The factory controls on my SZ consist of 2 volume knobs and 1 tone knob. I'd like to modify it so that it has 1 master volume and 2 tone controls, 1 for each pickup. Is this doable? Is it a good idea? Are tone pots and volume pots the same or should I buy a new tone specific pot? I've seen a few diagrams on splitting coils and such, but I haven't seen one that shows this. Has anyone done this before? I'm wondering if anyone can point me in the right direction so I can figure out how to do this. Any advice would be appreciated!
Also, at the same time I'd like to set it up so that both pickups are fully on, not coil split in the middle position. I've seen a few posts on this before, but I don't know if anything changes based on what I'm doing above?
Thanks in advance for your help people!

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89 PF-40
07 PF-15ECENT
02 DTX-120
03 GAX30
06 SZ520QM
89 Squire HM2
?? Fender Starcaster (autographed by Dale Earnhardt Jr.)
07 Fender Standard Stratocaster

1. save up money
2. go to sherwood music
3. tell mike in setup your problem/modification
4. pay them to fix it
5. ???????????????????????
6. PROFIT

that's what I would do . . .and the SZ part of the forum doesn't move as quick as other sections but someone who knows will eventually come along and post something much more constructive than I did

Here's a diagram



This site has many wiring configurations

http://www.guitarelectronics.com/c=wNuquAPp79Y7pJgQOd3rbYSJI/category/wiringresources.2_pickup_diagrams/

well the volume controls are linear tapered and the tone is audio tapered
meaning the "swapped to tone" volume pot would act differently than the other tone control

you could swap the existing tone to the master volume and then both volumes to tones

but then both the tones would act in an unexpected way


either way


you will have to move the input jack from the tone control to the master volume
[blue and green wires]
( whichever wire is on the ground of the tone control need to remain on ground when you move them and the one represented by the blue line needs to go to the outside terminal that is NOT connected to ground )

take the two wires off the neck volume and solder them together and cover with tape
(fat grey connection)

take the same two wires off the bridge volume and solder and tape those as well
(red)

from the center terminal of the master volume
follow the black line to the bottom middle terminal on the switch
solder to the middle bottom terminal and jumper it to the middle terminal just above it
( needs to contact bot in order for both pickups to work )




from your old master tone/new bridge tone control
follow the purple line to the bridge pickup selection
( bottom left corner of the switch )

on your old bridge volume/new neck tone control
you will have to unsolder the "one terminal to ground"
you will have to get a capacitor like the one at the black arrow
and duplicate it at the orange arrow

one leg of the cap to the center terminal of the pot
one leg to ground( be careful not to let the legs short either of the terminals )

then follow the purple line to the right side of the switch for the neck pickup selection


make sure each pot has a ground connection from the back of each pot over to the volume

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EHDWULD RAWKIT

RG2EX1 w/ SD hot-rodded pickups
RG4EXFM1 w/ Carvin S22j/b set + Fender Vintage Noiseless middle
Carvin Belair
Laney Acoustic Amp (a gift from Guitar Player Mag)
Carvin Redline 600 kick-back
GNX3000 (yea I'm a modeler)

Ibanez wiring diagrams
Without Politics there would be nothing to disagree about

I am curious as to what changes in tone control was gained by changing the controls to two tones with one master volume.
It is like a strat. Somehow this makes sense, but I would like to hear about the outcome. I too am not extremely happy with the factory setup. I was considering just making the coil closes to the neck hot, instead of the middle coil.
I see that you were interested in making all four coils hot. How did it turn out?

hello Ric

1)
ok fair enough sounds like a preference thing
the diagram above should help with that

2)
pots all audio? cool
only caveat would be that the CTS come with a slightly larger diameter threaded shaft
and you may need to open the holes a bit to 3/8 inch
not hard just be prepared
also when putting capacitors on
be careful that the legs don't short to ground before the capacitor


3) your pickup selector switch
its the Toggle style right?
like this

and you want to swap that with a 5 way blade?

I am not familiar with a 5 way switch that would drop in with out some body modifications


4)
I put the Seymour Duncan Hot rodded set in my RG2
these cover the classic 70's rock well
and with the right pedals do the 80's hair band too
and I put the Carvin S22 covered pickups in my RG4
heck I just loved the look of the no holes chrome covered pickups
the 11 poles per coil eliminated the F-spaced vs traditional spaced debate
they are warmer and sound decent split
but not single coil at all like the SD pickups do
the style of music you play will play a much bigger part in which pickups you exchange them with
if at all
( those Duncans should be replicas of something in the standard Duncan line )
if you could post the resistance reading it may shed light on which ones

to take a resistance reading
with an multimeter set to ohms

plug the guitar cable in to the jack
select the neck pickup with the selector switch
turn volume all the way up
on the other end of the guitar cable
one lead to the tip
one lead to the sleeve or part just below the black ring of the jack
should read something like 7.5K or 8.5K ohms

repeat for the bridge and and post results
or just got to the SD site and compare the resistance with their standard line
that should narrow it down a bit

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EHDWULD RAWKIT

RG2EX1 w/ SD hot-rodded pickups
RG4EXFM1 w/ Carvin S22j/b set + Fender Vintage Noiseless middle
Carvin Belair
Laney Acoustic Amp (a gift from Guitar Player Mag)
Carvin Redline 600 kick-back
GNX3000 (yea I'm a modeler)

Ibanez wiring diagrams
Without Politics there would be nothing to disagree about

i had a 59' in the neck when i pulled them out on mine.