Series/single/parallel question.

[Sid the Kid]

Hello folks. Need some professional advice/encouragement.

My ESP has a series/single/parallel switch for both pickups. The switch has 12 pins on the back and both halves of the switch are wired identically. Because of that the south coil of both pickups is active in the single coil setting and thus has constant hum.

If I switch the green and white (N&S hot leads) would it have any adverse effects on the series and parallel settings?

In theory this would fix the hum by using the north coil of the bridge pickup instead of the south, but I'm worried that some other weird stuff might happen.

Thanks in advance!

 

[lz4005]

If you're decent at soldering try it and see what happens.
It's easily reversible.

 

[line6man]

If I switch the green and white (N&S hot leads) would it have any adverse effects on the series and parallel settings?

No. The only thing that can go wrong is if you happen to invert the phase when you change the wiring. If this happens then you would just rewire more carefully.

 

[Sid the Kid]

I was actually thinking of snipping the pickup leads and and exchanging and soldering them farther away from the switch. It is a really tight control cavity and my soldering skills and iron itself is not so perfect.

 

[RobbieK]

If I switch the green and white (N&S hot leads) would it have any adverse effects on the series and parallel settings?

Yeah, don't do that. The switch won't operate properly. You'll probably need to change all four wires.

Can you post a pic of the switch?

Does the wire from the pickup have four conductors and a shield? If there's only three conductors and a shield, then the -ve of the north coil is hard wired to earth (the shield) at the pickup.

FWIW, I'd recommend having it so that the coil in the bridge pickup that is on while in single coil mode is the one furthest from the bridge. This will give the bridge pickup a fatter tone in single coil mode. Also this may effect the choice you make as to which pickup to rewire.

In theory this would fix the hum by using the north coil of the bridge pickup instead of the south

Yes. It really should be wired like that from the factory.

my soldering skills and iron itself is not so perfect.

Do you have a friend with some good soldering skills? Or perhaps take it to a tech. The switch is a "4P3T on-on-on" and if you fry it, you are up for over 30 bucks.