stereo electric mod

[David Reilly]

I am working on an electric guitar. 3 single coils (2 generic strat type and one 60s Japan-looking thing at bridge position), 5 way switch, holes for 3 pots, stereo jack. Client wants stereo output. If i just use the pickups, switch and jack, i get a pretty good range of combinations out of the 2 sides of the jack. Missing only the middle pickup on one side. But when i add pots, it turns to mud - the pickups are combining.

When it works, as above with no pots; 

the signal at the tip is standard strat, and the signal at the ring is:

neck position = bridge pickup

2nd position = bridge pickup

middle = nothing

4th position = neck pickup

bridge position = neck pickup.

So, it has the effect of spreading the pickups and tone range across two amps (except where the middle pickup drops out of one)

The solution, i hope, is to go from 3 pickups to 3 vol pots first, then go to the switch positions, then to the jack.

Will i keep the separation i had with just the switch?

And, must i be sure to keep the pots above common ground?

And, where do i connect the ground from the jack?

I hope this makes some sense. After messing with this for awhile, i wired it as above tonight, but didn't have a chance to check it.

(If it were up to me, would find some combinations of pedals, switchers and amps to achieve this myself, but my client wants to do this so i thought i would try)

Thanks in advance for any ideas or comments you may have.

David

[Pierre-Antoine Roiron]

I think you would solve your problem with a 4 pole 5 way switch. You can find it for example at allparts or stewmac or younameit :
http://www.allparts.com/4-Pole-5-Way-Super-Switch-p/ep-0078-000.htm

Using this one for your needs is like having one standard 5 way switch for each path of the stereo. Link two outputs to the tip with a volume, two outputs to the ring with a volume, use the tone for one of the outputs, or use a stereo volume and a stereo tone.

[David Reilly]

Ok, it works. The deal is: 3 pickups > 3 volume pots > 5 way switch > 2 sides of stereo jack. Float the pots off the shielded pick guard with plastic washers, and connect the pot cans straight to ground at the jack; star ground. I may mess with the pot values a bit to see how the tone shapes up. We now have a useful variety of different tones going to 2 amps as requested. As wired, the volume pots also affect the tones in interesting ways.
Thanks to Pierre-Antoine, and Larry at Stewart MacDonald tech support.

[Pierre-Antoine Roiron]

Great news!