switch. but i wanted to ask, the tone pot does not work. there is no difference at all when i move it. what do you think i did wrong?

[JohnWainwright]

Post a photo of your wiring if you can and I'll see if I can spot the trouble.

[RAVEN2047]

thank you. ill draw it up exactly how i wired it. i only used two colors so its kinda confusing by picture.