You are very welcome - I didn’t really get it the first time I wired one of these from a diagram either, and I ended up drawing it on paper to work it out - curiosity got the better of me! Really glad it was useful, and thanks for watching!
Some might say I'm loitering on semantics... However, I was trained to regard two dimensional electronic diagrams as - 'circuit diagrams'; a 'schematic diagram' is the 'three-dimensional' representation of the physical wiring - the difference being that the 'circuit diagram' portrays the current path in its simplest form; whereas the 'schematic' may differ considerably visually. Those spidery drawings we see people make of pickup wiring therefore would be the schematic diagram showing how the arrangement is physically in the guitar; effectively - the *wiring scheme.* This explanation is one of the best I've seen on YT as matey uses proper *circuit diagrams* to illustrate the electrical function of the circuit, which is always easier than trying to decipher those horrible - point-to-point spidery 'schematics.' In the same way as I take the above issue with popular circuit draughtsmanship, I would also argue the difference between what is a 'coil tap' and what is a 'coil split'. When splitting the coils of a humbucker - that comprises of two distinct continuous windings - we regard that as *coil split.* Because one is actually separating (splitting) the coils - as shown in this video. Conversely - a coil tap rarely occurs in guitar wiring - essentially a 'tap' is a point of connection made at some point in ONE coil's winding, giving three or more points of connection. This arrangement would be present in a mains, or I.F transformer, where several taps might offer various input or output configurations (read - voltages). And another common misconception is that a string pitch-changing system (whammy bar) is properly called a *'vibrato system'* - where the change is in pitch (frequency) of the note occurs as the vibrato arm is moved; conversely - the 'tremolo' is actually a gain (volume) changing system, using an oscillator to vary the gain (loudness) of a signal pursuant to a set (or variable) parameter - usually found on many cheap 1960's amps, or now as an app in a DAW. Technically the vibrato is a frequency shift; the tremolo an amplitude shift. No doubt, many will claim I'm splitting hairs...
Hi Tim, really well explained. Just comparing your wiring to a Dimarzio one, and it seems there's a fundemental difference in the order of the coils in the series wiring (after adjusting for different colour standard). Dimarzio: NS -> NF -> SF -> SS. Yours: NF -> NS -> SF -> SS. So it looks like the phase of one of your coils is reversed from at least the Dimarzxio recommendation if I understand that correctly. Wouldn't that negate the hum cancelling as the hum from both coils is now in phase, rather than opposite? Or is this just a matter of convention for which ends of each coils are considered start and finish by different manufacturers?
Hi! It is the second… each manufacturer will have a slightly different approach. Bottom line, there are a couple of things that need to be in place for the hum cancelling to work - the north up / south up magnetic orientation, and the direction of the windings themselves. The core design of a humbucker is basically two separate coils placed close together within the pickup body; how those pickups are connected in the control circuitry doesn’t matter so much… it is the physical winding direction and magnetic orientation that gives the hum cancelling effect. In a normal humbucking pup one coil has its magnets oriented north-up, while the other has them south-up, creating opposing magnetic fields. When the signals from both coils are combined, the electrical noise picked up by each coil is out of phase, effectively canceling each other out - as long as the signals both land in the same circuit… If you sent each signal to a different amp, it wouldn’t hum cancel - they need to be combined into one signal for the destructive interference effect to do its magic. Given that the magnetic polarity and windings will be the same in each scenario, if it worked in series it will work in parallel and vice versa. The coil split will however be subject to hum, as the second coil which would provide the necessary reversed signal to cancel out the background interference is absent… hope that helps!
@@bigtalltim I think so.. just to confirm, is it fair to say that the hum picked up by a (single) coil is the same no matter which direction the current is running through the windings?
From an audible (when amplified) perspective, yes… from an electrical perspective, it is the mirror image of the sine wave if the winding is reversed - so, it would make a difference which of the coils you isolate if you are running with this switch for each of a pair of humbuckers, and when using both pickups together. Out of phase, the two single coils would hum cancel… in phase, normal single coil service would be restored!
Question for you Tim. Does it matter if it's Type 1 or Type 2 switch as long as you can follow the signal pathways through the switch lugs and coils as you have described for the 3 coil modes? Reason for asking is that Delano Pickups seem to have instructions for Type 1 switch on their PDF (bottom half of page 9 for Series, Single Coil and Parallel) but they don't say it's a Type 1 switch in words. They have a jumper from the upper right terminal to the left-middle terminal, as opposed to your jumper connecting the upper 2 lugs from left to right. Delano threw me off for a while until I realized they drew it for a Type 1 toggle switch.
Great question - I’ve just had a look at that diagram you mention… it is a slightly different way of achieving the same effect; whilst in mine the single coil sound is achieved by making the signal path for one of the two coils hit a dead end, theirs appears to isolate one of the coils by connecting both ends of that coil to ground. Either will work - as long as there is not a complete circuit, the signal cannot flow and only the other coil will work. Re switch type, bottom line as long as you know which of the four wires are which (the manufacturers colour list gives you that), the wiring is a straight mirror image from type one to type two… ps. for the record, my type is easier to wire - diagonal jumpers are a pain!!
Thank you for the clear explanation. Your way makes more sense to me from a flow path perspective so I’ll definitely do it your way when my components arrive.
You are very welcome! be careful when checking what type you have - I have had stuff shipped as 2 that was actually 1, and vice versa... always check! The pin out diagrams in this vid are shown from the bottom (looking at the legs) so an easy thing to check with a multimeter; The video shows the type 2 layouts... if you have a type 1, just take a screen shot and flip it on the horizontal - the wiring is exact mirror image! Hope that helps and good luck - this is a lovely little mod!
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
thank you very much for taking so much time and explaining it so schematically. it really helped me to finally see through it
You are very welcome - I didn’t really get it the first time I wired one of these from a diagram either, and I ended up drawing it on paper to work it out - curiosity got the better of me! Really glad it was useful, and thanks for watching!
Some might say I'm loitering on semantics... However, I was trained to regard two dimensional electronic diagrams as - 'circuit diagrams'; a 'schematic diagram' is the 'three-dimensional' representation of the physical wiring - the difference being that the 'circuit diagram' portrays the current path in its simplest form; whereas the 'schematic' may differ considerably visually.
Those spidery drawings we see people make of pickup wiring therefore would be the schematic diagram showing how the arrangement is physically in the guitar; effectively - the *wiring scheme.*
This explanation is one of the best I've seen on YT as matey uses proper *circuit diagrams* to illustrate the electrical function of the circuit, which is always easier than trying to decipher those horrible - point-to-point spidery 'schematics.'
In the same way as I take the above issue with popular circuit draughtsmanship, I would also argue the difference between what is a 'coil tap' and what is a 'coil split'. When splitting the coils of a humbucker - that comprises of two distinct continuous windings - we regard that as *coil split.* Because one is actually separating (splitting) the coils - as shown in this video. Conversely - a coil tap rarely occurs in guitar wiring - essentially a 'tap' is a point of connection made at some point in ONE coil's winding, giving three or more points of connection. This arrangement would be present in a mains, or I.F transformer, where several taps might offer various input or output configurations (read - voltages).
And another common misconception is that a string pitch-changing system (whammy bar) is properly called a *'vibrato system'* - where the change is in pitch (frequency) of the note occurs as the vibrato arm is moved; conversely - the 'tremolo' is actually a gain (volume) changing system, using an oscillator to vary the gain (loudness) of a signal pursuant to a set (or variable) parameter - usually found on many cheap 1960's amps, or now as an app in a DAW. Technically the vibrato is a frequency shift; the tremolo an amplitude shift.
No doubt, many will claim I'm splitting hairs...
Hi Tim, really well explained. Just comparing your wiring to a Dimarzio one, and it seems there's a fundemental difference in the order of the coils in the series wiring (after adjusting for different colour standard). Dimarzio: NS -> NF -> SF -> SS. Yours: NF -> NS -> SF -> SS. So it looks like the phase of one of your coils is reversed from at least the Dimarzxio recommendation if I understand that correctly. Wouldn't that negate the hum cancelling as the hum from both coils is now in phase, rather than opposite? Or is this just a matter of convention for which ends of each coils are considered start and finish by different manufacturers?
Hi! It is the second… each manufacturer will have a slightly different approach. Bottom line, there are a couple of things that need to be in place for the hum cancelling to work - the north up / south up magnetic orientation, and the direction of the windings themselves.
The core design of a humbucker is basically two separate coils placed close together within the pickup body; how those pickups are connected in the control circuitry doesn’t matter so much… it is the physical winding direction and magnetic orientation that gives the hum cancelling effect. In a normal humbucking pup one coil has its magnets oriented north-up, while the other has them south-up, creating opposing magnetic fields. When the signals from both coils are combined, the electrical noise picked up by each coil is out of phase, effectively canceling each other out - as long as the signals both land in the same circuit… If you sent each signal to a different amp, it wouldn’t hum cancel - they need to be combined into one signal for the destructive interference effect to do its magic. Given that the magnetic polarity and windings will be the same in each scenario, if it worked in series it will work in parallel and vice versa. The coil split will however be subject to hum, as the second coil which would provide the necessary reversed signal to cancel out the background interference is absent… hope that helps!
@@bigtalltim I think so.. just to confirm, is it fair to say that the hum picked up by a (single) coil is the same no matter which direction the current is running through the windings?
From an audible (when amplified) perspective, yes… from an electrical perspective, it is the mirror image of the sine wave if the winding is reversed - so, it would make a difference which of the coils you isolate if you are running with this switch for each of a pair of humbuckers, and when using both pickups together. Out of phase, the two single coils would hum cancel… in phase, normal single coil service would be restored!
@@bigtalltim thanks for taking the time to explain
Question for you Tim. Does it matter if it's Type 1 or Type 2 switch as long as you can follow the signal pathways through the switch lugs and coils as you have described for the 3 coil modes? Reason for asking is that Delano Pickups seem to have instructions for Type 1 switch on their PDF (bottom half of page 9 for Series, Single Coil and Parallel) but they don't say it's a Type 1 switch in words. They have a jumper from the upper right terminal to the left-middle terminal, as opposed to your jumper connecting the upper 2 lugs from left to right. Delano threw me off for a while until I realized they drew it for a Type 1 toggle switch.
Great question - I’ve just had a look at that diagram you mention… it is a slightly different way of achieving the same effect; whilst in mine the single coil sound is achieved by making the signal path for one of the two coils hit a dead end, theirs appears to isolate one of the coils by connecting both ends of that coil to ground. Either will work - as long as there is not a complete circuit, the signal cannot flow and only the other coil will work. Re switch type, bottom line as long as you know which of the four wires are which (the manufacturers colour list gives you that), the wiring is a straight mirror image from type one to type two… ps. for the record, my type is easier to wire - diagonal jumpers are a pain!!
Thank you for the clear explanation. Your way makes more sense to me from a flow path perspective so I’ll definitely do it your way when my components arrive.
Thanks man, I have type 2 switch and cant find information about wiring on type 2
You are very welcome! be careful when checking what type you have - I have had stuff shipped as 2 that was actually 1, and vice versa... always check! The pin out diagrams in this vid are shown from the bottom (looking at the legs) so an easy thing to check with a multimeter; The video shows the type 2 layouts... if you have a type 1, just take a screen shot and flip it on the horizontal - the wiring is exact mirror image! Hope that helps and good luck - this is a lovely little mod!