Three Humbucker SG Style?

[ChubbyFingers]

Thoughts anyone?

If I do build one...

SG style body with a Flying V style neck. All mahogany. All full size humbuckers.

For wiring im thinking;
Either:
A 5-way rotary switch giving:
bridge only
bridge plus middle
middle only
middle plus neck
neck only

Or:
A 3-way toggle with a push-pull to give the following on "push":
bridge
bridge plus neck
neck only

With the push pull on "pull":
bridge plus middle
all three
neck plus middle

I would add a second push-pull to phase flip the middle.

I would wire it with either with three independent volumes and a master tone or just a master volume / master tone and use the two spares holes for toggle switches in place of the push-pulls. It's an SG style body, remember, so fitting push-pulls inside the cavity can be tricky and might require deepening the cavity.

Assuming either a Pearly Gates set or a Seth Lover set for neck and bridge, what would you put in the middle?

Off the wall idea - three Dean "Lights Out", as I have a spare set of two already and would buy a neck for the third.

 

[smitty_p]

It's totally your call, but for me, I think I'd prefer a Strat-style 5-way switch.

 

[Norton]

freeway 6 way toggle . reverb. stewmac... etc.

https://www.freewayswitch.com/

I've got a trio of 3 hum bucker guitars. the freeway is the only way to go. you can wire it up to give you middle by itself all 3 pickups etc. I'd suggest going for the switch with the wire loom already attached.

On the fly, it's the most elegant solution.

 

[ChubbyFingers]

Agreed but difficult to put a 5-way blade into an SG body to begin with, and it will probably come pre-drilled.

 

[Bad Penguin]

Use a standard 3 way and make one of the tone control a volume control for the middle pickup. Been working for 60 odd years, right?

 

[ChubbyFingers]

Use a standard 3 way and make one of the tone control a volume control for the middle pickup. Been working for 60 odd years, right?

Yeah, but where's the fun in that?

 

[njpaulc]

How about....one master volume, three separate tones each a push/pull wired as an on/off for the corresponding pickup. Three way toggle, neck, all three, bridge and use the on/offs to mix the pickups in the middle position.

 

[Maguchi]

Thoughts anyone?

If I do build one...

SG style body with a Flying V style neck. All mahogany. All full size humbuckers.

For wiring im thinking;
Either:
A 5-way rotary switch giving:
bridge only
bridge plus middle
middle only
middle plus neck
neck only

Or:
A 3-way toggle with a push-pull to give the following on "push":
bridge
bridge plus neck
neck only

With the push pull on "pull":
bridge plus middle
all three
neck plus middle

I would add a second push-pull to phase flip the middle.

I would wire it with either with three independent volumes and a master tone or just a master volume / master tone and use the two spares holes for toggle switches in place of the push-pulls. It's an SG style body, remember, so fitting push-pulls inside the cavity can be tricky and might require deepening the cavity.

Assuming either a Pearly Gates set or a Seth Lover set for neck and bridge, what would you put in the middle?

Off the wall idea - three Dean "Lights Out", as I have a spare set of two already and would buy a neck for the third.

If you've had a guitar with a rotary switch and liked it, I suppose that's OK. I had a PRS with a rotary switch and it was my main performing guitar for a couple years in the early '90s. It really was not comfortable and convenient switching pickups while playing live. So that's something to consider. When I went back to 5 way blade and 3 way toggle switches it just felt so much easier and more natural. I don't think I'll go back to a rotary switch again.