ASK HBS – DPDT Switch Coil-Split Modification

READER QUESTION:

Is there a way to split a humbucker with a DPDT on/on/on 3-way toggle switch to get north coil-split/series (HB)/south coil-split… in any order?

Thanks,

Terence

ANSWER:

Hello Terence, thanks for the great question! What I think you are looking for is a series/split/parallel modification. With this mod, you use an on/on/on switch, and it results in the up selection being a humbucker wired in series (normal). The middle position results in a split humbucker, and the down position results in a humbucker wired in parallel.

Wiring Code

You didn’t mention what pickups you are using, so I’m going to use a Seymour Duncan for our diagram, but you’ll need to look up the wiring code for whatever pickup you are using to wire it up correctly.

Seymour Duncan Wiring Code

North Coil

•         Black = Hot (start)
•         White = Finish

South Coil

•         Red = Finish
•         Green = Ground (start)

Shield = Bare Wire

We’ve illustrated this wiring code for you in Example 1.

Example 1

Here is the wiring diagram for the series/split/parallel modification.

Example 2

It can be difficult to find out which wires go to the north and south coil. Most people only give the Hot and Ground wires, and you twist the other two together (usually). If this is the case for you, and there’s a problem with the switch when you finish soldering, try switching the two other wires on the switch (the white and red wires in our diagram) to see if that helps.

Thanks again for the great question! Let us know how it works out.